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Jadon,
It is extremely generous of you to share your advice with other patients and families after the loss you've had. I'm very sorry to hear that you lost your dad this way, and at too young an age. I'm glad he had his family around him. I'm sure that provided him with more comfort than anything the doctors could have done.
The doctor misspoke if he/she said that your dad would still have many years left, instead of saying that your dad could still have many years left. Families need to hear realistic information, and with MDS there are no guarantees. Doctors know this, of course, but don't always convey it to families as well as they should.
Please don't assume that your dad and your family chose the wrong treatment approach. I'm a fan of second opinions (my wife and I got second and third opinions before treatment) but another doctor might have recommended Vidaza as well. Vidaza treatment is risky but it's often the best option among the less than ideal choices that patients have. No matter what approach doctors take, many but not all MDS patients survive. Since your dad was up to the 5th cycle of Vidaza, it sounds like Vidaza was a reasonable choice. How sad that the infection set in.
Thank you so much for your message about the seriousness of MDS and the determination we all need. I hope you'll be sustained by the memories of your dad's years before this last one.
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