My 88 year old mother and I take a trip to see my sisters about 9 hours away every summer; and my brother who lives in another state is meeting us there also. We are due to go next Friday, June 24 (driving). My mother was diagnosed with MDS (refractory cytopenia, IPSS Int.1) about 6 weeks ago; she has had no treatment to date as she still feels "okay." Hematologist told us it was all right for her to take the vacation as long as she felt okay. She is due in for a round of labs this Friday to see if her blood values are still dropping. My questions - AT WHAT POINT WILL THE DOCTOR SAY SHE SHOULDN'T TAKE THIS VACATION?
On May 4, her levels were:
WBC 3.41; RBC 3.22; Hg 10.4; Hct 31.4; Platelets 45; Absolute neutrophils 1.61. They have been steadily falling every 3-4 weeks since mid-February when they first suspected she might have MDS. We go in for labs again this Friday - I am expecting that they've dropped further.
She recently had a bad cold and hematologist gave her Levaquin, which seemed to help. But she is very, very tired. She won't admit it, but I can see it in her eyes and in her actions around her house. I don't want our vacation to stress her system further, but at the same time, she is so looking forward to seeing my siblings (never know, could be the last time). My sisters keep asking me if I think she will be 'okay' for this trip. Due to her age and other health conditions (CHF, interstitial lung disease, HBP) the hematologist is not planning to do much in the way of 'treatment' for her MDS; he said chemo would only make her feel worse and probably not prolong her life. This is all so new to me/us -- what can we expect? How long will it be before she is pretty much housebound? She has always been so active and outdoorsy, and I think this illness is taking its toll on her very quickly.
Thanks for your advice!