Bone Marrow Transplant - Please give me hope.

My dad has AML (acute myeloid leukemia). He has been in the hospital for 2 months now. He made it through an intensive round of chemo and it worked. No cancer cells in his bone marrow.

BUT, he doesnt have any healthy cells either. Its been 6 weeks since he went through chemo and he has no white cells, platelets and hardly and red blood cells.

Its the white cells we are worried about. He gets fevers every day and night and has been on antibotics for almost 2 months now. Luckily he has made it through all this but now the doctors told him this morning he might need a BMT (bone marrow transplant) because he isnt producing any healthy cells. Ultimately, he would die without healthy cells.

If you know of any, can you please share some good stories about BMTs. It would really make us feel better. Oh, my dad is 61 and is not a spring chick anymore.


Thanks

Message edited 11/26/2007 12:56:13 PM.

Re: Bone Marrow Transplant - Please give me hope.

I don't know anything about BMTs but wanted to give you lots of

Re: Bone Marrow Transplant - Please give me hope.

I never had any experience with BMT. I just wanted to send you some and many that your dad gets all the help he needs and is feeling better soon.

Re: Bone Marrow Transplant - Please give me hope.

I don't know anything about BMTs either - but wanted to offer you my thoughts and prayers. My Dad is fighthing cancer right now and I know how much of an emotional roller coaster it is for family members. I hope everything goes well!!

Re: Bone Marrow Transplant - Please give me hope.

I don't know anything about them, either but

Re: Bone Marrow Transplant - Please give me hope.

I don't know of any but just wanted to give you some and

Re: Bone Marrow Transplant - Please give me hope.

First off



I wound up taking an immunology class and did a lot of research on AML. BMTs are successful for many people who have AML. I wish I had a personal success story to share with you..

Many to your dad for a successful recovery.

Message edited 11/26/2007 1:06:44 PM.

Re: Bone Marrow Transplant - Please give me hope.

Please feel free to FM if you'd like to talk or would like to know more details of my aunt's experiences with a BMT. There IS hope. My aunt's BMT gave her a lot more time than she otherwise would have had. (Unfortunately, unlike your dad, she still had some cancer cells and is no longer with us today. BUT the BMT gave her so much more time and extends most people's lifespans by 5-10+ years, especially if all the cancer cells are gone!) My aunt had breast cancer which spread to her bones.

The process is extremely scary, but worth it. I just want you to be prepared: My aunt lost a LOT of weight during the BMT (she was 5'3" and down to about 85-90 pounds). She was in the hospital for a very long time and felt awful. She didn't eat much (didn't feel like it) and was very weak. During the transplant (which took more than a month in her case), she looked and felt awful... but once it was over, she gained the weight back, was back to driving, socializing, and doing the things she loved to do. She developed neuropothy (loss of sensation / tingling feeling) in one of her legs which never went away. This was a very common thing at the time my aunt went through the procedure, but I'm not sure if things / procedures have changed since then.

My aunt wasn't young either, but she was a fighter.

I'm so sorry to hear this. I'll be praying for your family - GOOD LUCK!! Please feel free to FM if you want to talk!

Message edited 11/26/2007 1:27:17 PM.

Re: Bone Marrow Transplant - Please give me hope.

I'm no help, but I hope my prayers will.

Re: Bone Marrow Transplant - Please give me hope.

Ah, do I have a story!!!

My co-worker was at jury duty where they show a video about becoming a bone marrow donor. It featured Terry Farrell - a Dix Hills/FDNY firefighter who donated bone marrow and saved a little girl's life. He died 9/11.

The co-worker was actually from the same town as he was and they had siblings in the same age range, so he knew of him. This inspired him to sign up to be a donor right then and there at jury duty.

A few years later he got a call that he was a match for someone! And that was over a year ago, he's spoken to his recipient several times and she's doing amazing!!


I hope that is somewhat inspiring!!

On a strange side note, since November 2001 I've been carrying an article from Newsday about Terry Farrell and the girl he saved in my wallet. At the time (holiday 2001), I googled both his family and the girl's and sent them Christmas gifts ... weird connection!!

Re: Bone Marrow Transplant - Please give me hope.

This article is about my college professor and mentor - it was a hard, long road for him, but ultimately it was a great success:

BMT article

Re: Bone Marrow Transplant - Please give me hope.

DH's cousin had AML. She could not find a bone marrow match so she received a stem cell transplant instead. So far it's considered a success although she continues to deal with the after effects of her aggressive treatments.
Here's her blog:

http://www.matchlindsey.org/

Re: Bone Marrow Transplant - Please give me hope.

Re: Bone Marrow Transplant - Please give me hope.

No experience...but

Re: Bone Marrow Transplant - Please give me hope.

I am a BMT Nurse, most recently working at NYP hospital in NYC. FM me with any questions or just if you need someone to listen.

Re: Bone Marrow Transplant - Please give me hope.

No info but many hugs to you

Re: Bone Marrow Transplant - Please give me hope.

Posted by sunflower13

I am a BMT Nurse, most recently working at NYP hospital in NYC. FM me with any questions or just if you need someone to listen.

Re: Bone Marrow Transplant - Please give me hope.

First, hugs to you and your family.

There are many success stories but like others have said it can be a long recovery process. I am a BMT nurse also in the cty so if you have any questions let me know.

Re: Bone Marrow Transplant - Please give me hope.

DH's cousin had APL. He went into remission with chemo the first time, relapsed, then did an aggressive treatment of arsenic trioxide (I think). After that, he had a BMT. He's been cancer free for over a year now.

Many prayers for your dad..

Re: Bone Marrow Transplant - Please give me hope.

Jenny I have no experiences to share, but reading what the others have posted makes me feel there IS hope. It will be a long road, but we are all there for him.

If there is ANYTHING I can do for you or him just let me know. I know everyone thinks I'm so far, but I'd be there in a minute (ok 75 minutes) if you need me.

If you think he'd like vistors I'll be there. I don't go because my mom tells me it seems that he doesn't really want company (meaning anyone other than you guys and his sister's.)

Re: Bone Marrow Transplant - Please give me hope.

Re: Bone Marrow Transplant - Please give me hope.

Re: Bone Marrow Transplant - Please give me hope.

I have a great BMT story!!!!!!! My parents are good friends with another couple and the wife had to have a BMT. She had a huge b-day party in the hospital pre surgery - saying that she was now going to refer to her transplant day as her new b-day. She had a long recovery but she is 100% better!!!!!! She wanted to thank her donor personally - but you have to wait a year before you can send a card or anything. She's jewish and recently found out that her donor is a rabbinical student in Israel - they communicate a few times a year and she feels truly blessed to have had the opportunity for the transplant.

I've been in the donor registry for over a decade but I've never been called. I hope to be called one day. I would recommend your family members get their blood tested so see if any of them are matches. The chances are much higher that a match would come from a member of the family.

Prayers to you and your family during this time.

Re: Bone Marrow Transplant - Please give me hope.

Re: Bone Marrow Transplant - Please give me hope.