Hi, again, Dee.
It is always a good idea to get a second opinion, but you need to have in mind what you want to learn from consulting another doctor. It seems unlikely that your father's basic diagnosis would change as a result of someone else reviewing his test results. However, you might hear very different advice about treatment options and lifestyle recommendations, including whether he should work or not, from another doctor.
The decision to work or not can be a difficult one that must balance the patient's physical and mental health. If it is primarily your father's red cells that are affected by his MDS, he probably can't hurt himself by working. However, if his platelets are low then he needs to take extra precautions to avoid injury (even more than he normally would!). A low white count may make it unadvisable for him to be around groups of people, especially children, because he would be susceptible to infections.
Unless your father's physical health is incompatible with his job, it would probably be in his best interest to continue to work. No one should be sidelined from an active life any sooner than absolutely necessary. This is a topic that you and/or he should explore more with his doctor. Ask him/her to be specific about why they think he shouldn't work.
Where is your father being treated? Is the Cancer Treatment Center you referred to at the same hospital or somewhere else? Because MDS is a rare disease, it is important to try to find a doctor and/or a treatment center with experience treating it. You can find a list of
U.S. Treatment Centers by State on our Medical Resources page -- or try our new
Treatment Center Map.
Hope this helps.
Ruth