To be clear, without the mephalan there is no point in doing the SCT. The Melphan kills the white blood cells (normal and hopefully all the mutated cells). Your ingrafted stem cells hopefully grow new white blood cells, and none of them are mutated.

Also shower everyday with the special soap - get in shape before transplant

I had an Autologous SCT last April, coming up on one year. The melphalan was rough and I couldn't eat anything because of the nausea. I also fell in the bathroom in my room and almost knocked my teeth out. Make sure if you are dizzy at all or have low blood pressure you get help when getting up for at least a few days after the chemo and transplant. Aside from these factors the transplant went well. It has taken me the whole year to recover, everyone is different though. Would I do it again ? The chemo, probably not. The transplant, definitely. I'm happy I got it and you've nothing to worry about really. Life after it is better but life with MM will forever be different.

We will guide you like a Sherpa. Listen to your doctor. Everything will be spelled out. Every possible contingency. You probably will not experience half of them. Be prepared for hair falling out so get your head shaved before you go in or have the nurses do it early. Think of the money you will save by not needing a cut for 6 months. All food will taste horrible for three days. Drink Ensure. Keep us posted every day and walk the hallways!

Because the initial treatment/induction period was so successful, my Oncologist gave me the choice of not having the ASCT, but rather just going straight to maintenance therapy and taking my chances. I don't really roll like that so I said no, let's go ahead with the ASCT. I'm glad I did it but I won't do it again if Mephalan has to be used. The tides are changing for the better in MMT and management and some top level Drs. in the field feel, given new innovations in medicine, we may be able to move beyond the 1964 model and forego the SCT completely in the near future. Either way some people handle the mephalan ok, just not me : )