← Return to My Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT/SCT) story: Will you share yours?

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Sounds wonderful. 2 if my 3 sisters were originally against a transplant even though in the end I was given no choice nordid they do the stem cell harvesting which the Mayo doctor was surprised at. Even my two coaches through the crowd had that done. They used my age. Even though I have consistently good labs for glucose, liver, kidneys and we were often biking 20 miles or so, they made that choice for me and not with me. I am happy to have a chance at Mayo. Of course they now say will be done here but now it is my choice if I attain remission and meet any other requirements there might be.

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Replies to "Sounds wonderful. 2 if my 3 sisters were originally against a transplant even though in the..."

I’m a little confused. Are you saying that 2 of your 3 sisters are against you having a stem cell transplant which could ultimately extend your life? I don’t mean to be snarky but why are they making life altering decisions for you? This is between you and your husband (your caregiver) with the final declaration being yours!
From my understanding, with your health diagnosis, is that you fall into a higher category of relapse. You’re already seeing that happen with the current progression of your disease. By your sister’s suggesting you shouldn’t follow through with a transplant, it’s almost like they’re willing to throw in the towel. But I see you as a fighter who wants to enjoy her retirement with her husband! And if this is a way to increase that quality of life and life expectancy then this is what you’ll do. It’s just a little detour on the journey of the rest of your life.

I’m curious though about why they feel this way. Risk? Well, life holds no guarantees even with a transplant but you know for certain that this remission you’re trying to achieve won’t last. With a transplant you’ll have a greater chance of longevity. Again, with using your own cells you don’t have the risk of graft vs host to deal with so recovery is quicker and so is your hospital stay. You’re in great physical shape and there were no Red Flags for the team at Mayo.
I think in this case knowledge is power. So please, from now on, YOU take charge of these decisions along with your husband and doctors. If you have this done at Mayo, you’ll be part of your own team. You make decisions with your doctor and team. You’ll have educational classes, and pre-transplant testing all designed to make your experience as successful as possible.
Your sisters should be thrilled you have this option in front of you, right? What do you think?