On Lauren's MDS
2123 hours, 6 March, 2006
She is 16 and has ten years to live. She is going to die at the prime of her life.
Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS).
1743 hours, 9 March, 2006, Supplemntal:
Lauren's visit to UCSF resulted in a much positive prognosis. Contrary to earlier diagnosis, her blood-marrow transplant does not require perfect genetically matched donors. Accordingly, a donor could be found in three months. There is a 70-30 chance the transplant will be successful.
In the meantime, Lauren is to begin her clinical trial of a life prolonging drug. The cost for this drug is astronomical. For each 28-day supply cycle, the cost without insurance is seven thousand dollars.
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5 comments:
sorry to hear that.. who's the young gal? what do u mean "There is a 70-30 chance the transplant will be successful."? still got 10 years to live? cant be recovered completely?
Lauren is the daughter of a staff officer. She, with MDS, is at the pre-leukemia stage. No one knows when the full-blown leukemia will set in.
To treat this disease, a rare illness for young people, they would have to destroy all her blood producing capability, and infuse her with the "good" blood from a qualified donor. The specialists said a donor could be found in a few months time. It's hoped with this radical procedure, her body will accept this new bood and start producing it.
There is a 30% chance her body will reject the new blood. In this case, she will die.
Even if her body accepts the new blood and start producing it to keep her healthy again, there is no telling if she would go into remission.
If she takes this expensive and prolong clinical drug, it will reduce the frequent need for blood transfusions. She would live another 10 years at most.
The choice is either do the procedure now as I've poorly described, and hope for the best, or to take the medication and prolong the inevitable.
How sad... Would you by any chance what her blood type may be? On Sunday at the Stanford Shopping Center where I work they are going to have people checking your blood type and registrations for people who what to be on a list to donate marrow for anyone who needs it. I am going to do this in my nieces name who has lukemia and is in remission right now... Thank God.
Irish
Theere are ten donor critieria the docs are to look at for Lauren's blood-bone marrow replacement. I don't know what Lauren's blood type is, however. Others can't just donate blood-bone marrow for her only. It's all done through a network like what you are doing for your niece on Sunday.
What you are contributing to the aid of leukemia patients is worthy and wonderful, Irish. I hope your niece continues to live a healthy and normal life. Thank God, indeed.
hmm.... hope she can find the "good" blood... :(
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