Shirlee,
I'm sorry to hear that your husband is suffering through these side effects. I suggest that you discuss two questions with his doctor:
- Can these side effects be treated directly or prophylactically?
- Could the schedule of Vidaza treatments be stretched out to give your husband a little more recovery time in between or during the cycles, without losing the benefits of the treatments?
Pain and especially trips to the ER are not only unpleasant but they add extra physical and mental strain that interfere with the ability to fight AML, so the goal is to find the right balance.
His doctor may bring up ideas of his or her own about how to deal with this. Doctors should consider each patient's overall well being, not just the disease being treated. And patients shouldn't be shy about asking for this.