[Cristy Johnston]

Thank you LeAnn! His first BMB was done at Methodist Hospital in Sugar Land and it was done with the twilight anesthesia. He said it was still very painful. He had another done on 9/11 @ MD Anderson without anything and said it was MUCH easier! They do SO many aspirations there, they are really really good! He wasn’t nearly as sore with the second one. We got preliminary results back and Methodist BMB said 8% blasts, MD Anderson is showing 6%. Not a huge difference, but it is lower! We go back on 9/25 to MD Anderson and I am eager to hear their treatment recommendations! So glad I found this sight – y’all have been so welcoming and encouraging! Thank you again! 🙂

[Cristy Johnston]

LeAnn, thank you too for your encouragement and experience! We are blessed to have MD Anderson just an hour from our home, yet my father is a stubborn old coot and has bad memories of the hospital from the 50s when he lost multiple family members to cancer. This is quite a journey for my dad who is 69 (70 in Dec.) and has NEVER been hospitalized in my entire 40-year life! Overall he’s been relatively healthy until this diagnosis. He lost his mother to ALL in 1986, 2 aunts to leukemia and his grandfather to colon cancer, so this is SUPER scary for him. I know medicine has come a long way and he is in one of the BEST places in the country for treatment. I am most concerned that his every one of his counts is SO low (thus being high risk) and his platelets are scary low. We go next Tuesday for our treatment plan, BMB and cytogenetic results…praying they give him some good clinical trial options and that he takes their advice!! Thank you again.

[Cristy Johnston]

Thank you JBC! My dad is also low on ALL counts – I am so glad to hear your husband is doing well post-transplant! What a blessing! My husband is a kidney transplant recipient and I know how stressful transplantation can be! We are very anxious for our appointment next Tuesday to see what MD Anderson is recommending as far as treatment options…fingers crossed and praying!! Thank you!

[Cristy Johnston]

Thank you Michael! We did go to MD Anderson and got another BMB (9/11/18) and now awaiting results. So good to have MD Anderson about an hour away…hoping things are at least stable and not further progressed, but they are initially saying high risk due to ALL his counts being so low (RBC, WBC, Platelets). I appreciate your encouragement and well wishes!

Thank you Debra! I am encouraged by your story! I’m happy you’ve had a wonderful 21 years with your dad POST-diagnosis! That is amazing! I’ve made sure to spend more time with him in the last month and a half than previous…you are right – use each day to it’s fullest! Waiting on our second BMB results and we will have more news on the 25th!!

• This reply was modified 5 years, 7 months ago by Cristy Johnston.

[Cristy Johnston]

I’ve been through kidney-transplant journey with my husband…now my dad (age 69) has MDS. We were JUST diagnosed yesterday and are waiting on cyto tests to determine aggressiveness. He is RAEBt-1 – ALL his blood types are low. I am hoping he comes around to at least entertaining the consult with the specialist…would love for my son to get to grow up with his paw-paw…prayers welcomed for his stubborn self! 🙂

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