[Hopeful]

Hi Rita,

Make sure you are seeing someone who has expertise in hypoplastic MDS and AA. Don't be afraid to ask your doctor how many patients they have treated previously. Has your doctor run a battery of tests on you to rule out other things that mimic (or cause) bone marrow failure disease?

If your doctor is mentioning cyclosporine, I would also discuss with him the potential of doing ATG in combination. Together they have a much more favorable outcome then cyclosporine alone. Time is of the essence in starting treatment, as left unchecked, further damage could be done to your stem cells as the disease progresses.

I can understand the desire to try and let the body fight things naturally. However, if you have progressed to the point where you need transfusions, it is a sign that the body is not able to handle the fight alone. It is losing the war that is raging inside. Most people do not have negative reactions to cyclosporine, especially if given in proper dosage based on your body weight.

The sooner that you start treatment, the sooner you can stop the attack on your marrow and allow it to recover. Do not delay!