Hello!
My Mother in law, who just turned 50, will be starting the process of a stem cell transplant in a couple of weeks. She was told she would be staying in hospital for at least 4 weeks, possibly 6.
I have done much research on this as I can about the transplant, and the more I read the more I realize how serious this situation is. I'm worried about how safe her environment will be once she returns home. The house has not been well kept, very dusty, and cluttered. Her partner is somewhat of a hoarder. He won't throw anything away! I don't even feel comfortable to allow my baby to crawl on their floors.
How important is it to have the house in order for her return? From what I'm reading, I'm guessing it plays an important part to her recovery?
There has been no discussion or plan in place for her recovery. It's like we''re just suppose to go with the flow and not be informed. I don't think this poor women realizes how this is going to affect her life for a while.
She will be receiving the stem cell transplant in June and has made plans to go canoeing this summer, camp, visit family that live 5-6 hours away, babysit my children. Is any of this possible shortly after having gone through a stem cell transplant??
I told my husband he needs to sit down with his mother and they need to read over the huge binder of information the doctor gave her, and we need to come up with a plan on how to prepare the house for when she returns and what we can do to help in the months ahead. And she should inform herself on the guidelines that she needs to follow in order to stay as healthy as she can..
Am I overreacting to all of this?
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Re: Family member not preparing for her transplant
Hi Jalee888,
I don't think you are overreacting at all, and it's great you are looking out for your mother-in-law and thinking ahead.
I had my auto SCT last year at the age of 48 and it took me a few months to get my strength back fully. It's a gradual process and takes time and rest. Some people take a lot longer and can be quite unwell for a while.
Food and hygiene is very important after SCT, it can be serious if an infection is caught while the immune system is still recovering. You certainly need to take life at a slow pace to begin with, with lots of rest.
Prior to going into hospital I did do a big 'spring clean' on my home so it was ready for coming home, just to minimise risk. You also need to follow a neutropenic, or clean, diet for a while, and avoid certain foods. This is to reduce risk of food poisoning. After transplant, infections that most people can throw off quite quickly and easily can be serious for transplant patients that still have an immune system that is just recovering.
Also, she will need a thermometer to take her temperature every day. My hospital told me to take temp 3 times a day and report any increase. Slight temp rise can be sign of infection, and infection can mean a trip to hospital. Also hand hygiene is important, washing hands and using gels. And I was told to avoid public places and not take public transport. Need to avoid people with coughs and colds - especially kids!
Is your mother-lin-law having auto transplant or donor? Auto is when she gets her own stem cells back, donor is somebody else's? Donor transplant has much higher risk and longer recovery.
Being prepared and knowing how best to look after yourself can hopefully lead to a smooth transplant!
Good luck,
Laura
I don't think you are overreacting at all, and it's great you are looking out for your mother-in-law and thinking ahead.
I had my auto SCT last year at the age of 48 and it took me a few months to get my strength back fully. It's a gradual process and takes time and rest. Some people take a lot longer and can be quite unwell for a while.
Food and hygiene is very important after SCT, it can be serious if an infection is caught while the immune system is still recovering. You certainly need to take life at a slow pace to begin with, with lots of rest.
Prior to going into hospital I did do a big 'spring clean' on my home so it was ready for coming home, just to minimise risk. You also need to follow a neutropenic, or clean, diet for a while, and avoid certain foods. This is to reduce risk of food poisoning. After transplant, infections that most people can throw off quite quickly and easily can be serious for transplant patients that still have an immune system that is just recovering.
Also, she will need a thermometer to take her temperature every day. My hospital told me to take temp 3 times a day and report any increase. Slight temp rise can be sign of infection, and infection can mean a trip to hospital. Also hand hygiene is important, washing hands and using gels. And I was told to avoid public places and not take public transport. Need to avoid people with coughs and colds - especially kids!
Is your mother-lin-law having auto transplant or donor? Auto is when she gets her own stem cells back, donor is somebody else's? Donor transplant has much higher risk and longer recovery.
Being prepared and knowing how best to look after yourself can hopefully lead to a smooth transplant!
