Bone marrow transplant patients usually go to medical centers, or hospitals, that specialize in this treatment. Most times the patient will stay in a bone marrow transplant unit in the center to limit their chance of getting an infection.

Some patients who get autologous transplants do not have to stay in the hospital or medical center. They can get the transplant as an outpatient.

Some patients may have part of their autologous or allogeneic transplant done as an outpatient.

Most patients will be in the hospital for 4 to 6 weeks. During this time, you will be isolated and watched closely because of the increased risk of infection.

While you are in the hospital, these things may happen:

• Close monitoring of your blood and vital signs
• You may have to take antibiotics, antifungal medications, and antivrial medications to prevent or treat infection.
• You may need many blood transfusions.
• You may have to stay in a room where special things are done to prevent infection.
• You may get calories and proteins through an intravenous (IV) line until you can eat on your own, and until your diarrhea, nausea, or mouth sores have cleared up.
• You may have to take medicine to prevent graft-versus-host disease.

How well you do after transplant greatly depends on these things:

• What type of bone marrow transplant you had
• How well your donor’s cells match yours
• What type of cancer or illness you have
• Your age and overall health
• What type of chemotherapy or radiation therapy you had before your transplant
• What kind of complications happened after the transplant
• Your genetic make-up

Possible results of a bone marrow transplant are complete cure of the illness being treated, a partial cure, or death. Death may be caused by complications of the bone marrow transplant or because the transplant did not work to treat the illness.

If the transplant works, you can go back to most of your normal activities as soon as you feel well enough. Most times it takes up to 12 months to recover fully.