[Paula W.]

Hi Everyone,

I'm caring for my mom with MDS. She is turning 80 this December. She has lost approx 50lbs this past year. She is now 115lbs. She has no appetite at all. She drinks 2 ensure shakes a day and hardly can eat anything else. She now has an extremely painful hematoma in her right calf and severe hip pain in her left leg. She can't walk at all. She just had a bone marrow done on Friday, we are waiting for the results (although I'm not optimistic about the results). She is weak, frail and tired. At this time she is on a Revlimid and Vidaza treatment monthly. So far it seems to have kept her previous blast at a low number, but her platelets and blood have not improved at all. Today her platelets were at 10,000 and hemoglobin at 8.8. She gets platelet transfusions 2x a week and blood once a week sometimes once every 2 weeks.

I'm just wondering from other peoples experience, are we nearing the end for her? Is this how it happens? I'm so sad and scared for her, yet I so understand how tired she is of this fight. I'm throwing her a surprise 80th this Saturday, I just hope she is able to come.

Any information on what I should and should not expect would be appreciated.

Thank you, Paula