[Matthew42]

We're at a little over 14 weeks post-ATG.

Her neutrophils were between 600-800 for the past 8 weeks. Now they're back in the 300-500 level. I really don't understand what's going on. Her WBC count was around 2.5 for two months or so and now it's 0.9??? Could it be stress? She doesn't have a fever. Her lymphocyte count is coming closer into normal range, but not the neutrophils, of course.

Her blood will hold up for about 7-11 days and then it will suddenly drop. She almost went 1 month with only 2 RBC transfusions, but today will make 3. Two more days and she would have only had just 2. That is an improvement from 4-6/month that she needed before ATG.

She had a bone marrow biopsy today, and the doctor said her marrow looked very healthy with the naked eye (the way the blood flowed out). But I don't know what that could mean without further inspection to see cellularity amounts. Just like I am not sure what that means in terms of the autoimmune attack on her bone marrow. But something about aspiration was really good??

Who knows? It is a still a waiting game. She cannot have Rabbit-ATG until early October. You have to wait 6 months. She has another 10 weeks or so before that time comes. Keeping our fingers crossed for a rise in hemoglobin, so she can get off RBC transfusions, which is the most important thing.

I sure hope my mother was diagnosed correctly. I hope she doesn't have something like Pure Red Cell Aplasia, masking as Aplastic Anemia. I never heard of anyone being misdiagnosed with aplastic anemia, but I'm sure it happens. I just always found it weird that her hemoglobin shot up to above 9.5 when she was on steroids after ATG.

Happiness and health to everyone!