When your oncologist orders this type of test, he's usually looking to see how well your treatment is working--whether he needs to increase it or change it. It is a reference to ineffective blood cell production like what's happening with CML and AML (myelogenous blood cell production=signifying this type of blood cancer.)
Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a group of conditions where the body doesn’t produce enough healthy blood cells. In MDS, stem cells in the bone marrow develop abnormalities, leading to too many immature blood cells and too few normal ones. MDS is a form of precancerous blood condition and can sometimes transform into Show Full Answer
Oh, how sad for you, Dan. I know what it's like to lose a beloved. And yes, I agree--if you are eligible for a transplant, you should get it.
My late wife had MDS and it turned into AML and took her in three months. I advise looking into a bone marrow transplant ASAP if you haven't already