In one of my previous columns, I promised to describe in more detail the days and weeks immediately following my stem cell transplant. I have read many accounts in The Beacon of this critical period in the transplant process. Everyone has to endure the ups and downs of recovery and the drawn-out wait for the bone marrow to start producing all the blood cells that we need. It seems that this time is different for every multiple myeloma patient.

I can vividly remember the moment when the pink bag of stem cells …

Researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin recently found that mul­ti­ple myeloma patients are at an increased risk of engraftment syndrome following stem cell transplantation, compared to patients with lym­pho­ma. Engraftment syndrome is a complication that can occur soon after stem cell transplantation.

Within the myeloma population, the risk of engraftment syndrome was in­creased in patients who are over 60 years of age, have been treated with the novel agents Revlimid (lenalidomide) and/or Velcade (bortezo­mib), or have not been treated with cyclo­phos­phamide (Cytoxan).

“The most important finding is the increased …