estelle,
Short answer: If your father is at risk of infection then thick-skinned fruit like bananas are safer than thin-skinned fruit like apples, if eaten raw.
In my opinion there are three aspects to consider when it comes to the diet of an MDS patient:
- Patients with a high risk of infection, in particular those with low white counts or a low absolute neutrophil count (ANC), would be well advised to follow a neutropenic diet, meaning one that limits the chances of ingesting bacteria. You'll find discussions of neutropenic diets here in the forums and on the Internet. This set of recommendations is a good example.
- Like all of us, MDS patients should eat what's good for them. This generalization applies to everyone. Patients need their strength to fight this disease and eating well gives them the best fuel. However, for patients at risk #1 takes precedence over #2.
- There are varying opinions about what if any foods might fight the underlying causes of MDS or lessen its symptoms. You'll find discussions of this topic in the Alternative Treatments forum.
I recommend that patients and families with concerns about diet check if there is a nutrition specialist at their treatment facility. A nutritionist can be much more specific in helping a patient deal with their unique circumstances.
If a patient is having trouble eating anything or keeping it down then the doctor needs to know about it.