Quote:
Originally Posted by Krista
I know adults pity me a little because I'm so young, but others just shrug it off.
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Your comment brought back a memory for me. It was the first time my wife (diagnosed with AA) and I had attended an AA&MDSIF Patient Conference and I was in a discussion group for spouses of patients. Many were in their 60s or older, while my wife was 41. We each told our family story, and I felt sorry for people who had been planning their retirements only to have all their plans thrown up in the air by a life-threatening diagnosis (MDS for most of them). There were few treatment options for many of them at the time, other than transfusions and palliative care of symptoms.
I felt that my wife and I were better off than these older people, since we had time to study our options, take a "wait and see" approach, and the advantage that my wife's younger age and otherwise good health gave her more treatment choices with fewer risks. So I was rather surprised when person after person told me they felt the most sorry for my wife and me. The interruption in our lives was hitting us at the age when we were busy raising children, working, being active in our community, etc. According to them, it was the worst time to get a diagnosis like this.
I see the same thing from the other side when I meet college-age patients like you, Krista. In 2007, there are new treatments that were not available before, and your age gives you the most options and the best prognosis. At the same time, I know it must be frustrating trying to go to school with the ever-present threat that you'll be unable to keep it up. We all live with that "what if?" worry, but when you are trying to finish your education and start a career, long-term planning may seem next to impossible.
In my experience, it's OK to make both short-term plans and long-term plans, rather than feel adrift, as long as you give yourself the flexibility to change your plans as the situation changes. Family, friends, employers, and schools are likely to be supportive when the situation is out of your control, especially if you keep them informed, and that makes a big difference. "Roll with the punches" may seem like trivial advice, but it really is part of how my wife and I have been able to cope.