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Awaiting 2nd Transplant
Hi, It’s been a long time since I posted as my husband finally got remission on his 3rd round of chemo. We have been to see about his second transplant after 16.5 yrs of being in remission from AML but the statistics aren’t great. I’m just wondering if anyone else have any success stories as we were beginning to become positive and now feeling kicked back down. They have given us a 20% of success.
Comments
Hello Beaglegirl
It sounds like your both facing a challenging time at the moment. It is always a huge knock back to find you or a loved one needs a second stem cell transplant. Especially after 16.5 years in remission. I'm early on in my SCT recovery and disease remission, however there will be others here that can give some valuable insight into there experience around second SCT'S after a long remission period.
I hope you can find some insight or discussion that is helpful.
Please keep in contact with us here on the forum or via our Anthony Nolan telephone support team.
Best wish
Michelle
(Online Community champion)
HI Beaglegirl, it's good to get an update from you.
I know it's probably hard to feel positive but to me, the good thing is that your husband has been put back into remission which sounds like a good starting point. Hopefully he can stay that way and the second transplant will keep him that way.
I know your husbands case with relapse after so long is probably unusual and there may not be many on here that can give you insight into relapse so long after a transplant. But there are plenty here who have had second transplants at a shorter post transplant stage and they will hopefully be able to give you some idea of the experience of the process.
Try not to think about the statistics and the 20%. Statistics are there to be challenged and beaten and that is the attitude I would take into the process. Try and stay positive that this will work, beat the cancer and give your husband long term survival. As always we are here to support you and help you through the journey and we are all rooting for your husband and you. Please keep us updated and ask any questions you need to. If you need to let off steam and share your thoughts we are here for you, as are the Anthony Nolan team, who you can contact directly.
Wishing you and your hsuband all the best,
Steve
Hello
What a hugely, hugely worrying time for you both. I’m so sorry that the transplant has ‘failed’ after all this time. The only thing I can add is to comment on Steve’s post above, re survival rates. In the run-up to my SCT for AML nearly 7 years ago (!!) I refused to discuss my ‘chances’ of a successful transplant. I told my transplant clinician that my success rate was either 0% or 100%. And that was all I was prepared to focus on. I do think not knowing (then) took away some pressure for both my family and me. I don’t know if that could help in your situation, even though you already have some figures in your head. (Btw my clinician told me when I was finally discharged from their clinic that my success rate had been assessed as 35-40%).
I wish you all the very best for the coming weeks and months.
Meerkat