Thread: What to expect
View Single Post
  #2  
Old Mon Jun 27, 2011, 07:50 PM
Neil Cuadra Neil Cuadra is offline
Owner
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Los Angeles, California
Posts: 2,553
Gayle,

You should absolutely get copies of the biopsy results and recent blood test results. They are your daughter's medical records so she's entitled to them. The hematologist's office or treatment center might charge you a nominal fee for fetching and copying the records, but many don't do even that.

CBC (complete blood count) charts are pretty easy to read. Bone marrow biopsy reports are harder for most patients and caregivers to interpret so your medical background will come in handy. Forum members often help each other interpret them.

Your daughter's doctor should answer any and all questions the two of you have, but we know that some doctors don't spend enough time answering questions in terms patients will understand. That's why it's nice to have the option to talk to other patients and caregivers too.

Chances are that these test results are going to provide details but reflect what you already know: that your daughter's bone marrow biopsies have been inconclusive because of the lack of cellularity. Empty bone marrow can be a sign of aplastic anemia, as can low blood counts, but that's not enough to say for certain. Diagnosis is the first step leading to treatment, if treatment is needed, so I can appreciate that it's hard for your family to continue not knowing what you're dealing with.

Do you know just how low your daughter's counts are compared with the normal ranges for a young adult woman? Does she have the characteristic symptoms of low blood counts or do they just show up low on lab tests? Has she needed any transfusions? If not, the doctors may be favoring a wait-and-watch approach both because of the low or moderate severity of her symptoms and because of the lack of a diagnosis.

Since your daughter is in her 20s, make sure the doctor knows if she's thinking of having children anytime soon, since that may change their approach to providing the appropriate care for her condition.
Reply With Quote