Start of my stem cell journey 0.3.1 ambulatory care

[Grizly]

I have been offered Ambulatory Care (treatment in a specialised day unit) for my stem cell transplant has anyone else gone through this process?

[Scaredy_cat]

Really?!! I find this difficult to understand. Once your own immune system has been knocked out and until the donor's cells have kicked in, you are extremely vulnerable. I was in a special position pressure individual room for several weeks. Are you having an allogeneic stem cell transplant for myelofibrosis?

[Otterfield]

I am also baffled by this. At Southampton all transplant patients are in private rooms where the air is constantly filtered. I was not able to leave until my neutrophils reached a certain level because we are extremely vulnerable to all kinds of infections after transplant. Leaving the hospital at any time was out of the question. I was in for seven weeks.

[MFBMT2011]

My first 5/6 days were in a form of ambulatory care while I stayed nearby. I had chemo and could then do what I wanted. However once I got close to the conditioning stage I stayed in. Maybe that is what they have in mind.

[Grizly]

they told me I would be starting my conditioning which will take over a week before I start to feel unwell on one day I will have 3 types of treatment and will have to stay in overnight. I was told that if for any reason I was not happy or unwell there will always be a bed they may keep me in while I’m transplanted. I think they are playing it by ear to see how I tolerate my transplant.

[MFBMT2011]

I had Fludarabin and busulphan which were a breeze. It was Thymoglobuline (rabbit) for the last few days that flattened me.