[Jackie Seavey]

I am my mother’s caregiver and she has MDS and multiple myeloma and was just diagnosed last week after Bone marrow biopsy. We are still awaiting a PET scan to see what level she is. She is 87 and her health was good until 15 months ago when she started her slow descent. After many misdiagnoses, we’ve finally gotten an answer to all of the ailments she has been suffering. Once I know where she falls on the scale, we could participate in the survey.

[Jackie Seavey]

Hi, Bonnie. It is late August and I hope you’re faring well. My mom is almost 87 and was just diagnosed with MDS and Multiple Myloma. It seems the Oncologist are so eager to give treatment, install ports, and run expensive tests but do not give out information on what could symptoms be like if left untreated. My mom who has never had medical problems my whole life started with severe Anemia symptoms about 15 months ago. She also smokes (refuses to quit), is weak, and has had several blood transfusions over the past 12 weeks. She has decided to get ports and try treatments but I worry at her age, how well will she fare? Will it make her sicker? She is worried about the mounting bills. It seems my mom has encountered some of your symptoms like the hand and finger pain (she says feels like 1000 pins and needles). She also had Edema in the hands and feet that appeared out of no where. Her PC physician has lined up Hospice to talk to us in case she decides to go that route. She lives with me and my husband and are able to take care of her, but I’m in constant worry of what type of pain or new symptom is she going to have to endure. I cannot stand see her wither away like this. At times she is getting the shortness of breath but is not really active. I use a wheelchair to transport her everywhere. At 87 she says there is no quality of life anymore with my dad who passed away a decade ago. We are supposed to get a PET scan to determine at what level she is. I am reading these message boards to learn about treatment and disease symptoms hoping to understand it all better.

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