Hello everyone!
My husband is scheduled to begin pre-testing in the next few days for the stem cell harvest in June. Our tentative schedule is to harvest and then do the transplant within a week after harvest. My husband would like to take some time in between the harvest and transplant, maybe 2-3 weeks, so we could maybe go away for a few days, before the commitment to the transplant process begins.
We are going to discuss this option with our doctor when we go to the pre-testing, but we were wondering whether anybody has done this? Is he supposed to do some kind of chemo during the delay time, or do we just wait until the transplant begins? Or is this idea not feasible?
He is 66, in good health otherwise and has responded well to induction therapy. I realize we need to wait until all of the results of the testing are in to see what the next step will be, but, if we get a green light to go to harvest, then we were just entertaining the idea of having a breather in between.
We have been caught up in this treatment process since his "surprise" diagnosis last Christmas and would like to spend some good quality time as a couple. You know, kind of pretend for a few days that this whirlwind never happened.
Any thoughts???
Forums
8 posts
• Page 1 of 1
-
ByYourSide - Name: Susan
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Husband
- When were you/they diagnosed?: December 2014
- Age at diagnosis: 65
Re: Harvest, then delay transplant for about a month?
My daughter was to have her transplant in June 2012 . She harvested her stem cells but then it was determined she had an irregular heartbeat from Velcade so it was postponed till August 2012 till they got heart meds straightened out. She did not do any chemo in those 2 months.
Re: Harvest, then delay transplant for about a month?
Hi ByYourSide,
EJ and I had the same thoughts before he had his stem cell transplant! I don't know that I can directly answer your question - I seem to remember that the transplant center actually delayed EJs transplant for a week because they didn't have a bed available, so yes I think it can be done. However I might check with the doctor before your husband does the stem cell harvest. They may suggest that he delay both the harvest and the stem cell transplant for a couple of weeks. I think some insurance companies can get sticky about paying for storage.
EJ and I were able to get away for a long weekend before his transplant, which we greatly enjoyed! But we thought long and hard about where we went and what we did. We were both worried about getting sick or catching colds and having to delay the transplant. In the end, we went to a golf club/spa that was in driving distance and stayed away from children.
Good luck and have a wonderful vacation!
Lyn
EJ and I had the same thoughts before he had his stem cell transplant! I don't know that I can directly answer your question - I seem to remember that the transplant center actually delayed EJs transplant for a week because they didn't have a bed available, so yes I think it can be done. However I might check with the doctor before your husband does the stem cell harvest. They may suggest that he delay both the harvest and the stem cell transplant for a couple of weeks. I think some insurance companies can get sticky about paying for storage.
EJ and I were able to get away for a long weekend before his transplant, which we greatly enjoyed! But we thought long and hard about where we went and what we did. We were both worried about getting sick or catching colds and having to delay the transplant. In the end, we went to a golf club/spa that was in driving distance and stayed away from children.
Good luck and have a wonderful vacation!
Lyn
-
Christa's Mom - Name: Christa's Mom
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Husband
- When were you/they diagnosed?: September, 2010
- Age at diagnosis: 53
Re: Harvest, then delay transplant for about a month?
Thank you both for your input. We will ask about the timing when we meet with the transplant nurse and doctor soon; hope we can make some changes to the schedule they set up for us so we can just be "the two of us" for a short time.
-
ByYourSide - Name: Susan
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Husband
- When were you/they diagnosed?: December 2014
- Age at diagnosis: 65
Re: Harvest, then delay transplant for about a month?
Hello By Your:
This is a question that I have given some research to. In a majority of cases, when you get induction, and the myeloma is being knocked down, there is a lag before it starts moving forward again.
So for example, if your husband had a reasonably good response, for example if he reached VGPR, then its very likely that a short delay ((Let me guess less than 3 months) is no issue. Maybe even 6 months or a year might be no issue.
Also note that there are scheduling logistics in the transplant centers, and they move you up or push you back by about a month. That relates to demand of beds in the hospital. The transplant centers will tell you that moving it up or back a couple of weeks makes no difference. At first I was skeptical, but I believe its probably valid.
In a very small proportion of cases, however, the myeloma does come back quickly and aggressively. So on the safe side, if you decided to go forward with the ASCT, you do not want to delay it. However, if there is a brief delay of a couple of weeks, then I would not be overly concerned.
In our case (by wife) it turned out to be a about a 7 weeks delay. If you had Rev, they wait for a min 4 weeks to let the Rev clear the system, before collection, because it suppresses the stem cell collection process. I was very worried, but in the 2 months delay, between any treatment, the multiple myeloma #'s were essentially flat over the 7 weeks delay. In fact, the time being off the treatment was on a certain level a bit of a relief for my wife (before the ASCT).
Again, docs report that there or probably no issues with this magnitude of delay. Never say never with multiple myeloma, but a delay in the range of weeks, I do not think is an issue.
Best of Luck,
JPC
This is a question that I have given some research to. In a majority of cases, when you get induction, and the myeloma is being knocked down, there is a lag before it starts moving forward again.
So for example, if your husband had a reasonably good response, for example if he reached VGPR, then its very likely that a short delay ((Let me guess less than 3 months) is no issue. Maybe even 6 months or a year might be no issue.
Also note that there are scheduling logistics in the transplant centers, and they move you up or push you back by about a month. That relates to demand of beds in the hospital. The transplant centers will tell you that moving it up or back a couple of weeks makes no difference. At first I was skeptical, but I believe its probably valid.
In a very small proportion of cases, however, the myeloma does come back quickly and aggressively. So on the safe side, if you decided to go forward with the ASCT, you do not want to delay it. However, if there is a brief delay of a couple of weeks, then I would not be overly concerned.
In our case (by wife) it turned out to be a about a 7 weeks delay. If you had Rev, they wait for a min 4 weeks to let the Rev clear the system, before collection, because it suppresses the stem cell collection process. I was very worried, but in the 2 months delay, between any treatment, the multiple myeloma #'s were essentially flat over the 7 weeks delay. In fact, the time being off the treatment was on a certain level a bit of a relief for my wife (before the ASCT).
Again, docs report that there or probably no issues with this magnitude of delay. Never say never with multiple myeloma, but a delay in the range of weeks, I do not think is an issue.
Best of Luck,
JPC
-
JPC - Name: JPC
Re: Harvest, then delay transplant for about a month?
Is should not be a problem to delay a month. However, the risk you run is a change in the numbers. There is always a chance that they could increase.
-
Joneman
Re: Harvest, then delay transplant for about a month?
My husband had his harvest December 2013 and waited until May of 2014 for transplant. 5 months. He stayed on Revlimid 10 mg until transplant. He did fine.
Re: Harvest, then delay transplant for about a month?
I had my harvest mid April 2013 and was scheduled for SCT end of April. I asked for a delay as our son was having a destination wedding the first week of May, and I knew my husband wouldn't go if I was in hospital. My doc agreed, and they facetimed me for the ceremony. All was well. As well as could be 
-
lizegregory
8 posts
• Page 1 of 1