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Reduced intensity BMT
Hi friends,
I am being worked up for SCT for MDS B2. Because of my age (70), I will be getting a ‘reduced intensity’ chemo regimen pre-transplant. I had breast cancer 17 years ago. Had chemo & radiation then, so no radiation pre-transplant. Dr said regular pre-transplant regimen would ‘kill me’. So it has to be reduced intensity.
When I met with my Dr last week, he said he thinks I will handle the chemo & transplant okay. What he is MOST worried about is relapse. And if I were to relapse, the outlook would not be good. There would be ‘little or nothing’ that could be done.
Well, ever since that appointment, I have been depressed & scared. I had a pretty good attitude going into this. Now instead of feeling positive, I’m consumed with worrying about a relapse! And I refuse to believe there is little or nothing that can be done if a relapse were to occur.
Has anyone or know of anyone who has had reduced intensity chemo before SCT? I just need some encouraging words. Thank you!
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Keep us posted. Yes, we are never alone & that is so important to remember.
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2 ReactionsThinking of you this morning, Diane, as you enter the action-packed week ahead of your BMT on Aug 8. I can sure appreciate the wide range of emotions you’re feeling right now…the same as you’d be having if you were taking the adventure of a life time. And basically, you are! ☺️
Please keep me posted along your journey! Have you been admitted yet?
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2 ReactionsHi Lori! Well my admission date was changed to the 15th to accommodate the donor.
Meanwhile, I got results just today on the last biopsy from July 23rd. It was completely clear & healthy looking! The bad cells that were there before are gone.
Praise God & the best part? It’s my birthday! Best gift ever!!
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2 ReactionsWell, happy, Happy Birthday, Diane!!! 💕 Having a clean biopsy is the best gift ever!!!
Next year at this time you’ll have 2 birthdays to
celebrate! August 3rd for your grand entrance on the planet and sometime after the 15th for your Re-Birth day ‘cell-ebration’. Double the gifts. Tee hee.
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3 ReactionsYes!! Love it!
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2 Reactionsdavi0937
I was on tacro for 80 days only coming in with MDS and not AML. At 1 year the only thing i was left on was Acyclovir. It is to prevent, herpes and chicken pox and shingles. I think those are it. They check your blood numbers. When mine improved for my liver i was taken off ursodiol.
There are many, many people in the Be a Match world. I met a black woman on the transplant floor during my stay, and she was amazed she had a 10/10 match from Europe like I did. Her results were going well too in her first 30 days. I told her we never will never know who was slept who over the generations in Europe. Lucky for us to get perfect matches.
I do not remember if you posted where your BMT would be done, but Mayo has you stay close and come in the first days. At City of Hope where i was i was in the hospital it was to be for 30 days on the transplant floor until my blood numbers were steady. Theni went to my friend's house who was close to COH for the next 70 days.
At 1 year we go through a survivorship set of follow-ups. I asked my Dr if i have another BMB and he said no. You are done, unless you want one!!!
Lori writes such profound messages, you feel like she is there with you in the process. She talked of my new cells being minions and when i got the dose of melphalan chemo that clears out our marrow of our cells, I watched the Minions!!! I had never watched it. Here i want to see during the chemo infusions, they gave me ice cubes and popsicles to keep my mouth frozen for the one hour of the infusion. It was to prevent mouth sours. For me it worked, I sucked on the ice and popsicles and have never had mouth sours.
I HAVE RARELY HAD THE SIDE EFFECTS DURING MY BREAST CANCER AND THEN MY BONE MAROOW TRANSPLANT. Your body will let you know what it will do. I have remaining neuropathy in my feet and hands. I tried never to read the side effects before and infusions. I talked to my infusion nurses to see what most people tell them happens.
This is a place i have found continues to provide insight and hope during a fearful time. We walk through the fear and amazingly find ourselves on the other side.
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2 ReactionsMy husband had reduced intensity chemo last August before his all stem cell transplant. He was 74 and had endured very intense chemo ten years ago to treat CLL (in fact, his transplant doctor feels the earlier chemo caused the MDS that necessitated transplant).
It seems to have done the job. For several months after transplant his own cells were stubbornly hanging on in the T cell line, creating a “mixed chimerism.” This meant he had to have a “boost” of donor cells (donor lymphocyte infusion). His anonymous international donor very kindly and generously donated again, and the DLI did the job to bring in a complete chimerism.
We trusted our brilliant doctor and the team at Mayo Rochester every step of the way. And “reduced intensity” was still VERY INTENSE.
Best of luck to you, we are so thankful for the miracle of this new life.
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7 ReactionsThank you for sharing. Very encouraging!