[Ruth Cuadra]

Dear Friends,

Today I'm celebrating the 9th anniversary of my matched unrelated donor bone marrow transplant for MDS/RA. From the time of my original diagnosis of aplastic anemia in 1996 through my transplant in 1998 to this 9th year, I've been cared for and supported by my family and friends, the wonderful doctors and nurses at the City of Hope, the AA&MDSIF, and my friends on the old AA-MDS-TALK listserv and here in the Marrowforums community. There are barely words to thank everyone for their help in my recovery, but I do thank you one and all.

During the past year I've been struck by the increasing array of choices MDS patients now have for treating their disease. In 1998, the only options for me were supportive care (which amounted to waiting for my MDS to become Leukemia) and transplant. Because I had a relatively young family at the time and a perfectly matched donor, I decided to go for the cure via transplant. Now with availability of drugs like Revlimid, Vidaza, and Dacogen, patients can live better with fewer risks. And, transplant technology and care has improved by leaps and bounds so patients can return to health sooner and more easily than I did just 9 short years ago. In many ways I don't envy those of you who are struggling to make treatment decisions today, but I do think you are lucky to have all of these choices.

Regards,
Ruth Cuadra