looking for a donnor

[Anne]

I have MDS. I turned 70 this year and because I appear to be strong enough at this point City of Hope Doctors have agreed to look for a donnor for me and implement a transplant on my bone marrow. The problem is finding a donnor. My children were not a match--so we're still looking. I am on my third Vidaza treatment and haven't had a transfusion in 31 days. I want to be positive and think that things will work out. I also pray.

[Ruth Cuadra]

Hi, Anne.

Welcome to Marrowforums. We're always sorry when someone has to join us because of bone marrow disease, but I think you'll find a very supportive community here. If you ask a question, someone in the group is bound to know the answer, have a related experience to share, or know where to go to get the information you need.

I'm so impressed that the doctors think you are a good candidate for bone marrow transplant at age 70. When I was diagnosed in 1998, I felt like I was already too old for a transplant at 43 but I felt very lucky to be at City of Hope. When they find a donor for you, it sounds like you'll be ready to benefit from all the improvements in transplant technology and nursing care that have taken place since the "old" days. In the meantime, you seem to be getting a good response to Vidaza. Have you have many side effects?

Regards,
Ruth Cuadra

[Anne]

The first day of the first set I took a compazine for nausea. I had the vidaza shot around 10 a.m. and the compazine around 10:30. By 4 pm I thought I would be ok. I had been told that compazine helped most people if they got sick. However, if it did not work that Zofran would help. The doctor gave a couple samples pills of Zofran (just in case). Well I became very ill around 5 pm and vomitted many times. I took the Zofran and within about what seemed to the longest time, my nausea finally stopped. The next day, when I went for my next shots, I told the nurse about the nausea. They gave me a Zofran prescription which I now take faithfully each day that I get a Vidaza treatment. They said that compazine addressed nausea on one part of the brain and Zofran on another part. Well!! it did not work for that side of my brain. The other side effects I had on the first set of shots were: fatigue, lack of energy. I was also very depressed, but I don't know if taking the treatment or knowing about my condition caused that. I also had extreme constipation. The doctor tells me that it is caused by the Zofran. I finished my third treatment set last week and seems that the side effects are dimming.
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