PNH, or Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria is an ultra-rare bone marrow failure disease in which red blood cells break apart. Normal red blood cells have a shield of proteins that protect them from coming under attack by the body's own immune system. PNH occurs because that protein shield is missing. PNH is often associated with reduced bone marrow function (low blood counts) caused by aplastic anemia.
Aplastic anemia is a rare disease in which the bone marrow stops producing enough blood cells. Any blood cells the marrow does make are completely normal, but there are simply not enough of them to serve the body's needs. With prompt and proper care, most patients can be successfully treated.
MDS classification systems divide MDS into subtypes based on the results of blood and bone marrow tests. Scoring systems such as IPSS and IPSS-R have been developed to determine the severity of the MDS, probable survival term, and the risk of MDS developing into
A correct diagnosis is essential to getting the right treatment - a complicated problem for a rare disease for which there is no single test. Because doctors see so few MDS cases, they need to conduct a variety of tests to determine what the patient’s disease is and is not.
MDS, or Myelodysplastic syndromes, are a family of rare disorders in which the bone marrow fails to make enough healthy red blood cells, white blood cells or platelets. This is caused by bone marrow producing lots of underdeveloped, or immature, cells that have an abnormal shape, size or look. These are called blast cells. Most experts agree that MDS is a form of blood and bone marrow cancer.
It was August 2011, two days into the fall semester of my junior year of college at Penn State. I was excited to be surrounded by friends as we ran a booth for a fall fair when I got a phone call from a nurse at my primary care doctor’s office. She sounded concerned, so I quickly tried to weave my way out of the crowd to a quieter environment when I heard her say “are you bleeding right now?!” How does one respond to that kind of question? I replied, “No. And why?” She told me, “You’re extremely anemic.
My professional career for thirty years was with Colonial Williamsburg. I led children, adults, and even a king and queen on tours to explore our colonial history. I retired and shortly after turning 66, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and treated with methotrexate. This may have led to my developing severe