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PrettyFunky,
I can understand how hard this is for you, especially since you don't feel like you have enough of a support team. Consider us part of that team. If you haven't been close to some of your family members, a crisis like this may bring them closer again. You don't really need a medical caregiver at the moment (the role that a family member usually takes to get you through medical treatments), but you need people to talk to. That's something that relatives, old friends, or even new friends can do for you.
I know that a million worries are going through your head, but please know that many of us were just as scared when we were diagnosed, that we found strength we didn't know we had, and that we got through it. You clearly want to help yourself or you wouldn't be here asking questions, and I'll bet you have a lot of strength too. When my wife was diagnosed with AA and life-threatening low counts we were both very frightened, but it's now 16 years later and she's healthy, working full time, and busy with hobbies and family.
At the ER and in the hospital you had to rely on a medical team that could recognize your symptoms and deal with the emergency, but the AA specialist is where you'll get the real facts about your health situation and your choices from here on. You were living with anemia for a year (and possibly longer since it may not have been recognized at first) and it's good to hear that it will finally get the attention it needs. It's also good that you have no dysplasia.
Other than the low counts, have you been generally healthy? That would be another factor in your favor. So is being under 30.
The best news is that you are in Seattle, where some of the best aplastic anemia care in the country is found. Chandra4intx is right about that!
Even with those factors in your favor, you're still dealing with a scary disease and I hope your hematologist will be confident about a treatment that can help you. Don't worry about the possible need for transfusions. "Filling the tank" will keep you safe so your next steps can be worked out. With your counts being monitored, transfusions given when necessary, and WBC within range, I don't think you have to worry about disaster just from venturing outside.
It's too soon to know how this will affect your job. Whizbang is correct about the possibility of going on disability. It's smart to take a list of questions to your doctors appointments, and I suggest that one of them be whether your job poses a health risk to you. The first goal is to deal with the AA, as many patients have done, and the next goal will be to get back to your career and your other plans, despite the interruption.
Keeping your fertility is part of getting your life back. Make sure the doctors know that's one of your concerns. Women with AA can still have the choice to have children, although doctors may treat it as a riskier pregnancy. If you were to need a transplant, you'd work with a fertility specialist ahead of time. You'll find discussions about that in these forums.
Good luck with the AA specialist. Please let us know what you learn.
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