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Stem cell transplant
My son is in isolation now he's had the stem cell he is on day 4 he is bored he has took his playstation I was just wandering if any one had any tips to stop the Boredom has hes in London having it done and we live in liverpool so it's really hard
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Hi Gabby, I hope your son is feeling ok and fingers crossed he has a smooth recovery. I’m one of the community champions and a transplant patient myself.
You don’t mention how old your son is but I know if it was one of my boys, one in particular, he’d be more than happy to spend all day on his PlayStation! Whilst that will probably keep him occupied and help keep his mind off things it may get boring and won’t encourage him to get up out of bed and move about, which will help him get his strength back.
I guess he needs a bit of variety from the PlayStation. Some videos or access to a service such as Netflix I guess might keep him occupied too, or maybe a selection of books, depending if he’s a bookworm?
I would say though that it’s important to try and encourage him to move about, even if it’s just getting up and moving around his room. I was very lazy in the early days of my transplant and for a few weeks, but it’s surprising how quickly muscle loss occurs in legs and strength goes.
I guess it’s all dependent on his age, so there may be members of the forum who have sons or daughters who had transplants at a similar age who might be able to give you more suitable tips.
All the best,
Steve
Hi steve he has just turned 25 he has took his his playstation but the internet is very poor so he can't go on Netflix hes on day 6 now so he's getting ready tried I just feel helpless has I can't be up there all the time has hes getting it done in london and we live in liverpool all iam doing his worrying about every thing all the time Louis is so layed back about it all t he's just getting on with it but iam trying to keep postive the best I can
Hi Gabby,
It's difficult seeing a loved one going through this and I can imagine it's even tougher when its your son. At 25 he is possibly a bit more independent and as you say, maybe he just wants to get on and get over it his own way.
A transplant really does knock the stuffing out of you and he will be very tired and low on energy for some time. In that case he probably won't be bothered about doing much as he wont feel particularly active. At that stage and for some weeks after I just wanted to lay in bed and watch TV or sleep and he may be the same.
The advantage he has over me (I was 46 when I had my transplant) is his young age, so hopefully he may recover quicker than me and be more inclined to get up and about earlier than I did. I guess my advice would be for him to try and get active in some way as it will help him recover quicker if he can.
If he feels like I did in these early days try not to be too forceful as it may feel to him like you're interfering. Try to encourage him rather than push him. He will recover in his own time and he will need your support.
I know there are others with sons and daughters of a similar age who have had transplants and they may be able to help further.
Please keep us posted with how he's progressing.
Steve
Hi Gabby. How is your son doing. My son who also 25 is due his transplant start of February. Feel nervous and worried.
Hayley
Wishing your son all the best for his transplant, Hayley. It is a worrying time but he will be well looked after. Make sure you have some good things to keep you occupied in the hospital, too, and every day find some things that are positive, even if they are small, to keep you going. Laughter really is the best medicine.
Hi Gabby,
my wife is going in Forma SCT soon and although we’ve been told there’s wifi, I get the feeling it’s ropey at best.
wfiw we’re thinking about upping her phone data plan so she can use that as a hotspot if her reception is good enough. I don’t know if that will be good enough for gaming but it should def. work for streaming services.
I hope he heals well and quickly.
Hi Sputnik.
It's some time (9 years) since I had my transplant which was at Leicester. There was a wifi service which you needed to subscribe to and seemed to be fairly reliable. I wasn't gaming, but for streaming music and video it was fine. I also used skype and facetime to keep in touch with friends and family and it held up well for those.
I found that mobile phone coverage was patchy at times so it may be worth checking on that before investing in a higher data plan?
It would be useful to hear what peoples experiences of wifi are in hospitals they have been treated in and what sort of service they've had from wifi providers, private or hospital provision.
Regards,
Steve