The SCT from my POV... (that's "stem cell transplant", in case you were wondering)

I see a lot of folks on various Myeloma forums asking about the stem cell transplant experience. The doctors and counselors tell you a lot stuff that is a bit daunting, if not downright scary. Everyone has their own experience going through this rather invasive process, so I thought I might relate my own experience from August 2015 to either allay some of those fears or to give you some ideas about what really helped me get through all of it with little discomfort, drama or trauma. 

Again, these are merely observations and suggestions. 

ICE: What's this about ice? When I was getting my chemo to wipe out my bone marrow, the nurse who sat with me during the process kept plying me with cups of ice. The reason behind the ice was to drop the temperature in my mouth so mouth sores didn't develop. I didn't develop mouth sores, but that was a great trade off for the hour or so of tingly teeth and a frozen tongue.

NAUSEA: The nurses and doctors will tell you that you will experience nausea. They also tell you they have meds that will lessen the effects of nausea, so I asked what would happen if I didn't have nausea at the moment, but wanted some meds "just in case". They told me that the meds had no detrimental effect and that taking them before the nausea occurred would just nip it in the bud before it showed up. It would take an hour or so before the meds would start working, so there was no reason to let the nausea happen. Basically, ask for them when you are awakened for a blood draw or a blood pressure check and you'll be ready to face the day when you do finally get up to start your day. Be aware of how long the meds last so you can stay on top of the dosing. Because of this I only had two occasions early on when I had vomit and it wasn't terrible. 

WALKING: I was told that I should probably walk the ward three times a day for at least 10 minutes. Because I had the nausea under control, I took advantage of the exercise room down at the end of the hall. I started out with 20 minutes on the recumbent bike and eventually graduated to a 45 minute walk on the treadmill. I would do a mid-morning session after breakfast and an evening session after dinner. If I got tired, I just took a nap after I finished. Simple as. 

HYDRATION: One of the nurses told me that it was important to stay hydrated. I asked, "how hydrated?" She told me that more is always better and that this would help push the chemo and any toxins out of my body. Great! Let's do it. So I drank a lot of water... and juice. I was probably going to the bathroom once every 15 minutes for a period of time, and while it was unpleasant to have to unplug and take my "dance partner" to the bathroom each and every time, I figured that those trips mitigated the side effects from all the meds and stuff. I figured it was a win and it worked out for me. When preparing to go through your SCT, stock up on a variety Mio- or Crystal Light-type drink mixers to take with you to the hospital. 

FOOD: This is a tricky one because I think that everyone is going to experience this differently. Certain things did turn my stomach and it wasn't the taste, but rather the smell that did it. Things that produced a lot of steam under those bonnets that covered the plates were immediately crossed off my list. I developed a nice little rotation of lunch and dinner items that worked for me. Those items generally included cheeseburgers, personal pizzas, and macaroni and cheese. If your hospital offers you a green salad or a fresh fruit cup, I suggest you take it. I was told that I would not be able to have these things, so when they showed up on my menu options, I enjoyed them as a way to stick to my regular eating habits. Cereal and milk with a fresh fruit cup was my choice for breakfast and on the days I was feeling a little more adventurous, I'd order the pancakes. 

KEEPING BUSY: Not knowing if I would have the time or energy to do anything other than sleep didn't stop me from making sure I was prepared to fill the hours in case I did. I brought my Chromebook with me and that allowed me to stream stuff on Netflix or Amazon Prime. If I fell asleep while watching, it wasn't a big deal, but it did give me options and the feeling of being at home. I also had a nice little collection of music in my phone and on a flash drive. I brought a couple books and some sketch pads, pens and pencils. I'm glad that I did this because I did end up having some time to focus on something other than just being in the hospital. If there's some activity you really enjoy, bring it with you!

HAIR LOSS: You know it's going to happen, so why delay the inevitable? I decided that buzzed hair would be easier to deal with as it fell out rather than longer hair. So, I took the clippers to my head about 3 days before heading into the hospital. This also gave me a little time to adjust to how I was going to look for a couple months until my hair decided to start growing back in. As always, I wanted to be in charge of how things were going to go. I took the clippers with me to do maintenance in case I needed it. It was fortunate that I did, because if you followed an earlier post here, you already know they came in quite handy when I had to shave my "transplant twin's" head when her hair fell out.

So, that's it. That's what I can offer you about my transplant experience and what worked for me. Other people from my support group who followed the path to SCT took the advice and did well. Additionally, they would mention me to the great staff on floor 11 at Cleveland Clinic and they remembered me by the nickname they gave me, which is "the cheerful overachiever".

Best of luck to you! Know you have my love and full support as you endeavour down this road to remission. 

LOVE TO YOU ALL!!