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Hi Vera-
Thanks for responding. It sounds like you have a great doctor. Congratulations on your remission!
I did look into aranesp, and I could not find anything about counts going down as a reaction to the treatment.
I go to as many appointments as I can with her, but she lives in Southwest Michigan, and I'm northwest of Chicago. I wish I could attend all of the appointments, but it's just not possible with work and kids and the distance between us.
When her hematologist did the first BMB, he though it was AA, and sent her to the University of Michigan. They did another BMB and said it was inconclusive between the two syndromes, but the doctor at the University wanted to treat her with cyclosporine. When my mom went back to her local hematologist, he decided to start her on aranesp. I inquired about a bone marrow transplant, and he said, "I wouldn't do it if I was her." He thought that aranesp would be easier on her than cyclosporine, and I'm sure it is. But I am not sure that it's effective.
I have begged and pleaded with my mom to see better doctors. I work in medical diagnostics and could pull some serious strings (I cover marketing for hemostasis and hematology). She says that she likes her doctor and that she trusts him. She doesn't want to travel, even to Chicago. I have been pushing her since her labs came back abnormal several years ago to see some good doctors, and she just won't listen. They don't have the best doctors in southwest Michigan... I just don't know what else to do.
Thanks for your help.
Amy
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