[bailie]

I didn't have much choice. I was in the high risk category primarily because of age and genetic mutations. It wasn't a choice between "quality of life" versus "quantity of life". The choice was did I want to live or die. At certain stages/types MDS becomes very aggressive and relentless. From the study that Dan posted:

"donor transplantation should not be delayed for eligible patients with intermediate- or higher-risk disease according to the IPSS or WPSS. The study investigators explain that donor stem cell transplantation is most beneficial when performed before MDS progresses to advanced stages of the disease.
With respect to the treatment of MDS patients, the study’s lead investigator Dr. Mario Cazzola of the University of Pavia in Italy said, “At our institution, we are now recommending transplantation early in intermediate-risk stages.”

"For patients classified in the lower-risk IPSS and WPSS groups, the researchers’ models indicate survival would have been the longest with stem cell transplantation postponed until the patients progressed to intermediate-risk MDS.
However, patients who were at least 60 years of age and were low-risk according to the WPSS would have benefited from immediate stem cell transplantation
Intermediate-risk and higher-risk patients also would have benefited from immediate stem cell transplantation.