|
Hi, Julia.
There actually is some basis for your doctor thinking that puberty might cause a change in your son's aplastic anemia: male hormones (androgens) are sometimes given to stimulate the bone marrow to become more active.
Is your son currently on any immunosuppressants? If so, has your doctor suggested trying to taper the dosage to try to get a little more response (that is, more production) from your son's bone marrow?
If your son's counts do not allow him to live comfortably, I would not allow the possibility that changes will occur during puberty to silence you. One of our members, Wendy Beltrami, has a son who is now about 15 and has been dealing with AA for 8 years or so. Although he has had ups and downs, it sounds as though he has been able to live a mostly normal teenage life. I hope she'll see this thread and be able to offer you more advice.
Hope this helps.
Ruth Cuadra
__________________
Diagnosed AA 10/96, MDS/RA 6/98, MUD/BMT 10/6/98
|