Father in Law with MDS

[m garmon]

Thanks for the info bebop. We are kind of at cross road right now. Dad seams happy for the most part so we are not pushing him to get another option. We are trying as much as we can to keep extra stress away.
His doctor as well as us still do not have answers on were the blood is going (we know that the body is not making it ) or why it drops all at once.
I wonder if he needs his thyroid, thymus or pituitary gland checked. It seams like all test have been done from the neck down only. My husband said since doctors have checked dads blood and bone morrow they would know if something was going on in these other areas, true or not ?
Thanks Marlene

[bebop]

I got real educated on this subject with Dad. blood cells die like everything else. when the marrow isn't making it the old ones just die. We thought Dad surely had to be bleeding internally or something but that is what I found out. Dad ended up blood and platelet dependent in the last few months. Blood lives about a week or so and platelets about 3 to 5 days

[Neil Cuadra]

Originally Posted by bebop

Blood lives about a week or so and platelets about 3 to 5 days

This is worth clarifying.

In a healthy person, circulating red blood cells live about 4 months. When a patient needs blood every few days it's because they aren't producing enough healthy red cells or because they are losing them. Donated blood lasts about 6 weeks on the shelf.

Platelets last about 5 to 9 days in the body. Donated platelets last only 5 days on the shelf.

[pinebluff]

Originally Posted by nitzi

Our situation with my dad sounds similar. My dad (84) diagnosed with MDS in spring ’11. My mother is primary care giver -- a demanding task. His transfusions have ceased and we initiated hospice care in the home about 3 weeks ago. So far hospice care has been perfect fit for our situation. He sleeps ~16 hours a day now. Want to keep him at home--just not sure how his condition will progress. Labs from early Sept: WBC 0.6, RBC 2.16, HGB 7,5, MCV 102, PLT 26

I'm also looking to people who can give me a picture of what the disease progression looks like in a man my father's age. Except for location, your story could be ours. Even the details and blood levels match!

Funny thing is - my dad started to show improvement the last 3 weeks. He feels like getting up for breakfast in the morning at the restaurant and is starting to get a little appetite. The hospice nurse said he even took a shower by himself. Do you see these kinds of highs and lows in your dad? A couple months ago I thought it was the end.

[m garmon]

My Father in law is not doing well right now. Doctors are treating his PRCA with prednisone, he has been on it for three weeks now and it is taking a toll on him. (Prednisone is being used in hope of reversing the PRCA). His Red count still falls every two weeks, his platelets are a little better. His white cell count is up. He is week, has trouble walking, getting up and down and how he is having lots of bathroom problems, both ways, his is disoriented. Along with the Prednisone, they put him on medaforman for high blood sugar ( His blood sugar is up, because of the prednisone, he is not a diabetic), zantac, he already takes nextim for his stomach. My mother in law nor him will get a second option. They like their doctor. He needs to go to his urologist because he has no bladder control but his hematologist said this is also because of the prednisone.
He had prostate cancer 12 years ago and it has returned. They were keeping his PSA level down with a Lupron shot but he had to stop it because of the PRSA.
His MDS is on the back burner for now while they treat the PRCA.
We are a little nervous right now wondering what to do next.