I chose to have my transplant in January so I wouldn't have to worry about trying to get to work in the ice and snow if we had any. Boy, did I plan that right! While I was in the hospital we had 2 blizzards that dumped close to 40 inches of snow on the ground in 3 days. My discharge from the hospital was delayed by a day because of a blizzard on the day I was supposed to go home.
Philadelphia is not known for its efficiency in clearing the streets of snow. So, even when I did head home a mile from the hospital it was a scarey adventure.
Nancy
Forums
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NStewart - Name: Nancy Stewart
- Who do you know with myeloma?: self
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 3/08
- Age at diagnosis: 60
Re: Stem cell transplant and ability to do light work
That is a great snow story. We get a little snow just east of the Rockies.
I went to my interview for the ASTC doctor and have been accepted into the program. It looks like a first week of September date for the auto SCT. Therapy has been effective and we decided to get it done asap. My take is to build on success and hit the myeloma hard and fast. My prognosis for remission is as good as it can get now, so waiting just has no appeal. I can consider the less invasive forms after the ASCT as well as before.
Of course I still think I'm the exception and will be working full time quick. I also thought the fatigue was no big deal week one of chemo. Chemo is a stern master and soon readjusted my attitude. The ASCT will be sterner I'm sure.
I went to my interview for the ASTC doctor and have been accepted into the program. It looks like a first week of September date for the auto SCT. Therapy has been effective and we decided to get it done asap. My take is to build on success and hit the myeloma hard and fast. My prognosis for remission is as good as it can get now, so waiting just has no appeal. I can consider the less invasive forms after the ASCT as well as before.
Of course I still think I'm the exception and will be working full time quick. I also thought the fatigue was no big deal week one of chemo. Chemo is a stern master and soon readjusted my attitude. The ASCT will be sterner I'm sure.
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Canuck Bob - Name: Bob
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Feb. 2011
- Age at diagnosis: 57
Re: Stem cell transplant and ability to do light work
Hi all,
I posted on this thread early on, and just wanted to provide an update. EJ just got home Friday from having his SCT! He was in the hospital 19 days total. While he did very well for most of the time he was there, he just didn't feel like working or doing much. The normal hospital routine, plus the requirement that he walk 20 laps around the floor everyday kept him busy but he wasn't really able to focus or concentrate on anything for long periods of time.
Unfortunately while in the hospital, EJ developed a SEVERE reaction to two of the antibiotics they gave him. His pulse dropped extremely low, and his heart went into atrial fibrillation (a-fib). This necessitated a trip to the cardiac ICU where his temp shot up to 105+ F (40.6 C), and he developed two different rashes over all of his body! His nurse and I spent an afternoon putting ice cold wet cloths on him to try and bring his temp down. Thankfully they were able to use drugs to convert his a-fib and he did not need to be shocked.
EJ is relatively young and in good shape, so the docs kept telling us that they expected he would not have a difficult time getting through the SCT. The allergy caught everyone by surprise! Thankfully he recovered from it very quickly, has come home, and his WBC, RBC and platelets are all normal or almost normal and the rash is subsiding.
One of the nurses on the transplant team warned us that there would be potholes in this journey. We did not expect a pothole like this allergy, but we were grateful that the transplant team knew exactly what to do, and that EJ recovered so quickly.
Lyn
I posted on this thread early on, and just wanted to provide an update. EJ just got home Friday from having his SCT! He was in the hospital 19 days total. While he did very well for most of the time he was there, he just didn't feel like working or doing much. The normal hospital routine, plus the requirement that he walk 20 laps around the floor everyday kept him busy but he wasn't really able to focus or concentrate on anything for long periods of time.
Unfortunately while in the hospital, EJ developed a SEVERE reaction to two of the antibiotics they gave him. His pulse dropped extremely low, and his heart went into atrial fibrillation (a-fib). This necessitated a trip to the cardiac ICU where his temp shot up to 105+ F (40.6 C), and he developed two different rashes over all of his body! His nurse and I spent an afternoon putting ice cold wet cloths on him to try and bring his temp down. Thankfully they were able to use drugs to convert his a-fib and he did not need to be shocked.
EJ is relatively young and in good shape, so the docs kept telling us that they expected he would not have a difficult time getting through the SCT. The allergy caught everyone by surprise! Thankfully he recovered from it very quickly, has come home, and his WBC, RBC and platelets are all normal or almost normal and the rash is subsiding.
One of the nurses on the transplant team warned us that there would be potholes in this journey. We did not expect a pothole like this allergy, but we were grateful that the transplant team knew exactly what to do, and that EJ recovered so quickly.
Lyn
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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: Stem cell transplant and ability to do light work
So on average how long is it till people return to work after the transplant ?
Re: Stem cell transplant and ability to do light work
The SCT lead doctor at City of Hope said there is variation on how people handle SCT and it is difficult to predict who will do well and who will be hit hard. I was fatigued and sleeping most of the time. I could not focus much to read and ate very little for while. They have had patients, however, who brought in their computers and fax machines and worked right off the hospital bed while they kept asking when they could go home.
You probably will not know until you undergo the procedure just what you energy level will be and what you can do. I lost 50 lbs (23 kg) in about three months and was in no condition to return to work when I was discharged, but I recovered fairly quickly started back part time in about two months.
You probably will not know until you undergo the procedure just what you energy level will be and what you can do. I lost 50 lbs (23 kg) in about three months and was in no condition to return to work when I was discharged, but I recovered fairly quickly started back part time in about two months.
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Eric Hofacket - Name: Eric H
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 01 April 2011
- Age at diagnosis: 44
Re: Stem cell transplant and ability to do light work
I made many friends through being so ill, and out of most, one stood out. I was ok. Like most people, had somewhat problems returning to work, but after 2 months after the SCT I found I was getting depressed, so returning to work brought normality to my life and being around others that hadn't been through chemo or SCT actually helped bring me back to realise I can live normally again.
The being careful round others and food and animals obviously was all ok and by 4 months I felt like my old self right back in the swing of things.
If my work hadn't pushed me to start back again, I might have been in a down spiral of depression!
On the other hand, my friend was a fit young 42 year old, did marathons and triathlons and cycling walking right through chemo after, and still does now. She was back in work 4 weeks after SCT. Amazing lady. She said "the sooner you decide it's just an illness and doesn't define you, then the stronger you'll be back out doing everyday work and life." So true. Inspiring lady, who actually had acute myeloid leukemia not myeloma.
Check out the weekly poll this week. It's all about this topic
"Weekly Poll - Return To Work After Stem Cell Transplant - 2012"
The being careful round others and food and animals obviously was all ok and by 4 months I felt like my old self right back in the swing of things.
If my work hadn't pushed me to start back again, I might have been in a down spiral of depression!
On the other hand, my friend was a fit young 42 year old, did marathons and triathlons and cycling walking right through chemo after, and still does now. She was back in work 4 weeks after SCT. Amazing lady. She said "the sooner you decide it's just an illness and doesn't define you, then the stronger you'll be back out doing everyday work and life." So true. Inspiring lady, who actually had acute myeloid leukemia not myeloma.
Check out the weekly poll this week. It's all about this topic
"Weekly Poll - Return To Work After Stem Cell Transplant - 2012"
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