Data, I'm an RN, and one with several other medical issues besides MDS, so maybe I can help a little. The most common reason for shortness of breath in an MDS patient would be heart failure due to severe anemia, as that makes the heart work a lot harder. But your anemia isn't severe; I'm talking like 5 or 6 HB. There are many other causes of shortness of breath that are unrelated to MDS. Among them would be heart failure due to a valve problem or a heart muscle problem (like me), emphysema or other chronic lung disease. Fatigue may be secondary to shortness of breath. Are you deconditioned? My pulmo told me that one of the most common reasons for shortness of breath is deconditioning; developing a fitness program can really help some people. Have you checked in with your PCP lately? You may well have something else going on that be may successfully treated. Hypothyroidism can cause severe fatigue, for instance. I wouldn't ignore your symptoms; your quality of life is affected. Some simple blood work or some pulmonary function testing could reveal more info. You owe it to yourself to get checked out; could be something minor!
Hope this helps some, Data, and good luck in your journey.
Mags
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Margaret, age 68, dx MDS 5 q- 5/09- now RCMD; also MGUS. TP53 and TET2 mutations
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