[Beacon Staff]

Weekly Poll - The Challenge Of An Auto Stem Cell Transplant - 2011

by Beacon Staff on Wed Nov 30, 2011 12:14 pm

The new edition of the Beacon's Weekly Poll asks: Just how difficult was your first autologous stem cell transplant?

A few clarifications:

First, “difficult” is obviously a broad and subjective term. We are using it in this case to capture in one word everything that is challenging about a stem cell transplant – the fatigue and exhaustion transplants create, the pain and discomfort, the stomach upset, and so on.

Second, this question is for readers who have multiple myeloma and have had at least one autologous stem cell transplant (that is, a stem cell transplant involving a patient’s own stem cells – not stem cells from a donor).

Third, if you are a caregiver or family member of a myeloma patient who has had an autologous stem cell transplant, feel free to answer on their behalf.

As always, feel free to post comments, thoughts, or feedback in the space below.

Details of your own stem cell transplant experience – what sort of challenges you had, how severe they were, and how you dealt with them -- will be very useful to other readers.

[Gwendolyn]

Re: Weekly Poll - The Challenge Of An Auto Stem Cell Transpl

by Gwendolyn on Wed Nov 30, 2011 3:39 pm

The transplant experience was very organized at Mayo Clinic - Rochester, MN They are certainly working together as a "TEAM". It was very difficult for my husband, and he was very ill. He endd up to be hospitalized for 11 days, when others handled it as a out patient the entire time. He was offered another one lately, after a relapse, but refused it.

[lyndaclark]

Re: Weekly Poll - The Challenge Of An Auto Stem Cell Transpl

by lyndaclark on Wed Nov 30, 2011 5:24 pm

I've had two stem cell transplants. The first was much more difficult than the second; I was still recovering from having a rod inserted in my broken thigh bone, so I was on a walker and still experiencing leg pain. I had also recently recovered from a staph infection. For the second stem cell transplant, which was 6 months later, I made sure I had built up my stamina beforehand by walking a mile or so daily. With the first transplant, I vomited at least daily for a few weeks and had no appetite. With the second, I was not sick as much, though diarhhea was a problem. I was familiar with which foods to avoid. My transplants were both outpatient, but I ended up in the hospital for a few days both times (first transplant, my blood pressure was very low and I was dehydrated; second transplant, I had an infection/ high fever.) Mine were both done at Vanderbilt.

[Pam H]

Re: Weekly Poll - The Challenge Of An Auto Stem Cell Transpl

by Pam H on Wed Nov 30, 2011 8:33 pm

My first transplant back inJul05 went really well with doctorsd and nurses very surprised. However, I had been following a fairly rigid eating and supplement program specifically to build myself up in preparation for it.
I have just gone through my second transplant 01Jan11 after becoming very lax with my eating (more due to my lack smell and taste, or should I say sometimes weird?) and supplements. The five months leading up with Cyclo and thalidomide left me quite weak going in and then after getting severe colitis and chest infection I came down with GBS (Guillain Barre Syndrome) leaving me paralysed and am still trying to get back to walking. I am however getting out of rehab Mon05Dec after being in various hospitals since 28Dec2010.

[Wm. J.]

Re: Weekly Poll - The Challenge Of An Auto Stem Cell Transpl

by Wm. J. on Thu Dec 01, 2011 11:24 am

My first Auto transplant was in Dec.2008. The further I move from that date the less difficult it seems. I was hospitalized for 18 days and back to work after 100 days. In Feb. 2011, I had a non-related donor Allo transplant, and I won't return to work this year. the fatique is too much.

[Ritz]

Re: Weekly Poll - The Challenge Of An Auto Stem Cell Transpl

by Ritz on Mon Dec 05, 2011 12:21 pm

I just completed my sct on Nov. 30th. without any difficulty. I was in the hospital for 3 days (2 nights) and then daily trips to the hospital for 18 days. No fever, no vomiting and only 1 small mouth sore which only lasted 3 or 4 days. I am on the tired side, but have continued to walk every day as I did before the sct. First day after my hospital trips ended I walked 3/4 mile and today (5 days later) I did 1.5 miles which is what I had been doing before the sct.
Ritz

[Chip]

Re: Weekly Poll - The Challenge Of An Auto Stem Cell Transpl

by Chip on Wed Dec 07, 2011 1:32 am

I rated mine "difficult."
First the STC clinic was great. Everybody responds to the treatment differently.
I was in the hospital for ten days; I couldn't swallow and had to be fed interveinously. I had diareaha for two months.
BUT... My 100 day bone marrow aspiration had ZERO MYELOMA CELLS.