What does being a caregiver for a leukemia patient who has just received a stem cell transplant involve?

Be aware of infections. Patient will be followed closely by doctor, many visits per week. Patient should wear a mask if their WBC/ANC is less then 1,000. Be aware of bleeding. If patient is bruising, gums bleed when brushing teeth, platlets are probally low. Also, patient feeling Shortness of breath. Could be from very low hemaglobin. If the patient has had a stem cell transplant and they had a allogeneic transplant. They will be on immunosupressives for an extended period of time. Immunospressives tend to elevate blood sugars. If patient becomes steroid induce diabetic, be aware of low and high blood sugars. Patient should stay away from fresh fruits and veggies until cleared by doc. ( full of bacteria) These are some warning signs of potiential problems. But, like I said they will have daily doctors visits after release from hospital. You may email me if you need to/

First off, having good handwashing skills is a must. Patients with Leukemia & Cancer have VERY low immune systems, so they get sick very easily. You need to be very strict with handwashing and keeping germs at bay. You must also be cautious of taking care of them when you might be feeling under the weather. Being patient with them as they recover is another thing. No one can completely understand unless you've been there, but having empathy for the patient is very important. You can expect they might be very sick from the treatments/medications. They might be short with you, but thats usually because they feel so poorly. You're doing a very good thing by helping someone in that situation, so kudos to you.

order this book

http://www.bmtinfonet.org/transplanthand...


look here also;
http://www.marrow.org/PATIENT/Caregiving...

http://www.marrow.org/PATIENT/Plan_Life_...

http://www.marrow.org/PATIENT/Plan_Life_...