4 years surviver of AA
 

Hello members, my name is Michael and I was diagnose with Aplastic Anemia back in August of 2009.

Treatment consisted of cyclosporine, prednisone, atg, for the first 16 months. This was sufficient enough, and I did not required a BMT. I have seen my DR every 6 months, since then, with steady numbers.

Like many, I too felt shortness of breath, chest pains, and would easily bruise, weeks prior to being admitted into the ER. I did spent a total of 30 days in the hospital, before being allowed to go back home.

The road has not been easy trying to live a normal life, knowing that I can find my self back where I started.

I have done my best to live a normal life. I am a very active person, and have always been prior to this life changing event. I do consider my self athletic at this point of my life.

I'm glad I found this forum, as I have found myself alone, these past few years, with out having some one to relate to about this disease.

Hi Michael_210. We're glad to have you here. It's great that you responded to the immunosuppressive treatment and that you're athletic. Being active pays off in so many ways.

Were you a teenager when you were diagnosed? Younger? Older? The statistics say that the peak age range when aplastic anemia first shows up is something like 15 to 25, but we know there's a lot of variation.

Why did you need to be hospitalized for 30 days?

Hi Neil Cuadra. Thank you. I was 22 at the time. I was admitted into the ER, on August 02, 2009 after blood samples showed very low WBC,RBC,HGB and such. It took about 2 weeks before being diagnose with Aplastic Anemia. By the third week, I was admitted into ICU for a week were I received Chemo, blood transfusion and platelets. I was discharged from the hospital around September 4, 2009. At that point I had appointments with my hematologist\oncologist every week for a few months.

That ER visit must have been a very scary experience. You were probably at very high risk during those 2 weeks and I'm quite surprised that it took so long for a diagnosis. Perhaps your case of aplastic anemia was somehow atypical. It's usually recognized much more quickly after examining your marrow and ruling out other possible causes for low blood counts.

Yes Neil Cuadra, the ER experience was very scary. Immediately I was given blood transfusions and platelets for hours it seemed, and had all these Doctors, students and other people asking me questions and surrounding me through out the night.I had no idea of the severity of my situation at the time. By the second week I believe, I did get a bone marrow biopsy. It was a little uncomfortable and it was painful at times.