Hi tlgreen12605
I had a sct in Jan 2016. I was diagnosed with stage 2 igg kappa mm in July 2015.
After initial treatment of Velcade injections 2 times a week, oral cytoxin and dexamethsone 1 time a week and I was on a bone strengthening clinical trial between zometa and xgeva so I received both one was the real drug and the other a placebo, and monthly IVIG infusion. At that time they placed the Hickman Cather for my chemo and to harvest the stem cells. I had testing done mid December 2015 to see if I could tolerate the sct. I could but had too many mm cancer cells still circulating so my transplant Dr. At the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha Ne has me do a 3 day 24 hr chemo infusion as an inpatient at the hospital. After that I had to take the growth factor shots daily for 7 or 11 days (I can’t remember). After that I went to the Nebraska Med Center and they did the harvesting. I believe they had scheduled me for 3 days to harvest but they actually collected enough for 3 transplants the first appointment. ( I am glad I finally got to be an overachiever lol)
I then was admitted to the hospital and given the chemo mephlan. The first 7 days were great but after that is when your blood counts go down and I got really sick.
I hesitate to tell anyone about my experience but I got severe c -diff, got heart failure.
I was in the hospital 24 days then went home. I was extremely swollen with fluid, couldn’t eat cause the mephlan caused sores in my esophagus plus I couldn’t smell or taste. I went into a local hospital 2 weeks after I came home for 1 week then 2 weeks later I was in for another week but that time they gave me the correct antibiotics for the pneumonia and after that it was onwards and upwards. I went back to work mid May 2016. Even though I had those bad side effects I am glad I had it. I was in remission from Jan 2016 till July 2022. I have been on velcade and then changed to ninlaro. Now I have what they call a biochemical relapse. They are watching the m spike and my kappa light chains and will change my meds once they reach a certain number.I don’t want to scare you because even after all that I would do it again. Not everyone has those side effects. My mm specialist believes it was chemo overload. But since I am 70 she said she wouldn’t do another sct but I would be a candidate for the car-t cell transplant.

I would have a discussion with your oncologist and see what he/she recommends.
Hope this helps and doesn’t scare you
CAT