Resources

Survivors' Guide for Bone Marrow/Stem Cell Transplant
What to Expect and How to Get Through It

Moving to the Transplant Center

Starting the treatment may evoke strong emotions. Your length of stay in the hospital will vary depending on the type of transplant you will be undergoing and your overall physical condition. In some cases the entire procedure is done on an outpatient basis and you will not be required to stay in the hospital overnight.

Patients undergoing a transplant from a donor can generally expect to stay in the hospital for four or more weeks and will need to stay in the area of the transplant center for approximately 100 days after transplant. Patients undergoing autologous transplants generally have shorter lengths of stay and, in many cases, have the entire transplant done on an outpatient basis.

The Hospital Environment

In the following section, you will find a description of a typical day during your transplant stay. It is very likely that the specific times and the details of the routine at your hospital may vary from the one described. The specific times of the activities mentioned, however, are not so important. The main point to note is that the days at the hospital are often full of activity. People will be coming in and out of your room throughout the day to check on you, to check medical equipment and to clean the room. When your energy level is low, interacting with the various members of the hospital staff that come in and out of the room and keeping up with the requirements for personal hygiene and exercise can take up a lot of your time and energy. Nevertheless, it is a good idea to have things available to do that you enjoy for the periods that you are alone and have free time and energy to spare.

A Typical Hospital Day (schedules will vary depending on patient’s condition and medical regimen).
4–6 am: A nurse enters the room to draw daily routine blood tests.
7 am: A nurse aid checks daily weight.
8 am: A nurse comes in to take vital signs (every four hours).
8:30 am: Doctors and various team members enter the room for daily rounds.
9 am: Breakfast
11 am–3 pm:

• A person from housekeeping staff cleans the room.
• A nurse aid or nurse changes the bed.
• A physician assistant comes by to review general medical condition.
• Various people from the hospital staff come in to replenish the medical supplies in the room and check the status of the medical equipment.
• A nurse comes in at various intervals to administer medication, blood products and check vital signs.
• Once a week, patients are required to have a routine chest x-ray.

Tip: Organizing a daily schedule of activities can be helpful. In addition to keeping you occupied, a daily schedule can motivate you to keep up important daily activities such as exercising and showering. During the day, you will also have the opportunity to watch movies, walk around the halls, have guests and rest. If the hospital schedule clashes with your desired schedule, discuss your preferences with a nurse to see if you can be accommodated.

Back to Survivors' Guide Main page