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Old Mon Nov 27, 2006, 09:52 PM
fibogann fibogann is offline
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Join Date: Aug 2006
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Approach to Alternative Treatment-Part1-My Personal Experiences

Approach to Alternative Treatment- Part 1
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My Personal Experiences - layman perspectives
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(The following are thoughts from my personal recollection and is meant to be a help to those who are interested in looking at alternative ways that can assist the recovery from aplastic anemia. These are based on experiences and will of course differ from person to person. They are of course layman perspectives )

When my son was diagnosed as having severe Aplastic Anemia and was warded for observation and treatment, there were no thoughts of needing any other intervention except what would be the normal course of treatment to be prescribed by the medical doctors in the hospital.

While awaiting the results of a bone marrow biopsy, the doctor's first line of treatment was to see whether steroids could help him boost his very low platelet counts. After a week, the results did not show any improvement in his platelet counts. I was also advised to take him out of the schooling system for two years to allow a full line of treatment including a bone marrow transplant and given a warning that his health would steadily deteriorate especially the blood counts, until we could arrest the aplastic anemia and get him into remission.

Meanwhile, every 4 days my son had to be given a platelet transfusion, and his blood counts monitored daily. There were fears of his platelets transfusions will lead to difficulties in grafting in a bone marrow transplant later on, and this was the first motivation for me to consider what else can be done to help or assist the treatment by the doctors. After a period of about 4 weeks, his red blood cells started to drop as well, and it was necessary to provide my son with a red blood cell transfusion. This again led to fears of too many red blood cell transfusions that will lead to a iron built up affecting the heart if this were to be prolonged.

My thinking was simplistic as a layman. The main symptom of my son's aplastic anemia was the drastic drop in platelets, so perhaps my first line of action to help him was to find out what could help improve the platelets counts.

In my mind whatever to be used alternatively was to supplement his current treatment by the doctors, and never to supplant or substitute for the current treatment.

An intensive search on the internet for past records of success in treating aplastic anemia worldwide, searches on possible alternative treatments and personal success stories was conducted.

And while this was being done, friends, both known and new friends I met including an online ministry of prayer - went into motion to pray for my son, so that spiritual help was there as well to prop up a desperate and downcast spirit.

In the end, I found out about simple things that could help boost the platelet counts. I discovered an ailment called ITP that was identified by a big drop in platelets, where many patients would need a spleen removal...and I discovered there were herbal methods of improving platelets counts in ITP patients.

I also discovered other places where success stories on treating aplastic anemia was available, particulary in China.

I shall continue with my story of alternative treatment from a simple layman perspective from time to time if friends on this forum would find it useful, . I hope my experiences here would provide some help and comfort to those who need them.

God bless!

Peter Lim

Last edited by fibogann : Mon Nov 27, 2006 at 10:53 PM.
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