Hemoglobin was great: 9.1. Platelets, not so good. She's down to 12,000. (Remember, the low end of normal is 150,000.) And while platelet transfusions are possible--and usually administered when the patient's level hits 10,000--they lose effectiveness with frequency.
Today's level of being freaked out: HIGH. This is because a.) she's already experiencing spontaneous bruising; and b.) the nurse told her today that a transfusion of platelets is not possible until you start bleeding--which is NOT true. I've been on-line for the past couple of hours, and will arm her with all the info I could find on the subject from reputable web sites. I urged her to call her doctor tomorrow--and I'll make SURE she does after I talk with her in the morning.
I also stumbled upon a brand new drug that was just "fast-tracked" for approval from the FDA--and may be available to patients. It's a relative of Thalidomide, of all things--without the horrid side effects.
I've learned some new things about MDS tonight that I didn't know before, and pretty much none of them is good.
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So spontaneous bruising--with or without shots--isn't bleeding? Does it depend on what "is" is? When my mother was dying from metastasized colorectal cancer I felt so helpless--I'm glad for both your sakes that you continue to arm yourself with information, which is power. Meanwhile, the prayers will be racheted up another notch...~~The Editor
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