Coping and support

Tips to help you and your family better cope with your illness include:

• Research your disease. The more you know, the better prepared you'll be to make treatment decisions.
• Ask questions. Be sure to ask your doctor about anything related to your disease or treatment that you don't understand. It might help you to record or write down what your doctor tells you.
• Be vocal. Don't be afraid to express your concerns to your doctor or other health care professionals treating you.
• Seek support. Ask family and friends for emotional support. Ask them to consider becoming blood donors or bone marrow donors. It might help to talk to others coping with the disease. Ask your doctor if he or she knows of local support groups, or contact the Aplastic Anemia and MDS International Foundation. It offers a peer support network and can be reached at 800-747-2820.
• Take care of yourself. Proper nutrition and sleep are important to optimize blood production.