It’s very normal to feel overwhelmed with your diagnosis and the need for a BMT. I know the feeling! The BMT process can have its little challenges but well worth the effort to have the opportunity to be in a durable remission.

There is a time commitment for the transplant. Each clinic will have their own protocol. Some institutions treat in-patient, where you are in the hospital for several weeks, then released to an offsite lodging for another few weeks of recovery before going home. I was at Mayo-Rochester where we’re requested to reside within 30 minutes from the clinic for about 100 days or so. I was an ‘out-patient’ for most of the time. My husband and I relocated to a hotel suite for 4 months. You’ll find out more when you have a conference with your transplant doctor.

Once accepted for transplant, your transplant doctor will order blood work for DNA analysis to pair you with a bone marrow donor on the registry. Once there’s a donor match found…the process begins.

You’re fortunate to be near two larger clinics. You might want to do some checking to see which clinic would be a better fit for you and what they offer for requirements of stay and followup care. Your BMT team will be your lifeline for quite a while. One little note that I will share is that it would be good to find out the followup schedules for post transplant patients. I know of some clinics stop following patients within a year or two. From my experience at Mayo, I’m relieved to know that I am a patient for life and will continue to have annual follow-ups with my transplant doctor. If there are ever issues, he and my team are still my lifeline. That brings a level of comfort for me and my husband.

Have you had a bone marrow biopsy yet? Has there been genetic sequencing to see if there is a mutation involved in your diagnosis?