[Andrea Pecor]

Hi Krista, Connie and others,

I have been following your posts and just wanted to weigh in. I was diagnosed SAA in 1980, when I was 24 yrs old and just out of college, just embarking on the journey of my life. Everything came to a screeching halt - my future as I had planned it, my dreams, my independence. I moved home to live with my parents, which seemed to me a fate worse that SAA. We were told I had 6 months to a year to live. Don't forget that this was 1980. There was no internet. There was no National Marrow Donor Registry. There was no Aplastic Anemia & MDS Int'l Foundation. There was nothing in the way of resources or support to be had. But I chose to live my life as my heart and soul told me to. I refused to believe such a ludicrous prognosis as death. You can read the details of my story on my Personal Profiles page here on Marrowforums but, in brief, I have had AA for 27 years, had ATG 5 times (and all of its tasty side dishes like Hep C, transfusions, Prednisone, Danazol, Neupogen, hip replacement, PNH, blah blah blah) and here I still am, all these years later, living a life.
I don't mean to sound insensitive or smarty-pants - if anyone knows what it's like to be alone in the world with an incurable blood disease, I do. But I can tell you that making the concious decision to live your life, as opposed to negotiating it's threats, will bring you strength and empowerment. Enjoy every moment because it is a gift, be willing to face the challenges life presents you with because even a small victory is a victory, and believe in the integrity of your heart because it will feed your soul.

Wishing all of you all the best,
Andrea