Fear And Sickness MDS

Fight for it

She went over the results with me at the appointment after the biopsy and said they verified what she suspected - that the previous diagnosis was wrong and that I had MDS. She said that several of my blood numbers were borderline in terms of MDS, and that my age didn't indicate MDS, therefore the initial ITP diagnosis wasn't surprising. My problem, as previously noted, is with my platelet count, which is below normal but has never been alarming; my white cell counts are likewise on the borderline. There was also a support nurse present at this session, with whom I sat and talked afterward, making sure that I had her contact information in case I needed assistance in the future.

Since then, I've remained in Dorset, where I've been treated by Dr. Sally Killick at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital. My levels have been consistent, and my platelet counts have even improved slightly. When the 'abnormality' was first discovered, I didn't have any visible symptoms - I'd always known I bruised easily, but I didn't have nose bleeds or anything else that would have indicated a problem.So, who knows how long I had it before it was discovered, or how long it would have gone undetected if that fateful test hadn't been performed? I can't claim that anything has altered in terms of my health in the nine years after the original blood test. I don't seem to be taking up any more bugs, and they don't seem to persist as long as they do for other people - of course, this could be due to natural extra precautions made as a result of knowing I have the illness.

So, I have MDS, but the only treatment I've required is monitoring. My life hasn't changed much, except from avoiding aspirin and the hassles of acquiring travel insurance. I consider myself fortunate not only for that, but also for having moved to an area with a high-quality hospital.