Hi SMJ, I know several people with myeloma in my local support group who live alone & have had SCT, so it is do-able.
We are, and have to be, told all the fairly common side effects, but you are as unlikely to have all of them, as none of them.
Most of us have some level of nausea and diarrhoea, lack of appetite and fatigue, especially when neutropenic. This is when the old stem cells have died, about a week after the melphalan infusion, before the transplanted cells really come into their own around day 12.
I remember feeling quite elated and energetic on day 12, when I could literally feel myself getting better hour on hour, and was discharged only a couple of days later. (However I had picked up a virus and ended up being readmitted for a further 5 days). So I was finally out on about day 22.
For the first few days at home I was shocked by my level of fatigue. I definitely benefitted from someone preparing all meals, doing washing etc for the first week at home. I definitely couldn’t have made meals from scratch, and spent all the time in bed, sleeping a lot.
After a week or so (c. day 29) I started improving day by day, and on day 37 I remember telling my consultant that I felt much better. By this stage I was up pottering around the house much of the time but still needing naps.
By day 60 I felt more energetic, and able to do more, although I still tired more quickly than normal.
By day 80 I was raring to get back to ‘normal life’, which I couldn’t as I still had low neutrophils, but I’d more or less stopped naps, resumed cooking, washing tasks- not so much cleaning (& as I write this I realise that my husband still 3 years later often does the hoovering!!). There were cleaning tasks that I worried were potential infection risks, if you can afford to get a cleaner to help for two or three months after the SCT that would overcome that risk.
On day 100 I got the ok to go on holiday (the joys of pre COVID days) & went off for what proved an active ‘normal’ holiday on day 102.
I am aware that I had a relatively easy ride through SCT. I did not have mucositis, the sore mouth that can accompany the procedure, & very little sickness compared to some.
I know someone who had a first transplant when her partner was alive & felt able to have another once she was living alone. It really is not impossible, but it would make life easier if you could identify someone to stay with you for the first week or so after discharge (which will be an unpredictable date, so some flexibility would be necessary).
Jane
tony642 2 years, 2 months ago.
lilib.
