[DanL]

Sarah,

I have seen these terms in my own biopsy reports. Both large platelets and rare megakaryocytes (precursors to platelets) are fairly common in MDS. Some people have greater issues in their red blood cells or white blood cells, and some, like me are primarily concerned about platelets.

The real issue is what kind of effect, if any, is this having on the patient. I have had between 20k and 30k platelets in my peripheral counts without too many issues except for the very colorful and large bruising when i run into something or something falls on me. An ice pack and pressure applied to the site of the injury normally limits the damage. I also have a prescription for AMICAR, in case I have any bigger issues. Sometimes Amicar is prescribed to be taken to prevent bleeding events prophylactically (sp?).

Low platelets can be dangerous, especially if you have a high risk of falling or other injury in your life. It can also be an issue if your father is platelet transfusion dependent, as platelet transfusions only last for a few days at most. Platelets typically stay in circulation for no more than about 10 days to begin with, so transfusions usually have a lot of almost burnt out platelets.

The best practice is to take your time while doing activities that have potential for injury, limit your exposure to these items, and know what to do if something does happen.

I hope this helped.