Surviving Aplastic Anemia

In Cave City, Scotland Pam Hunt, now 60 years old, has never let her diagnosis of Aplastic Anemia get her down or limit her activity. She was diagnosed originally with leukemia but after a bone marrow test was diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia. At that time she was 15 years old. Her treatment was to get transfusions every two weeks.

She was told to limit her activities, not to play sports, not to become pregnant because of the risks of injury and internal bleeding. She ignored the warnings and is a living example of how one's attitude can play a part in how to deal with a diagnosis like hers. After her daughter was born she played softball, went fishing and boat riding. Even today she can put in a 12-hour day but is ready for bed when she gets home.

“The specialists and all the doctors told me that, with aplastic anemia, the top age of an adult would probably just be 35 to 40 years old,” Hunt said. “I never paid any attention to all that and that’s been the success to my survival. I don’t think about years or minutes or days or hours. I just wake up and do my thing and thank God that I’m here to do it.”


Aplastic Anemia: The disease of the future

Coping with a rare disease such as aplastic anemia is not an easy task.  The hardest part to deal with is finding out what causes the disorder.  I have not been diagnosed with the disorder, but my father has.  The doctors have linked the development of his diagnosis to the exposure of benzene within his occupational environment.  Other occupational and environmental exposures to certain chemicals have created a higher risk for developing aplastic anemia.  How could these occupational/environmental exposures to certain chemicals lead to the prevalence of aplastic anemia in the future?


Source:  Chelsey's Blog

Aplastic Anemia Treatment

Was reading a blog post about Aplastic Anemia Treatment.  It is a pretty good post with general information on treating Aplastic Anemia. 

The treatment of aplastic anemia was considered once as impossible ones. But, currently many therapeutic applications are available for the affected persons like transfusion of blood or bone marrow replacement together with appropriate medications. Platelet transfusion also helps the treatment.

Iron chelation therapy is undertaken when repeated transfusions of red blood cells are given. However, it needs a periodical monitoring of blood status.

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In general, stress free life with good feeding with enough protein and fiber help to prevent the disease of aplastic anemia.

The only negative comment I have is concerning the idea that if you lead a stress free life that it will help in preventing aplastic anemia.  That seems overly broad.  I think that if we lead a stress free life it will help a lot of things, but I don't know about preventing aplastic anemia.

Source:  Alvin Soong's Blog