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Learn more about Cold Agglutinin Disease (CAD)
Uncover the Facts About CAD
CAD is a rare, serious blood disorder. It’s a form of autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA), which means the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys red blood cells. But the truth is that there’s more to CAD than you might think.
The Science Behind CAD Symptoms
When you have CAD, healthy red blood cells are mistakenly destroyed in your body. This is called hemolysis, and it can cause serious complications. Dive deeper into CAD and the science behind some of the symptoms.
Tips for CAD Patients
Understand insights and useful tips that can help you adapting to living with CAD on a daily basis.
Resources and Community
Access downloadable resources for patients and caregivers, and learn more about the CAD and rare disease organizations that can support you in your journey.
Patient Stories
See videos and hear stories from patients from around the world who are living with CAD.
Being outside was becoming a challenge because number one your feet are cold you cannot walk properly you have the pain and I feel that.
I start getting a headache that I feel unpleasant and I feel weak going out having fun with my friends.
Suddenly they turn around look at me and say York go inside you're turning blue.
The explanation I was given was very short and simple by my family doctor they told me yeah you've got a blood disorder it's called cold agglutinine disease.
The first question which came into my mind was yeah is there a cure for this ?
The practice reply was there is no real cure but what I can tell you is keep yourself warm. There are many things that I never did before that I have to do now; like the work outside the house, always making sure that there's an extra blanket in the car for example or that uh the car is fueled up so that we don't get
stranded somewhere and things like this that really take up much consideration and preparation.
Everything of course has an emotional aspect. You number one feel as if you lose worthiness, you're not worth as much as you used to be.
It's also a mental challenge you were the man of the house, you did all the repairs and you could do anything anybody asked you for you did it.
I've got an 87 year old mother I used to go shopping for her and I used to do lots of things. She realized oh I can't do this anymore, I cannot send him across the city to too many different stores because he will
Freeze. I'm very much afraid that it would, it could get worse you never know when something like this might happen. So, if he keeps or if there's an accident somehow and he stays for a longer time
in the cold then it's really dangerous and he died knows it's unimaginable.
Something like this knowing that this disease cannot be cured scares the hell out of me.
The most difficult part of my disease Journey was to find the right support.
The doctors I contacted, only a handful of them knew what this disease was all about. Awareness is something I wish be bigger.
What would I tell a person who has just been recently diagnosed with cold agglutinine disease ?
Go out, get yourself the knowledge and get yours get help by our groups by various groups, by doctors, by friends you will get support and we will all be here to make your life easier.