aplastic anemia

This week was National Aplastic Anemia Awareness Week.

Aplastic anemia (AA) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are in a rare family of diseases (I call them Leukemia Lite) where mutations in bone marrow cause improper production of blood.

I wasn't going to bring this up here, but my dad called me today to tell me that he was admitted to the hospital. He has MDS. It compromises the immune system, so he probably just has the flu but it will keep him in the hospital for a week.

Some progress is being made. Congress has been passing Rare Diseases Acts to make sure that diseases that effect few people still get some attention. Stem cell research is likely to bear some fruit for blood diseases. Lots of experimental drugs are being developed, and they are getting better if efficacy and side effects. Luckily, being an rare (and thus not very profitable to cure) disease, most of the drug experiments don't have the tinted goggles of a pharma company.

My dad is transfusion dependent, and he needs to get blood poured into him once every two weeks just to live. If you are a blood donor, thank you.

Thanks for listening!

{oops.}


[Edited on Dec 06, 2003 by vutek]

I give blood as often as I can ... three gallon pin, baby!!

Give blood people!!!


And all the best to kennyg's dad.