Hi @drgehl05 I had an Allogenic bone marrow transplant and honey was definitely off the table until I was fully off my immunosuppressants at around the 2.5 year mark. As you mentioned, honey, even if it says pasteurized doesn’t mean it was heated to a specific temperature to kill spores and bacteria. It has more to do with extending the shelf life of the product to keep it from crystallizing.

When your SCT or Car T is relatively recent, your immune system is highly compromised and it’s not up to fighting off an infection. So it’s crucial to avoid anything which would potential be a source of illness, whether intestinal, lung, cuts, etc.
All deli food, especially ‘wet meats’ such as cold cuts are off limits for fear of listeria. All fruits and veggies must be thoroughly washed and peeled. Even bananas need to be washed before peeling or cutting through them. I wasn’t able to eat salads for several months! That was tough!!
As @grandpabob mentioned, gardening, potting plants, or even having fresh flowers in the house or hospital rooms are not allowed for the possibly of fungus, molds and bacterial infections. This isn’t forever.
Masking is also a way of life, especially in the first few months…even while walking outside or sitting in a car with the AC, my team advised me to wear a mask because of the potential for exposure to mold and fungal infections.
Anything time we get ill initially in our transplant journey, it sets us up for the potential for longterm graft vs host disease…which we want to avoid at all cost!
Usually at the time of either of these procedures there are educational classes for the recipient and their caregivers. Are you or a family member going to receive a stem cell transplant or have the Car T procedure?

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