Hi everyone. My husband is due to go in this week for the harvesting of his stem cells. Has anyone suffered side effects following retrieval or do they come more following the actual transplant?
thanks in advance x
I had very little mucositis problems over both my Allo SCTs……. I did all the mouth care process religiously and only ever had one small ulcer
Diarrhoea on the other hand is expected but it will pass…… in both meanings of the words.
Some people find it tough, my first was a walking the park although it did not work (but many people have now had the same process and it worked for them),…. my second was much harder…… but my second SCT was back in Oct 2015….. I turned 67 last Niv and I am living a great life.
You and your husbands mindset is that it will take about 6 months to get through the process and out the other end.
My head SCT Consultant told me that going through SCT was like doing a boxing match and a marathon every day over the months of treatments and this was done without any training.
Think doing the London Marathon without any training and you had to finish it as your life depended on it……. this is the journey he is on so it most likely will take much longer than you would think to get back to some normality - it took me a good 2 years and I was 60 at the start of my second SCT recovery….. and I had problems during the second.
My consultant also gave me this basic scale for classifying where I was on the recover journey.
50% = when in the hospital going through the transplant process.
60% = significant medical/physical issues that do not allow any physical activity apart from a shower and short walk and not able to prepaid food. Reliant of others for preparation of food.
70% = Significant medical/physical issues that do not allow any specific physical activity (not including a shower) but short walks and making a pot of soup. Will nap after the task.
80% = Physical issues that limits you to one activity per day. (not including shower) Able to prepare some food for a couple of people but most likely still taking a nap after activities.
90% = Some physical issues remaining (weak legs etc) but able to do a few tasks and may not be fully fit for permanent work but could do part time work. May have to .take a nap after doing tasks or work.
100% = No physical after effects and able to do multiple tasks including being back to work.
She also said on average the recovery is about 6 months with your recovery improving about 10% per month post SCT
