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saddaughter,
MDS can't be treated or cured promptly. It's a longer term effort.
That's why the first goal is to stabilize and patient and reduce the immediate dangers from symptoms or other conditions. As they treat your father's infection, they may want to give him blood and platelet transfusions to deal with the low HGB and low platelets, or drugs that can increase these counts even through they don't fight the underlying cause. Infections produce a higher than normal white count, so you probably can't judge how a bone marrow problem is affecting his white cells, but you'll want to keep an eye on his white count as they get his infection under control.
You're doing the right thing by asking questions and learning what you can, even though forum members here are almost all patients and caregivers, not physicians. Many of us have had similar experiences and know what you're going through.
Don't let doctors brush off your questions. Make sure they explain what's going on, what treatments and tests they are using or recommending (and why), and what other choices there are, as you deal both with the immediate crisis and the longer-term treatment plan.
Feel free to start new forum threads here with the questions that come up, and to let us know how it goes.
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