Deb and Doug,
The world didn't end on December 21, 2012, as some people predicted, but your world certainly changed, didn't it? It's easy to understand that it might feel as though you were pushed onto the roller coaster going full speed. I hope we can help you feel more in control and steer you to useful resources.
Have you downloaded the MDS Foundation's
Patient Handbook yet? Have you gotten the
free information packet from the AA&MDSIF? They are both very useful when you are starting out, and especially when you want to understand treatment choices and the tradeoffs among them, not to mention the doctor lingo. There's a handy glossary
here.
Do you know what MDS subtype Doug has, and just how low his counts were? May I ask his age?
I'm glad to hear that Doug is responding to Vidaza. I hope he continues to improve. The transplant decision is always a tough one, especially when another treatment is working but may not work indefinitely and cytogenetics paint a less good prognosis. If you're going to go to transplant, the sooner it happens the better, so you'll want to know just how good a transplant candidate Doug is.