Coping with Myelodysplastic Syndromes & its Follow-Up Care

In this article you will read about the coping with myelodysplastic syndromes or MDS and follow-up care for myelodysplastic syndromes or MDS.

Coping with something like myelodysplastic syndromes or MDS is a challenging process. Patients suffer a lot from social and emotional side effects so proper coping is important. It is vital to encourage the individuals to opt for medical care so that they can consult the physician to ward off the side effects and reap the benefits. In addition, palliative care would go a long way in improving the life of the individuals and better cope with myelodysplastic syndromes or MDS.

Coping method for each myelodysplastic syndromes or MDS patient is unique, so the side effects can also be very different. There are some issues faced by the majority of patients when they are undergoing chemo and radiation therapy. You can refer to the section with treatments in order to find the detailed information. Patients should get information not only about the effects but also on how to control them and get freedom from pain/pain management. Success of the treatment is based on the sub type of the myelodysplastic syndromes or MDS and health of the patient.

Talk to your health care team about side effects caused by treatment for myelodysplastic syndromes or MDS in order to better cope with it. Ask the physician about the treatment, its side effects and what precautions that has to be taken to get relief. It is important to gather information about the palliative care which is instrumental in getting relief.

In addition, you should also understand what level of care is required to recover from the illness of myelodysplastic syndromes or MDS in a stipulated time frame. Health care staff will not only help the patients but also the family members to cope with the fall out of the disease myelodysplastic syndromes or MDS. It would go a long way in extending the life of the patient. Health care staff will also suggest ways to the patients in managing the cost of the disease.

If you are experiencing long term side effects even after the treatment for myelodysplastic syndromes or MDS is completed, it is vital to discuss the coping issues with the doctor. Treatment of short term and long terms effects are necessary to ensure that the patient does not suffer from any problem. It is bound to improve the probability of the survival of the patient.

Follow-up care is important as there will be side effects in the treatment for myelodysplastic syndromes or MDS. The care taker of the patient should always follow-up with the specialist and check for progression or digression of the disease. Health care team plays a very important role in monitoring the wellbeing of the patients with myelodysplastic syndromes or MDS. They conduct regular tests to determine whether the disease has recurred or the patient is suffering from the side effects. Physical examination is conducted on a regular basis for months or even years. The red blood cell production is checked by the doctors to ensure the health of the myelodysplastic syndromes or MDS patient. Doctors term it as follow up care to improve the health prospects of the patient. Blood count and bone marrow tests are conducted to check the change in the disease pattern. Doctors should also follow-up with the patients in order to know whether the extra tests are required to treat the symptoms.

Follow-up care is one of the most important forms on monitoring and it is conducted to verify the recurrence of the myelodysplastic syndromes or MDS after remission. The doctor may conduct the interview and query the patients about the occurrence of certain symptoms in detail. Medical history of the patient is analyzed the physician personally to arrive at a definite conclusion. He or she might offer valuable suggestions to the affected individuals. Testing is done on the patient depending on the sub type of the myelodysplastic syndromes or MDS and severity of the infection.

Follow-up on long-term side effects of myelodysplastic syndromes or MDS is essential. Majority of patients suffer from side effects during treatment for myelodysplastic syndromes or MDS. There are certain side effects that continue to linger on even after the treatment for myelodysplastic syndromes or MDS is completed. They are termed as long term side effects or implications. Some others might manifest themselves months after the treatment for myelodysplastic syndromes or MDS. It is important to treat the side effects to eliminate the inflammation and the ensuing symptoms. Long term and the late side effects should be removed completely for better coping with myelodysplastic syndromes or MDS.

Doctors customize the treatment of the patients according to their requirements and specifications. The stages of the disease are verified with the help of the test and treatment option is selected based on the age and the health of the patient. Late effects can be explored and strategies are adopted to provide relief to the affected individuals. Scans along with blood tests play a very important role in managing the symptoms to a great extent. People who have undergone bone marrow or stem cell transplant should avail the follow up care services in order to ward off the possibilities of recurrence of the disease. One of the most important side effects of the ALLO transplant is the graft VS host disease.

The follow-up plan includes keeping personal health records of the myelodysplastic syndromes or MDS patient. Doctors and the patient should discuss on how to devise the treatment strategy in an effective manner. If the patient is not aware about the side effects he or she should discuss the implication in detail with the medical consultants. ASCO plays a very important role in summarizing the treatment history of the patients. Physicians can understand the effect of the treatment on the patient and can determine whether it is useful.

Some myelodysplastic syndromes or MDS patients want that the follow up care is handled by the specialized health care team however others want to fall back on the trusted shoulders of the family doctors and their near and dear ones. Eventually the decision is based on factors such as tenure of health insurance and side effects.

If the physician who did not treated the myelodysplastic syndromes or MDS is involved in the follow up care, you should share complete details by maintaining proper records of the treatment procedures and the side effects. Health care staff can have the complete picture of the process and the prognosis. It would go a long way in delivering sterling results to the patients. High quality follow-up care improves the life of the patients.

Also Read:

• What is Myelodysplastic Syndrome: Causes, Types, Signs, Symptoms
• Myelodysplastic Syndromes: Staging, Risk Factors, Complications, Diagnosis
• Myelodysplastic Syndromes Treatments: Chemotherapy, Immunotherapy, Bone Marrow Transplant
• Myelodysplastic Syndromes or MDS: Treatment for Side Effects, Children with MDS
• Myelodysplastic Syndromes: Survival Rates, Prognosis, Recurrence, Remission, Lifestyle Changes, Prevention