Preparing for a blood or marrow transplant

Being diagnosed with a serious blood cancer or disease and going through a major treatment such as transplant can be overwhelming. You may be experiencing many emotions, including grief and loss.

Notice and acknowledge your feelings, then make a plan to work through them in a healthy way that's best for you. Not talking about or ignoring your feelings can affect both your physical and emotional health. 

Before and after transplant, you and your caregiver may find it helpful to hear about other people’s experiences. Our NMDP^SM Peer Connect program can connect you with a trained volunteer who's been in your shoes. No matter where you are in the process, recipients and caregivers like you are available to talk by phone or email, sharing their experiences and tips.

Request a peer connection

Planning ahead helps you focus on getting better during your transplant and worry less about what needs to be done at home.

Here is a basic checklist to get you thinking as you prepare for transplant:

• Make a list of important phone numbers: Share a list of important contact information with your family. Include your doctors and care team, caregivers and emergency contacts.
• Write down key financial information: Keep important details about bills and accounts in one place and let your primary caregiver know where to find it.
• Talk with your bank: Ask your bank what paperwork they need to allow your family or caregiver to manage transactions on your behalf while you recover.
• Plan for bill payments and other expenses: Confirm with your caregiver and family how bills will be handled during your hospital stay and recovery. Fundraising can help with out-of-pocket expenses that insurance doesn’t cover.
• Ask for help at home: Arrange support for household chores, meals and other daily responsibilities.
• Plan for childcare: Create schedules and make clear plans for your children’s care while you’re away. Share these with your children and caregivers.
• Provide a medical release for your children: If you’re the only person who can authorize care for your children, sign a release form so a trusted family member or caregiver can give permission if needed. You can find the necessary form by contacting your pediatrician.

Find more information and checklists to help prepare for your transplant in our Allogeneic Transplant booklet.

If you need an allogeneic transplant, your doctor and care team will quickly begin searching for a donor. Your donor could be a family member, someone who isn’t related to you or an umbilical cord blood unit. 

Finding a donor can take time. Matching donors and patients for a blood or marrow transplant is much more complicated than matching blood types, and relies on genes called human leukocyte antigens (HLAs).  

Explore how your doctor finds a donor

You and your hematology/oncology doctor will work together to decide which transplant center is best for you. Use our transplant center directory to find detailed information on more than 150 transplant centers across the United States.

Explore U.S. transplant center locations

If you hope to have children in the future, it’s important to talk to your doctor before treatment starts. Chemotherapy and radiation can impact your fertility. If you’re not sure where to start, explore questions and resources to help you talk to your doctor about how treatment can impact fertility.

Fertility questions and resources

An advance directive (often called a living will) can help you be more in control of your care. It is critical for making sure your loved ones and health care team understand your treatment wishes if you’re not able to speak for yourself.

 Remember to also talk to your family and care team about your wishes so they aren’t left wondering what care you would or would not want.

Learn how to prepare an advance directive

Before transplant, you'll have doctor's appointments, tests and treatments to check your overall health and prepare your body for transplant. Our transplant timeline can help you learn more about what to expect in the days and weeks before transplant day.

Explore treatment steps leading up to BMT

You will need to stay in the hospital before and after your transplant. Getting ready for a hospital stay can feel overwhelming, but taking time to plan can ease stress for you and your loved ones. There are a few steps you can take to help you feel more prepared:

• Ask for support: Family, friends and neighbors often want to help but may not know how. Ask someone if they can help by caring for your pets or keeping an eye on the house while you’re away.
• Visit the hospital in advance: If possible, arrange a visit to the unit where you’ll be staying. Knowing what to expect can make the experience less intimidating.
• Talk with your care team: No question is too small. Ask about Wi-Fi access, meal options or visitor policies. We’ve also prepared a list of questions you can ask your doctor about your treatment decisions.
• Plan ahead: Many people need several months to recover after a transplant. Let your employer or your child’s school know about the time away and the support you’ll need when returning. 

A transplant is not surgery. Instead, the healthy cells from your donor are given to you just like a blood transfusion using your central line. A central line is a tube that’s usually placed in your chest that makes administering medications, fluids and cells easier.

You'll be in your hospital room, awake and closely monitored by your care team during the transplant. Your care team will explain what to expect and how you might feel.

The process of receiving (infusing) the new cells through your central line can range from less than an hour to a few hours. The length of time can depend on the number (volume) of cells you receive and how your body responds.

The blood stem cells will travel through your bloodstream, settle into your bone marrow and start to grow and produce new blood cells, which is called engraftment.

Learn what happens during engraftment

There are some risks surrounding a blood or marrow transplant. Your health care team can help you understand possible side effects and complications. Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is one of the most common complications after an allogeneic transplant.

GVHD happens when the healthy cells you received from your donor begin attacking your body’s cells. It’s important to recognize the signs and symptoms of GVHD so treatment can start as soon as possible.

Learn the early warning signs and symptoms of GVHD

Sometimes a blood or marrow transplant doesn’t work. Your body may not accept the donated cells (graft rejection) or the disease may come back (relapse).

Even if your transplant doesn’t work, there may still be other treatments options available, including through clinical trials.

Learn about the Jason Carter Clinical Trials Search and Support Program