I agree with what Ruth said. She has long experience with MDS, so do call her.
I assume your dad is on Medicare part D, so Kaiser should take care of the meds the way they usually do and then, after a $3850 out of pocket expense for these expensive drugs, he will only have to pay 5%. Not great, but usually within most people's means.
As far as survivability goes, since the advent of the two drugs you mentioned as well as Dacogen (a lot like Vidaza), the old poor survivability statistics should be ignored. People are living longer these days. You do need to ask his doc about which chromosomal abnormalities your dad has, as well as excess blast cells. His fainting and low counts are just due his being unaware earlier of how weak he was. He will stabilize with transfusions and you can begin to get some order in your life, as well as his.
There is much info available on the drugs as well as treatment options at the AA-MDS Foundation. Keep posting. We'll try to keep you informed.
