Harmful chemicals
 

Are people who have MDS more susceptible to further bone marrow damage when exposed to harmful chemicals than the general public? If so, how and why/
John R.

That's a very good question, John. We have been operating on the assumption that whatever triggered the marrow failure could just as easily trigger a relapse, and so have tried to avoid the use of pesticides and other chemicals that our doctor thinks may be to blame (just based on the fact that we have a farm/plant nursery).

I was surprised, then, that in one of the articles about AA that I read the author said that relapse from re-exposure to the same trigger didn't seem like a likely scenario. I don't know what the reasoning behind that statement was, but I also don't know if there's any scientific basis for believing that people with AA or MDS are more susceptible to further damage than the general population. I've heard it suggested that these disorders can arise from a combination of elements: environmental causes coupled with a genetically heightened susceptibility. Neither one alone may be enough to cause problems, but together they're deadly. I do believe that to be true, and if that is the case, then it just seems intuitive to avoid anything that might potentially make things worse, but if anyone has a better understanding of the physiological mechanisms involved, I'd really like to know too!