[EmilyD]

Blood work after HSCT

by EmilyD on Tue Jul 17, 2012 2:04 pm

My mom recently completed her first of two autologous stem cell transplants. So far, the doctors have not tested her blood to see what her M spike is doing. I know it can take a while to decrease, but I'm curious as to why it hasn't been tested yet.

So, my question is for those who have had a transplant before. How often were you having your M spike & FLCs tested post transplant?

Thanks!

[lys2012]

Re: Blood work after HSCT

by lys2012 on Sun Jul 22, 2012 9:22 pm

Hi, I am two years post transplant.

for the first year I had blood work every month, (electrolytes, CBC etc) and they would alternate M-spike, or free lights each month so that I was having each test every other month.

Now I go every two months, so I'm getting the M-spike every two months, and the freelights every few months.

Hope that helps!

For over three months post transplant my M-spike hovered about the level before transplant, and then at 6 months is was undetectable and has stayed there

[Christa's Mom]

Re: Blood work after HSCT

by Christa's Mom on Mon Jul 23, 2012 12:24 pm

Hi EmilyD,

My understanding is that for the first 100 days after a SCT the m-spike number can bounce around a bit, so typically a test is not done until sometime around day 100. Even then, it can still come down. It took 7 months before EJ's m-spike was undetectable. Hope that helps.

Lyn