Welcome, txgirl, to Marrowforums. As so often happens when someone new joins our group, we are sorry you have to be here but glad you have found us.
The diagnosis of MDS in someone your father's age calls for a much different response than for someone who is much younger. Up until the last several years, MDS was known primarily as a disease of older people but now, with better techniques resulting in more diagnoses, there is some thought that we will see more and more MDS as the population ages.
But this does not mean there is nothing that can be done to help your father maintain his quality of life with a minimum of intervention. The prospect of weekly or biweekly transfusions can be very daunting. Your father and his doctor need to try to figure out what blood counts he can live with comfortably and when he really needs transfusions. Some people need transfusions when their red counts are below 10, some can wait until they are down to 7 or 8. His atrial fibrillation will be a consideration here. The same is true for platelets, where counts below 50 or even 20 may not pose any problems for your father.
Do you know anything about the specific category of MDS that he has? This information would be based on the results of his bone marrow biopsy and might help you learn more about what the progression of his MDS might be. The
Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation has a lot of very useful information about MDS for patients and for their families and caregivers that would help you understand this disease and what to expect.
On the personal side, try to help your father understand that you know he is sad and possibly scared. Be sure he knows you are ready to help him but let him stay in control as much as possible. I hope you'll feel free to post your questions and concerns at Marrowforums. There are many very caring and well-informed people here to help you.
Regards,
Ruth Cuadra