| I
was diagnosed with Severe Aplastic Anemia in March 2001,
after being admitted to the hospital with petechiae all over
my body. My platelets were less than 1000 - SCARY! I had a
great hematologist come see me in the ICU the next day - he
did a bone marrow biopsy/aspiration, and he made the
diagnosis almost immediately (having ruled out leukemia and
other blood diseases). I was being monitored closely, until
catching a staph and klebsiella infection (I had zero
neutrophils, so no wonder I was so susceptible), so back in
the ICU I landed. As an only child, my doc and I decided
immune suppression therapy was the way to go.
So off I
headed to the NIH on Easter Sunday! I was given ATG at the
NIH in Bethesda, MD, in April of 2001, stayed in the
hospital there for 6 weeks (my neutrophils did not want to
increase, no cooperation whatsoever), and finally got to go
home. I am currently taking Cyclosporine and Mycophenolate
Mofetil, and my counts are stable since treatment.
Platelets
are 41K, and I have not had a platelet transfusion since
6/29/01. White count is stable (4.7), with a great ANC
(1700), and I am starting to make some red cells again
(pretty high retic count). I think I have responded well to
this course of treatment, but I am just taking it one day at
a time! I am thankful to have found such a great website, to
talk to others battling this rare nightmare. To everyone out
there, keep up hope, and live every day to its fullest! Amy,
age 29
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