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New community champion
Hi,my name is Una and I have recently been accepted as a community champion for Anthony Nolan.
My husband was diagnosed with severe aplastic anaemia seven years ago ,he was initially treated with A.L.G. ,blood and platelet transfusions .
Initially ,he was in hospital for seven weeks and then released to attend hospital twice a week for transfusion of two units of blood and one of platelets.
Aplastic anaemia means that you don't produce either of these or indeed white blood cells.
He was hospitalised a few times with infections,mainly from his Hickman line and although very worrying at the time,he fought through them.
We both virtually lived in a bubble to avoid getting infections.
Few visitors,unless immediate family,no eating out,all food cooked freshly at home.
It never ceased to amaze me the number of people who tried to visit with colds etc. ,so a blanket ban was the easier option,after all his life depended on not getting infections.
After a couple of months ,it was decided that a B.M.T. was his best option as he had not responded to treatment .
He was transplanted on 6th October 2007, at the age of 51,his brother was his donor,and he responded well and left Belfast City Hospital in early November.
Life is good,we have become grandparents to two boys since then.
Our Daughter,their Mother,was married just one week after his diagnosis,a very emotional time for us all.
He is back swimming,running,socialising and generally driving me mad,somethings never change!
I am looking forward to talking with some of you and hopefully will be able to help answer some of your questions.
My husband was diagnosed with severe aplastic anaemia seven years ago ,he was initially treated with A.L.G. ,blood and platelet transfusions .
Initially ,he was in hospital for seven weeks and then released to attend hospital twice a week for transfusion of two units of blood and one of platelets.
Aplastic anaemia means that you don't produce either of these or indeed white blood cells.
He was hospitalised a few times with infections,mainly from his Hickman line and although very worrying at the time,he fought through them.
We both virtually lived in a bubble to avoid getting infections.
Few visitors,unless immediate family,no eating out,all food cooked freshly at home.
It never ceased to amaze me the number of people who tried to visit with colds etc. ,so a blanket ban was the easier option,after all his life depended on not getting infections.
After a couple of months ,it was decided that a B.M.T. was his best option as he had not responded to treatment .
He was transplanted on 6th October 2007, at the age of 51,his brother was his donor,and he responded well and left Belfast City Hospital in early November.
Life is good,we have become grandparents to two boys since then.
Our Daughter,their Mother,was married just one week after his diagnosis,a very emotional time for us all.
He is back swimming,running,socialising and generally driving me mad,somethings never change!
I am looking forward to talking with some of you and hopefully will be able to help answer some of your questions.
Comments
Pleased to hear from you on the forum.
Encouraging to hear your husband is recovering well and keeping active 7 years on, despite driving you mad.
I have just had my second anniversary, and feel as though I'm.improving all the time and doing more physical things about the house and garden, and probably driving my wife mad.
I retired before transplant, we too have grandchildren whom we look after a couple of days a week but I'm ever vigilant about being close to them when they have runny noses and coughs, already this year one had chickenpox and another tonsilitis, luckily my transplant unit dealt with the chickenpox issue with an injection.
I had my transplant for hypoplastic MDS at The Christie, Manchester.
Best wishes
Peter
My husband still finds himself getting fitter even now.
He was very fit before his illness but it stood him in good stead throughout the transplant process,he even got the nurses to bring him an exercise bike into his hospital room after his transplant.
I brought a guy ,who was awaiting a transplant ,up to see him on the bike to give him some encouragement for his.
He also survived and is still doing well.
Keep up the good work,
Una
I'm pleased to hear your husband is doing well and it sounds like he's back to normal, as far as normal can be post transplant.
Steve