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Old Thu Sep 8, 2011, 03:12 AM
Neil Cuadra Neil Cuadra is offline
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Los Angeles, California
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stayinghopeful View Post
The doctor has not yet given us any information about testing his siblings. I think he is waiting for his test results to come back. Im not really sure how the whole process goes or else I would ask them to go get test right now. He has three siblings and all live within the same town we live in, but it is about 2 hrs away from where my dad is being treated.
I suggest that you write down questions as you think of them and bring the list to your appointment. That way you won't forget them when you talk to the doctor. One question is if there's any reason to wait to test his siblings. And it might be worth asking if there's a way to ask followup questions in between appointments, by email or phone or by talking to an assistant.

Quote:
I understand that when the blasts are >20%, it is considered Leukemia, is that correct? Now that he has started chemo, what is the likelihood he will cross that fine mine between MDS and Leukemia? Is the process of the transplant the same for the 2 conditions?
Yes, that's correct. I don't know what the chances are of his diagnosis changing, but determining the best treatment approach is what matters, not exactly where they draw the line for categorization. The transplant procedure is likely the same, although there may be differences in the preparatory regimen depending on his condition at the time it begins.

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I'm so sorry about all these questions. I lose my mind and can not think properly when we speak with his doctor because I am so stressed out. I beat myself up afterwards because I only then start thinking of questions to ask...when will this ever get easier?
Asking questions is one of the purposes of this website. Even though we aren't doctors, we share the worries that you describe. It does get easier, though never pleasant. A few of your questions are the most important, and once those are answered I hope you'll feel more in control. A tip we learned: If another family member or a close friend can come along, one of you can ask questions and the other can take notes.

Quote:
Originally Posted by stayinghopeful View Post
Also, do they look at the blasts in the bone marrow or in the peripheral blood to determine MDS and Leukemia. And how does AML fit in with all this?
They look at both, but both MDS RAEB2 and AML are characterized by higher than normal blast cells in the circulating blood. A patient's condition doesn't really change if their bone marrow blasts go from 19% to 20% or back again, but doctors need to put patients in classification groups for statistical purposes. Sometimes it even matters for insurance. But finding the right treatment is the real goal.
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