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Challenges in life come in different forms.
Some through conflicting relationships, others through an abrupt change in financial stability.
Sometimes, it also happens through losing loved ones. It may be sudden, but often, sickness and health-related concerns such as cancer greatly affect our lives. Myelodysplastic syndromes are one of the main reasons our human lifespan is declining.
What is MDS?
MDS or Myelodysplastic syndromes relate to disorders in the blood and bone marrow. It is considered cancer.
The bone marrow is responsible for storing stem cells. These stem cells mature into white blood cells, red blood cells or platelets.
In contrast, patients with MDS reveal that their bone marrow consists of blasts or immature cells and dysplastic cells, which are abnormally developed cells.
This happens because their stem cells do not mature as they are expected. Their bone marrow becomes dysfunctional or stops working when healthy mature cells decrease in number in the blood.
What happens if you have MDS?
Patients with MDS are described as anemic. This means that they have a low red blood cell count. People with this cancer may experience a low white blood cell count called neutropenia or a low platelet count known as thrombocytopenia.
These blood-related abnormalities also occur when white blood cells and platelets develop abnormally and will not function correctly. Their blood and bone marrow cells can become abnormal, yet their blood count is normal. MDS can also include abnormal chromosomes in the bone marrow cells.
Having to live with this type of cancer causes distress and difficulty to its patients. They might endure treatments in series and find rest in between. Others may choose supportive care instead of active treatment. However, most of them never actually complete treatment because this illness is tough to cure.
To cope with the struggles of possessing this cancer, MDS survivors might consider the following:
Coping Mechanism Tips For MDS Survivors
- Keep educated with the rigid exams, tests and treatments.
This might be tiresome for patients, but doctors will closely watch the patient’s health status, so it is necessary to attend the follow-up appointments and undertake exams and tests. This will update them for signs of infection, short and long-term side effects of undergoing treatment and the possibility of a gradual progression into leukemia. Discussing symptoms and concerns with the care team will answer questions the patient might have concerning the treatment’s side effects and how to manage them.
- Ensure copies of medical records and health insurance.
Since MDS requires treatment successions, it is essential to find financial support for the medical costs. It will be one less worry to have the finances to support such expensive treatments. As an MDS survivor, you will also need an upkeep medical records, especially when you change doctors. A new set of doctors will need to assess the diagnosis and treatment details of the previous ones to offer new suggestions and advice on further treatments.
- Look at the brighter side of life and build a positive attitude.
It is a challenging task to build a positive attitude when a patient is in pain and hope is almost lost.
However, framing expectations and attitudes toward an optimistic view not only brings hope but diverts a patient’s attention into something good rather than staying on the gloomy side of having an illness. It is best to prepare plans with regard to life situations that one can control, such as getting the best possible health care, rather than focusing on pessimistic assumptions. For sure, spending thoughts on scenarios that will never happen is only a waste of time, but knowing what options one has control over and taking advantage of its outcome will definitely help one’s attitude towards the realities of life.
- Create connections, find and give support.
One of the most effective strategies in dealing with any problem is finding and receiving emotional support from family and friends.
It must be a crucial part of one’s life to ensure longevity. Having someone to talk to, lean on and share pain and experiences with is much better than doing it alone. The patient can be comforted by his immediate family or even his closest friends by just being there in medical appointments, praying with them always, or staying with him during treatments.
One’s burdened heart can be uplifted by having positive networks. Patients can also check MDS clinical trials and be informed on various options available on support connections. Patients can also find and receive support from other patients who have been in the same situation as they are. Cancer-related support societies are also available.
Physical pain and sickness can be treated, and taking care of one’s mental and emotional health is the first step. It might take longer to undergo many treatments in clinical trials for MDS but having a positive attitude towards the challenge can start the healing process. It will put into proper perspective the things to do, such as educating oneself about the disease and its treatment, keeping medical records for details and insurance for financial support and making helpful connections.