Hi Robbie.
I'm sorry that you and your husband have to learn words like myelodysplastic syndrome. But if MDS has become part of your life, you're doing the right thing by asking questions and learning about the disease.
Since all three of your husband's counts are low I'm surprised they didn't recognize it as bone marrow failure sooner. In any case, the doctor he was referred to is a hero for knowing that a bone marrow biopsy was the right test to do. There's your Dr. House.
You'll presumably know the subtype soon and suggestions for treatment. Given that Eric's counts are "extreme low" he's too young to think that MDS is simply something to live with. I don't know why a doctor would say he'll be "neutropenic for life". One of the primary goals of MDS treatment is to bring counts back into the normal range.
Did you request the
free information packet from the Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation? If not you should.
Diet changes can't cure faulty chromosomes but they can keep patients less susceptible to infection. You'll find several "neutropenic diet" discussions in these forums. It's possible to maintain strength with a vegetarian diet. It just has to be nutritionally sound. Having a normal appetite certainly helps!
Anemia (a low red count) is what makes patients pale. A low white count isn't directly apparent. Bruising and little red spots on the skin are visible signs of low platelets. One of the curses of MDS is that you can look perfectly healthy or seem to have only minor symptoms like a paler-than-usual complexion.
Having less than 5% blasts is a good sign. "Bone marrow like an 80 year old" means very low
cellularity (not many blood forming cells). Since the doctor says Eric's cytogenetics are good you should ask why the doctor considers it to be MDS. From what you've said so far a diagnosis of aplastic anemia would also fit the clues. I suggest that you ask for copies of your husband's blood counts (called CBCs), so you know the specific numbers. You can ask for a copy of the bone marrow biopsy results too. That report will be full of technical lingo but it's possible to learn more by deciphering it or asking a doctor to interpret it more specifically.
You're doing the right thing by learning how to help yourself. I wish you both the best of luck as the nature of Eric's illness become apparent.