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Returning to Everyday LifeIn time, most people who go through a bone marrow or cord blood transplant (also called a BMT) return to many of the old activities of their everyday life. Some people resume activities quickly, but for many people it is a slow process. Most deal with some problems along the way. The important thing to know is that most transplant survivors can have a good life, but that life may be different than life before transplant. Returning to work or schoolMost transplant survivors are able to return to work or school. Some go back to these activities as soon as six to nine months after transplant. Many need a full year before they are ready to go back to these activities. Some people need even longer. You and your doctor will talk about when the time is right for you to return to work or school. It will depend on your immune system, whether you have graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) or other complications, and how much energy you have.Many transplant survivors have much less energy than usual for a long time. If this is a problem for you, perhaps you can go back to work or school part-time. It may help to ease back into old responsibilities a little bit at a time so you do not take on more than you can handle. If your work is physically demanding or puts you at higher risk for infection (such as construction work or working with animals), you may need to wait longer before returning. Or you may need to think about finding a different kind of job, at least for a while. Special concerns for children post-transplantChildren may be able to return to school between six to 12 months after transplant. Until your child returns to school, you can make plans with the school to keep your child involved in his or her schoolwork. Your child may be eligible for special programs through school. You may be able to arrange a home tutor for your child. When it is time to go back to school, contact your hospital social worker, nurse or school counselor for resources. They may have videos, written materials or other ideas to make going back to school easier for your child.Resuming household responsibilitiesJust as it takes time before you are strong enough to go back to work or school, it will take time before you can do other tasks you used to do. When you first return home, someone else will probably need to do all or most of the cooking, cleaning, shopping, pet care, yard work and other household tasks. If you have young children, you may not be ready to handle childcare for a while, either. If you used to do many of these things, this can be hard for everyone. Some changes may be permanent, but in time, most transplant survivors are able to take on most of the tasks they did before.Dealing with limitationsIn the first months at home, you may still have many limitations. For example, you:
Dealing with these limitations can be stressful for you and for those close to you. Ask for support when you need it. It is important to manage the emotional changes and social challenges of life post-transplant. Remember that most of these limitations will go away in time. Your lifestyle can help you grow stronger so you will be able to do more. After the first year or so, most transplant survivors say their life is good, sometimes even better than before their transplant. Nevertheless, many transplant survivors continue to face some challenges for a long time after their transplant. For more information, see Managing Long-Term Effects of Transplant. |
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