What I learned about my father's stem cell transplant today

[Mike 03]

This kinda pissed me off. And made me sad.

I ordered a pack of just nice stuff for him from Lance Armstrong's cancer society, like a warm hat (because he'll lose his hair), and a blanket, and a scarf, a bag, and just some stuff like that.

Also, I'd pulled aside a few books with hilarious passages and hilighted them to read to him when I visited him that I knew would crack him up.

But...

He can't have ANYTHING like that around him for three weeks. In fact, I probably won't be able to visit him. He can't even have any books to read, unless they are shipped brand new. He can't eat any vegetables. He will be so vulnerable to disease/infection following this stem cell transplant that it will be perilous for him to be exposed to nearly anything from the outside world.

Sorry to dump this here. This is the closest thing I have to a journal, and also I thought maybe anybody else who either has a cancer or knows someone who has a cancer requiring autologous stem cell transplant might be interested in this.

It makes me sad, and my eyes are tearing up as I write this. I just worry he will feel so alone.

Have any of you here had ASCT or known someone who has?

What did you (or they) most want/need during that time?

[GardeningGal]

1. It sounds like what they do for bone marrow transplants.

I have no experience with either but I know in the case of bone marrow transplants the patient is essentially quarantined because the chemo they undergo to kill off all the bad stuff before the transplant pretty much kills off their immune system as well.

Not sure what people do to fight the boredom. Maybe the hospital can give some guidance?