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Post allogeneic stem cell transplant (SCT) Digestive Issues
Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) & CAR-T Cell Therapy | Last Active: Jan 15, 2023 | Replies (8)Comment receiving replies
Update: Mark had an upper and lower GI scopes on January 6 and on January 9 we received the results of the biopsies; he does have gut GVHD grade 1. That evening he began having severe diarrhea and vomiting along with extreme stomach pain so, after speaking with the outpatient clinic staff at 1230am, we went to the emergency department. After an abdominal CT showed a partial bowel obstruction, he was admitted to the hospital for evaluation and treatment for a day and a half. It seems his gut GVHD has caused inflammation which affected his whole bowel system, yikes. He is now on a high dose of Prednisone to treat it and he is on soft foods through the weekend. He is feeling much better! Still has diarrhea and we do know this will likely continue post SCT for a while. The photo attached was taken on Saturday, January 14 on a 45 minute walk. As you can see by his smile, he is feeling much better! Thank you all for your insight! Jamie
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Hi Jamie and Mark! What a wonderful smile! It’s the smile that comes when you realize you turned the corner! 😊 You’re more than halfway through the 100 days!
It’s not at all unusual for gut GVHD and it’s one of the most common early side effects from the transplant. Now that Mark’s getting the prednisone that will allow things to settle down. Time for some healing so he can get on with his life!
Almost all of us with an allogenic stem cell transplant will have some skirmishes with gvhd while the new immune system learns not to be so combative with its host. The new system will start recognizing the proteins in Mark’s body and eventually they (body and new cells) will learn to play well together. 😅
In the meantime, it can be like stomping out little fires. There may be skin blemishes, or aches and pains, tummy issues, etc. Just keep notes of changes and if any seem to be increasing then report them. Nothing is too large or too small to report. My transplant team used to joke about wanting to know if I got a new hangnail.
During the first 100 days small things can get out of control quickly and are considered acute graft vs host disease events. After that time, gvhd tends to come on more slowly, sometimes with vague symptoms.
A cautionary note: Be mindful of the sun. Being on immunosuppressants greatly increases chances of skin cancer. A sunburn at this stage of recovery can bring on skin gvhd. For the same reason, masking is still important outside if there is a risk of fungal infection. Lung gvhd can develop quickly. Don’t mean to nag but these are some of the biggest precautions we need to take and the most critical in the first 100 days. Anything that is an irritant or inflammatory such as sunburn can have the new immune system aggressively responding.
Mark’s smile is just radiant! I know that feeling. It’s almost giddy! If you have a dog and it gets the zooms…that’s the feeling! A 45 minute walk at this stage of recovery is awesome! Giving you an elbow bump and a high five… Welcome to your life as a chimera! 🧬