what to expect during and after transplant

[betsy78]

Hello all,

I am new to this but have been reading many threads and am so thankful that such a resource exists.

I am looking for info and guidance... My father was diagnoised with MDS a few years back (sorry I don't have all the specifics!) and has been on Vidaza for over a year. He has also been taking daily shots to increase his WBC and RBC. He is now going to get a BMT... Two weeks from today he will be admitted to the hospital. A week of chemo, then the transplant....

It is frustrating for me since I am a plane ride away, and don't know all that is going on. I try to get info that is filtered through my parents, and they don't always ask the questions that need to be asked. I will be flying down to care for him after the transplant, and would like to know what to expect. He is feeling great now.... (blast cells at 8% i think.... and if some one can put that into perspective that would also be helpful!)

Also, any helpful suggestions I can give my dad to try and make him more comfortable during this process, would be helpful.

I also will be flying down to spend time with him when he is in the hospital, so any guidance on how to be most supportive during this time, and what to expect would appreciated.

Thank you!

[squirrellypoo]

Hi Betsy.

Yours is a difficult question to answer because every bone marrow transplant is different! Some people have a really difficult time of it, both physically as they react to the chemo, and mentally as they deal with being in hospital and isolated for such a length of time. I feel very lucky that I, personally, had a really really easy transplant, but I certainly wouldn't say that's the norm.

There are two great online books that gather together a bunch of quotes and experiences of various survivors and their carers, which I found helpful before my transplant for preparing myself with what to expect. I think they do a good job of representing the wide range of what can happen!

They're both linked from here - I found the Survivor's Guide and the Caregiver's Guide to be the best, but the others are available to read or order in print form, too. I've got no affiliation with them, I just found the breadth of honest information to be very useful, especially since a lot of BMT information online is entirely cancer-focused.

(sorry if this appears twice - I tried to post it earlier today but the forums server went down for a few hours!)