The recovery for patients who have had an allogeneic transplant is longer than the recovery for patients who received an autologous transplant due to the increased number of side effects that these patients may experience. Side effects that can be expected include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, loss of appetite, infections and graft versus host disease. Patients may require admission or readmission to the hospital for management of these side effects. The first thirty days following allogeneic transplant, patients should expect to be seen in the clinic 2-3 times per week. Some patients may need more frequent clinic visits if their condition requires close monitoring. Treatment of side effects that may require frequent clinic visits include graft versus host disease, intravenous fluids if you are not able to take in enough fluids orally, and intravenous antibiotics for active infections. Close monitoring is very important, as transplant patients may become ill very quickly during this period.
From thirty days until approximately the hundredth day after transplant patients are usually seen 1-2 times a week in the clinic, and possibly more often. This period can be unsettling to both patients and families as there are many unknown and new experiences. Patients undergoing an allogeneic transplant should expect the recovery period to last at least a year and, depending on the side effects experienced following the transplant, it may last longer.