Anyone hire help to stay with you during bone marrow transplant?

What exactly do you want the person to do for you? A sitter is just there to make sure you’ve got someone available but maybe limited assistance.

Is this for home or while you’re in the hospital?

Not sure they allow someone in the room while you’re vulnerable to infection. Sorry not more helpful but you might ask your medical team about it.

@loribeyerlein. From my personal experience with a bone marrow transplant (BMT) Mayo-Rochester, you’ll be required to have a full time caregiver 24/7 for the 100 days that you’re in Rochester.

While having the transplant you will actually be an out-patient and will only be in the hosptial a short time for a few days before the transplant and then sent ‘home’ to your lodging. So a caregiver is required to make sure you are not alone during recovery, they have to accompany you to your daily appointments at the clinic for followups, help with your food prep, that type of thing. The first couple of weeks you’ll be very fatigued, weak and not feeling well so it’s imperative someone is with you to make sure you’re able to be up and around, steady on your feet, etc.

Right off hand I don’t know of any services who provide 24/7 caregiving. But I think a good source could be the Mayo Concierge service office.
Phone: 507-538-8438
Live Chat: https://www.mayoclinic.org/patient-visitor-guide
Email: concierge@mayo.edu
Web form: https://www.mayoclinic.org/patient-visitor-guide/minnesota/becoming-a-patient/concierge-travel-services

Hopefully there are some other BMT who have some suggestions for you. Also, I know of other transplant patients who have had tag-teams of family members doing rotations if one dedicated person isn’t available. Would this be an option for you?

Thank you so much ! I’m putting together a list of family and a few friends to cover 3 1/2 months but was trying to find a back up plan if I needed a certain week covered . Many of the agencies I was given charge hourly + are way to expensive for a week . Trying to find more reasonable help thank you

@leslie2121 I’m staying at gift of life house in the fall . I have to have someone stay with me there 24/7 they have a second bed for them . Want to cover one week during my time there with outside help that stays with me for a week . Gets me meals laundry goes to my clinic appts with me as required .

I underwent a stem cell transplant in November 2020. This was during the pandemic shut down. I went home in December. I was alone and my children or I would order meals or anything I needed online. I had no one with me. But I am very independent and follow instructions to the T. Good luck.

@loribeyerlein
I had no one at first in April 2024. None of my three local siblings could help. I priced out professional and at 24 hours, it was super costly in Southern California.
I then asked a good friend who asked if she could tell this circle of friends. I know 3 of those friends live alone and have guest rooms. What i found out is many people are concerned with such commitment.
In the end, my 1sstfrind called me and said i could stay with her. At that time, City of Hope did 30 in the hospital and 70 out. I stayed at my friends about 73 days of the 100 days.
I hope a friend or family will fill in the gaps. (I let my friend and that circle hear that without her, I could not have my transplant.

Very interesting and helpful post. I'm glad you posted this, as it put me on alert to research options in my local area.

I know my one sibling who lives 2-1/2 hrs away wouldn't do a stint this long. She accompanied me to my bone marrow biopsy but left as soon as she brought me home.

Hi @nancycecilia Welcome to Mayo Connect! I'm sure having your SCT during the pandemic added an extra layer of anxiety. It must have been a hugely lonely time for you during recovery! I had my transplant the year before and was just getting to the point where I was able to be out in public without a mask. Then zingo, everyone else had to mask too! 😉

I'm so glad to hear you're doing well now and back to normal. Following the directions of our transplant teams to 'the letter' can make all the difference in the world to the successful outcome.

If you don't mind sharing a little more about yourself, what had you requiring the stem cell transplant? Was this using your own cells or did you have a donor?

@nancycecilia the Mayo Clinic requires you to stay there for 100 days and you are required to have someone with you 24/7 or you can’t have a bone marrow transplant at the Mayo Clinic . I want to have it there .

@loribmt I was diagnosed with leukemia CMML. Because of my genetic mutations it bumped me up to high risk of urgent need for a bone marrow transplant . They are using donor cells can’t use mine . Going thru the match process now . My Son is back up . Mayo is the only place that could diagnose me . So I feel very fortunate about that .