My MDS does not respond to treatments. What's next?

@jeffreykassover1, I see from previous posts that your team has tried various medications to which your myelodysplastic syndrome has not responded. That's always hard news to get.

- Myelodysplastic syndromes: Treatment options https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/myelodysplastic-syndrome/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20366980

Has the option of the bone marrow transplant been discussed? Is that an option for you?

We have had a number of discussions about BMT. I'm 77 years old, 78 in November, and most places that I have visited online, and various sites all seem to indicate that BMT is not recommended for those over 70. There are several places ( Slone, Moffitt, etc.) that look at the whole person as part of the consideration for transplantation. Could I find someone who might do a BMT, possibly? He does not think I'm a good candidate, and doubtful I would have good results. We are still wrestling with the decision and will probably not try it. What do you think?

My wife went through 1 1/2 years of treatment for severe aplastic anemia, which is closely related to MDS. She was 83 with some comorbidities. She was definitely not a candidate but I researched BMT like you have and found the same things. The upper age for doing it has risen over the years but upper 70’s seems to be above the limit. We were at MDAnderson in Houston. If you haven’t checked yet you could contact the NIH where Dr. Neil Young is the guru of these diseases. I have the nurse contact somewhere if you need it. The national AAMDS foundation has many resources as well as Zoom support groups. Good luck to you. These are very difficult diseases to treat and I wish you well.

If you have a contact, I would appreciate it. Thank you

This was a good contact for aplastic anemia trials with Dr. Neal Young and I think she could direct you to who you should speak with at Nat. Institute of Health:
Ivana Darden, R.N.
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
National Institutes of Health
Building 10
Room 4-5362
10 Center Drive
Bethesda, Maryland 20892
(301) 827-2988
ivana.darden@nih.gov

Another great resource:
http://www.aamds.org
Talk to Leigh Clark, head of patient services
Also
http://www.aamds.org/mds

After sliding down the hill with MDS/MF for years, I finally reached a very critical point. I didn't want to go the route of Blood transfusions, because it just made me feel that was putting me on the leg of last resort. I will be 78 next month. CBC finally got so low that I was having a hard time just getting around without being so fatigued that I had to just sit down and try and recoup... which rarely happened. I finally gave in and had a Blood transfusing. Within hours, I felt better than I had felt in many years. It was a new lease on life. I continued getting transfusions, and of course, my CBC came way up. I felt great after each transfusion. As time went by the length of that exuberance decreased, and I started getting two bags. BANG right back up to the top. During this time, a new drug, Ojjaara, arrived on the scene. I started it, and within no time was off of all transfusions. My CBC has remained well above what it has been in over 10 years. That was over a year ago now. I am full of energy and resumed my old activities. Walk 2 mi every morning and attend an exercise class 3 times a week. I travel with my RV and life is good. It was the Blood transfusions that got me over the Hump and allow me to try this new drug. I can't say if you will have the same results, but what the heck... it doesn't look to me like you have a line-up of options. IMO, suck it up and get transfused!

@snakebite Thank you for this reply. As my disease progresses I have been dreading transfusions. I too feel it puts me on a track of last resorts, but also on a track of dependency. Your tough love gave me hope. First feeling better, but also your longevity. You would not have had the opportunity with Ojjaara if you had given up. So, when I get there, I will suck it up and have the transfusions.

We are all dependent on blood for our life force. If the disease makes transfusions the necessary way to get it then you will need them.

I get platelets and rbc infusions for months now
They keep me alive so I am thankful
Also the infusion nurses and patients are so nice
Like a family

Until MDS, my body produced my blood. Relying on someone else to produce my blood for me is a dependency I never wanted.