Myelodysplastic syndrome (myelodysplasia)
Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a type of rare blood cancer where you don't have enough healthy blood cells.
It's also known as myelodysplasia.
There are many different types of MDS. Some types can stay mild for years and others are more serious.
MDS can affect people of any age, but is most common in adults over the age of 70.
What happens in MDS?
Normally, the spongy tissue found inside bones (bone marrow) produces:
red blood cells to carry oxygen around your body
white blood cells to help fight infection
platelets to help your blood clot
But in MDS, your bone marrow doesn't make enough of these healthy blood cells. Instead, it makes abnormal cells that aren't fully developed (immature).
As the condition progress, your bone marrow gets gradually taken over by the immature blood cells, which don't work properly.
They squeeze out the healthy ones, making the number of cells that manage to get into the bloodstream lower and lower.
The condition can develop slowly (indolent) or quickly (aggressive), and in some people it can develop into a type of leukaemia called acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).
Copied and pasted. I’m not nearly close to 70. I have a son who recently turned 18. He’s currently attending the University of Pittsburgh. My husband, his father, passed about 5 years ago, so the 3 years I have been given is not enough. I need him to finish school, find a job and a place to live, and then I, too, will be at peace with the end of my journey. A bone marrow transplant will help me, and I am quite hopeful! 💕
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