Good luck,
Laura
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LauraScot - Name: Laura
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 2013
- Age at diagnosis: 47
Re: Family member not preparing for her transplant
HI!
There is a lot of variation in response to ASCT. I came home from Mayo (outpatient ASCT facility) on March 6 and was back at work part time two weeks later. The only restrictions I had (from the Mayo docs) were (1) no restaurant buffets, (2) no swimming in lakes, and (3) no "digging in the dirt. These restrictions end in a couple of weeks at my 100 day mark.
I am relatively young and healthy, as is your mother-in-law, which seems to be an important factor in ASCT recovery. I have kayaked since I have been home and have traveled for business. My energy level and appetite are good, and I am teaching this summer term at the university. I would suggest coming home to a relatively clean house, and attention to hand washing and food safety also is important.
After ASCT, folks typically take an anti-fungal, an anti-viral, and an antibiotic for one year. This provides a "scaffold" for a relatively fragile immune system. I don't see the travel plans as necessarily out of the question, although she will have, at minimum, some fatigue issues for a few weeks. She may not feel like doing much in July, but by August may be able to travel. Child care would, in my opinion, be more of a stretch than travel.
Make sure she gets as much exercise as possible while in the hospital. That will help with functioning at home afterward.
There is a lot of variation in response to ASCT. I came home from Mayo (outpatient ASCT facility) on March 6 and was back at work part time two weeks later. The only restrictions I had (from the Mayo docs) were (1) no restaurant buffets, (2) no swimming in lakes, and (3) no "digging in the dirt. These restrictions end in a couple of weeks at my 100 day mark.
I am relatively young and healthy, as is your mother-in-law, which seems to be an important factor in ASCT recovery. I have kayaked since I have been home and have traveled for business. My energy level and appetite are good, and I am teaching this summer term at the university. I would suggest coming home to a relatively clean house, and attention to hand washing and food safety also is important.
After ASCT, folks typically take an anti-fungal, an anti-viral, and an antibiotic for one year. This provides a "scaffold" for a relatively fragile immune system. I don't see the travel plans as necessarily out of the question, although she will have, at minimum, some fatigue issues for a few weeks. She may not feel like doing much in July, but by August may be able to travel. Child care would, in my opinion, be more of a stretch than travel.
Make sure she gets as much exercise as possible while in the hospital. That will help with functioning at home afterward.
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wesley - Who do you know with myeloma?: me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: July, 2013
- Age at diagnosis: 60
Re: Family member not preparing for her transplant
There doesn't seem to be any standard when it comes to recovery from a SCT, but obviously it is better to be safe than sorry. No one goes from the hospital to a private home with full immunity.
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Wayne K - Name: Wayne
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Myself, my sister who passed in '95
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 03/09
- Age at diagnosis: 70
Re: Family member not preparing for her transplant
Prior to having his SCT, EJ and I had to go to the hospital for a full day of tests and evaluations, including a psych evaluation to make sure we were both able to handle what was going to happen. The hospital would not go through with the transplant unless they knew he was going to have good support and that we could both emotionally handle the process.
Is something like this scheduled for your mother in law? As part of her care team, it may be a good opportunity for you to go and discuss some of your concerns with a neutral third party. They may be able to give you some direction regarding cleanliness, food handling, etc.
From what I gather from reading other posts, EJs doctors weren't as strict as some. We were told that the biggest risk was not from other people, or things in the environment, but from bugs that you already have inside you. We did not do much to prepare the house - mostly just common sense things like throwing out food past its expiration date, keeping away from the cat box, not sharing glasses, etc.
Good luck!
Lyn
Is something like this scheduled for your mother in law? As part of her care team, it may be a good opportunity for you to go and discuss some of your concerns with a neutral third party. They may be able to give you some direction regarding cleanliness, food handling, etc.
From what I gather from reading other posts, EJs doctors weren't as strict as some. We were told that the biggest risk was not from other people, or things in the environment, but from bugs that you already have inside you. We did not do much to prepare the house - mostly just common sense things like throwing out food past its expiration date, keeping away from the cat box, not sharing glasses, etc.
Good luck!
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
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