Hi Adelaide
My husband had his transplant just over three weeks ago. He has Light Chain myeloma. Like yours he was in hospital for about three weeks too. His appetite finally seems to be coming back a little which makes things easier. His energy is coming back slowly too. He slept a lot at first. His progress seems good with blood counts rising slowly.
We’ve been told it won’t be until the 100 day after transplant point when they will do a bone marrow biopsy and get the results of that, that we get an ‘outcome’. I hadn’t realised before the transplant how long it would be after it before you get any sort of answer, so there is a sense of limbo. I wish I had known before as then we would have been more prepared I think. But we are now concentrating on taking the time to let him get stronger slowly and steadily.
Hi Mervyn
All the best for your transplant in July. Adelaide’s advice about transplant is all good. My husband actually just slept a lot (he had loads of things with him, PC with games, audio books etc. which he barely touched) so don’t be surprised or worried if you don’t feel much like bothering with doing anything. Just try and do all the hygiene stuff they suggest.
One transplant tip is that when they give you the Melphalan make sure you get ice lollies to suck as it is supposed to help for some reason. Although my husband lost his appetite he didn’t get the dreaded mouth ulcers.
By the way one consolation if you are on G-CSF injections between priming and harvest and you get bad bone pain, is apparently that it can be one good sign that harvest will go well. (It doesn’t mean it won’t go well if you don’t get bone pain). The run up to transplant seemed like quite an intense period with lots of appointments. Best of luck with everything.
Sarah
