How to recover from a stem cell or bone marrow transplant

It can take up to a year to fully recover from a stem cell or bone marrow transplant.

Straight after the transplant, you'll stay in your own room until the transplant starts to work. This will either be in hospital or a centre nearby.

You may need to have a special diet in the first few weeks to lower the risk of getting an infection from your food.

You can usually expect to spend several weeks in hospital until your care team is sure it's safe for you to go home.

After you leave hospital, you'll have regular check-ups with your care team. These are usually weekly at first.

Your care team will:

give you medicines to protect from infections
give you medicine to stop your immune system attacking the new stem cells (if they came from a donor)
arrange for you to have blood or platelet transfusions, if your body has not started to make enough healthy blood cells yet
offer counselling, or support from other patients
give you advice about looking after your health

rest when you need to
slowly increase how much exercise you do – short walks help at first
ask for help with everyday tasks if you need it
eat small meals regularly
wash fruit and vegetables thoroughly before eating or cooking them
follow your care team's advice about any foods to avoid – some foods, such as soft cheeses or undercooked eggs, are more likely to cause infections
wash your hands thoroughly and often to prevent infection
protect your skin from the sun (as your skin may be more sensitive to the sun while you recover)

Recovering from a stem cell or bone marrow transplant