Aplastic Anemia - The beginning of it all

Aplastic Anemia - The beginning of it all
posted by Gee Family on November 10, 2008

This is our original email that explains how we have arrived at this point in our Faith Journey:

Last Wednesday I had to make a trip to the ER due to a low platelet count. Backing up a couple of weeks ago, I had a routine physical done and my doctor had asked me to come back in for a follow-up. He told me that I may have an issue with my thyroid and that he wanted me to get some extra blood testing done. Also, my platelet levels were slightly lower (113000 -- normal is a minimum of 150000) than they should have been and since I had been experiencing some abnormal bruising, he wanted me to see a hematologist.

The day after my follow-up blood test (done for my thyroid), my doctor called and wanted me to go immediately to the ER for a platelet transfusion because my platelet count dropped to 6000 in just two weeks. I thought I'd be back at home that evening in time to make Tyler's lunch for school the next day, but I was wrong. I ended up being admitted into the hospital for safety (low platelet levels = blood not being able to clot). The hematologist also decided to start me on steroids to help my body produce platelets on its own instead of the platelet transfusion.

Initially, the doctors were thinking that I had something called ITP (idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura), where antibodies produced in my body attack my platelets. However, the following morning, not only did my platelet levels go down to 1000, but my red and white blood cell counts were down. My understanding is that with ITP, only the platelet levels are affected. Due to the decline in my platelets, red and white blood cells my doctor decided to do a bone marrow biopsy for more comprehensive test on what was going on. Basically he wanted to find out if I had Leukemia or aplastic anemia.

By Friday morning my body had responded well to the platelet transfusion, rounds of steroids and a round of Neutroplast (to build up my white blood cells) AND we found out that I am not fighting Leukemia. I was able to go home for the weekend and spend it with family. However at my follow-up visit today, we were told that I have severe aplastic anemia (my bone marrow is not producing any blood cells). Initially, we were going to go the route of medication to see if my body would regulate itself and then a bone marrow transplant if the medication did not work.

After my doctor consulted a colleague at MD Anderson, he wants me to go ahead and pursue the bone marrow transplant ASAP. We will most likely be traveling to Houston in the next day or two so we meet with the doctors there.

My family and I would cherish your prayers as we embark on this journey. We know that God is in control of all of that is going on in our lives and that His plan is perfect. A few prayer requests that we have are:

- Praise for God's perfect timing in all that is going on (going in for my physical - which I had been putting off, my mother is here from Taiwan and has been able to help watch our kids) and friends that God has put into our lives to encourage us and help us through medical questions we have.

- Thankfulness that the prognosis is 80% survival.

- We would find a bone marrow match for me ASAP. The two most likely matches for me would be one of my two sisters, JoAnn and Joyce.

- That he would keep me healthy since my white blood cell count is low and my body would not be able to fight any infection.

- Strength and peace for Alex as he has the extra burden of caring for the daily household tasks and Tyler and Elizabeth, as well as work stress.

- That our children, Tyler (almost 5) and Elizabeth (1), would be healthy during this process so I may be in contact with them. Also that they would have a peace about any changes will occur, even though they may not understand them.

We cannot thank you enough for lifting us up in your prayers!

In Him,
Alex, Jodie, Tyler and Elizabeth