Husband has vascular dementia over five years now. Short term memory almost non-existent. Was diagnosed in November 2015 with aml (acute leukaemia) he was discharged home with palliative care. He had two transfusions in hospital and one since being home. Approx 25days between. They are asking me to decide on future transfusions. In between he is back to how he has been for quite some time. How do I make that decision?
I had a friend with acute leukemia who suffered with the worst part for over a year. For him there came a time when they could give him no more blood. I don't know the reason, but he had reached a limit imposed by someone. He always felt better after getting blood, too, but the disease continued to progress. Maybe you do not need to make a decision right now when you are unsure. I have a feeling that you, the doctors, or other people will know what to do if the leukemia progresses. I wouldn't commit to anything until I was sure there was no good life left to live.
If you really have no clue then I would suggest you rely on your healthcare team. Ask the doctors to take the time to go over the options with you and the consequences of either choice in detail. And then ask, "If it was your father what would you do"?