My Brother-- UP DATE

[Colonialgirl]

My Brother (18 months older than me) called the other day to say that he has been diagnosed with MDS ( a low blood cell count**; it should be around 130 and his drops down to 30 ) He didn't know if he was eligible (77 years old )for a bone marrow transplant or if they could use the blood transfusion of whatever cells filtered from a donors blood**.
I told him that in either instance IF I was qualified to be a donor (75+ ), I was ready to step up; HE IS my Older brother, my life time friend, companion and protector. I also have enough Frequent flyer miles on AA for a round trip to California if needed.

** Sorry, I looked it all up but didn't memorize all the facts and information.

MMM, He did mention that cut and scrapes tend to bleed and are slow to clot.

 

[vhntr1]

I wish you well and my prayers go out for you and your brother,I lost my dad last Wednesday at 82. Our health care sucks anymore when you get so old.
God bless

 

[Mike J]

Prayers for healing.

 

[Bayouhunter]

Prayers and well wishes CG, you're so right concerning health care and age.

 

[sfhogman]

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your brother this evening, Pamela.
Hope things go well.

Best,
Jeff

 

[HAWKEYE#28]

HUGS AND PRAYERS FROM THE NNW 8) SPLITZ

 

[737tdi]

Pamela: Prayers for you and your brother. God Bless both of y'all.

Karl

 

[powder smoke]

Your with us CG in our thoughts and prayers. ps

 

[Fox Mike]

My prayers are with you and your bro. Are they doing any chemo or other treatments on him?

 

[contender]

From WNC,,,, prayers as well,,,,,,!

 

[gramps]

Sorry to hear of your brothers plight. I am not familiar with his named condition, but they change the names periodically. I worked on a bone marrow transplant unit at Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville, Tn. If it would help, read all you can first. They do a "pelvic puncture" to withdraw bone marrow from the donor, it is processed, and given IV to the recipient after killing off his bone marrow with chemo. Good luck. Prayers sent.
gramps

 

[Cholo]

Prayers sent for a speedy recovery. You've posted many times how much you love your brother. Prayers for you, too, Pamela.

 

[Viking Queen]

Pamela,
My heart and prayers are with your dear brother and you.

Cathy

 

[Pistolero]

Pamela,

Prayers for you and your brother.

May God Bless you both,

 

[Rick Courtright]

Hi,

Pamela, I know nothing of your brother's condition, but gramps' description sounds like it could be an ordeal. Prayers come from close by for him.

Rick C

 

[Colonialgirl]

I Looked it up:

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a family of rare disorders in which the bone marrow fails to make enough healthy red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwie2d-yqY3PAhWDeD4KHRFGARUQFggoMAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aamds.org%2Fdiseases%2Fmds&usg=AFQjCNGawDUXjr7enxcMFJe_fJXdGz96oQ&sig2=Xfi78Km-wDBqIncqNUaUsg

Thanks for all the good thoughts and prayers; I'll pass them along to him; He is suppose ti have a Doctor's appointment regarding this sometime this week.

 

[Jeepnik]

Where in California? Prayers up.

 

[SamV]

I too send my prayer and hope for a good outcome for your brother.

 

[jpickar]

Is this aplastic-anemia?
My sister-in-law donated her bone marrow for her brother. She is 64. I pray all goes well for your brother.
John

 

[Colonialgirl]

Where in California? Prayers up.

He lives in Garden Grove and is right now working as a Contract inspector for LA on their routing for their new "subway". He is a certified welding inspector, worked for LA County for a number of years and did the inspection on the Gate at LA International for the New Airbus A-380 among other projects.

 

[HerrMesser]

I also looked it up as I have been anemic for the last 3 or 4 years. It is something for me to look into.

Hope everything turns out ok for your brother.

Rad

 

[Colonialgirl]

Well, My brother called me last night to give me an up-date on his condition.
#1. Turns out that he's too old for a bone marrow transplant which is not successful in older patients (limited to 65 and under)
#2. with older patients, there is a high mortality rate. ( He's 77 years old)
#3. Turns out I AM too old to be a donor at 75 years of age.
SO---
They are going to use Chemo-Therapy on him and I think he said "Stem Cell" injections. Apparently this treatment has a record of some success; My brother said he met another patient (older also) who said that treatment had "cured" his MDS.
We then talked about what could have caused it.
He said that it appears that working as a Scuba Diver off the oil rigs to great depths may have been a factor as they are finding that many of the deep divers develop some type of bone problem as they age ( he was more specific, but I don't recall the exact problem they had)
Again, I thank you for your prayers.
Pamela

 

[exavid]

Here's hoping he responds well to the treatment our thoughts and prayers to the both of you.

 

[Sin6Sec63451022]

Prayers for healing and peace for all of you.

 

[sfhogman]

Prayers sent for you, your brother and family.

Best,
Jeff

 

[contender]

Pam, it is true that commercial divers appear to have bone health issues at a larger percentage than others. I recall several articles I've read over the years about such issues. It was one of the reasons I chose to not get more involved in commercial diving many years ago. I wish him the best in his fight against this.

 

[Colonialgirl]

Pam, it is true that commercial divers appear to have bone health issues at a larger percentage than others. I recall several articles I've read over the years about such issues. It was one of the reasons I chose to not get more involved in commercial diving many years ago. I wish him the best in his fight against this.

Thanks TY; I had forgotten that you were a "recreational" diver. I too use to dive BUT not to any great depths and NOT commercially.

 

[Rick Courtright]

Hi,

Pamela, it sounds like they're gonna go with the standards as for treatment right now. In addition, a suggestion comes from a quick look up on the NIH (National Institutes of Health) website and related links that often times clinical trials will be available for patients who may not be "optimal" candidates for standard treatments.

So I plugged in your brother's age and nearby ZIP code to find there are several here in SoCal. Might be worth talking to his doc about them, too:

https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/clinical-trials/search/r?a=77&z=92840&t=C3247|myelodysplastic_syndrome&ni=10&pn=2

Best of luck to your brother, and the prayers continue...

Rick C

 

[Colonialgirl]

Hi,

Pamela, it sounds like they're gonna go with the standards as for treatment right now. In addition, a suggestion comes from a quick look up on the NIH (National Institutes of Health) website and related links that often times clinical trials will be available for patients who may not be "optimal" candidates for standard treatments.

So I plugged in your brother's age and nearby ZIP code to find there are several here in SoCal. Might be worth talking to his doc about them, too:

https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/clinical-trials/search/r?a=77&z=92840&t=C3247|myelodysplastic_syndrome&ni=10&pn=2

Best of luck to your brother, and the prayers continue...

Rick C

Thanks Rick; I'll forward that link to him.

 

[redhawker]

Prayers sent. I'm very familiar with MDS as my father passed from it in February. He was 90. I think it is more severe the older the patient is. He was a firefighter and had been retired for quite a long time but when he started in the fire service they didn't even use air masks, just jumped off the truck and ran into the building. Who knows what (or if) he might have got into during that time that might have contributed to it.