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Thanks for all the replies
Thanks to everyone for sharing their information. I get it now that the Desferal starts later on, but that some can be given at transfusion time.
The doc had good news for me this past week: my ferritin was about 1400 (I don't remember the exact number), down from 1892 at NIH in August, and with no Desferal yet. I'd gotten 2 units of (amazingly fresh) PRBC 9 days earlier, and I think the ferritin was elevated due to that. My hemo also showed me my ferritin 3 months after ATG (Mar 2007): 2400!
My whole outlook on transfusions has changed. It used to be I couldn't wait for the next one, for the energy boost it provided. This was during a "wait and see" time in my care. Now that I'm more familiar with iron overload, the longer I hope I can last till the next one, to keep my ferritin low.
Now I'm wondering if I should wait and see where the ferritin is in a month or two, to see if it continues to decline on its own. All assuming that I don't get more red blood for a while. I'm thinking 1400 isn't all that bad.
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Male, 56, dx Nov2006 VSAA (BMA:0%). Responded to ATG/CsA/Prednisone/Neupogen Dec 2006, but relapsed in June 2007. Counts are responding to using CsA 200mg bid alone since Jun 2008. Last PRBC tx: Jul 2008.
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