Recovery is a phased process that can take weeks or months. Most patients report feeling tired after a transplant. Patients must meet certain criteria to be discharged from the hospital. For example, patients must be free of fever for 48 hours and be able to withhold medication.
It depends on the type of stem cell transplant you are undergoing. People who have autologous stem cell transplants usually recover in about two months. Knowing that stem cell transplants have only about a 50% chance of working again after the procedure, Dr. In a recent study in which they evaluated cancer survivors' experience of transitioning to work after a stem cell transplant, the authors found that “only 53% of patients had returned to work at a median of 3 years.
In addition, the study surveyed patients who received autologous (the patient receives their own stem cells) and allogeneic stem cell transplants (stem cells received from a compatible donor). If you receive a stem cell transplant, your provider may use your own healthy stem cells or donated stem cells. This is particularly true for patients with blood cancers who receive stem cell transplants as part of their treatment and spend weeks or months in the hospital to receive and recover from this lifesaving therapy. A stem cell transplant can treat and sometimes cure certain blood disorders, cancers and autoimmune diseases.
This may be followed by a stem cell transplant, which is a 100-day commitment and, in some cases, requires living away from home. The biggest risk is that you will undergo the procedure and that the transplanted stem cells will not be able to delay or eliminate the disease. If you're thinking about having a stem cell transplant, talk to your healthcare provider about the potential risks and benefits. After chemotherapy or radiation therapy, the doctor injects these cells into the patient's bloodstream, where they form more blood cells.
While there is specific research for patients with breast, colon and prostate cancer, “there is much less data in the literature about the experience of stem cell transplant patients who want to return to work,” explains Dr. During the transplant procedure, stem cells or bone marrow are infused into the patient's bloodstream through a catheter. Cancer Pathways is a Seattle-based organization that provides programs and support to all cancer survivors, including stem cell transplant survivors. Bone marrow and stem cell transplants can have several side effects before the procedure, soon after, and later.
That's when the greatest risks can be significantly reduced and stem cells have started to do their job. A trusted caregiver for a bone marrow or stem cell transplant recipient is critical to the recovery process.
