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Old Fri Jan 21, 2011, 02:13 PM
Lisa V Lisa V is offline
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Waimanalo, Hawaii
Posts: 401
The standard answer to the first question is that ATG is not a cure, only a BMT is a cure. That is pretty subjective, though. What they mean is that with ATG there's always the possibility of a relapse. That is true, but some people do not relapse, so for them, it might as well be a "cure". We've also heard from people who have relapsed after a transplant, so to my mind the distinction is not nearly as clear as the standard answer would suggest.

The bottom line is that ATG is a much less complicated procedure than a BMT, and the hospital stay and recovery time should be much shorter. Different medical providers seem to differ on how long they like to keep you in. My husband had no serum sickness issues, and he was in and out in less than a week the first time. On the other hand, I've heard of patients in other areas being held for several weeks just for observation, whether or not they had any adverse effects. I'd ask your doctor what the policy is at your hospital, Kelly.

Meanwhile, you might find it helpful to do a forum search for "ATG". You will find several descriptions of what the process entails and what to expect. Some people tolerate it better than others.
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-Lisa, husband Ken age 60 dx SAA 7/04, dx hypo MDS 1/06 w/finding of trisomy 8; 2 ATGs, partial remission, still using cyclosporine
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