While some people with sickle cell anemia can have a high-quality life with the use of medication and medical procedures, others need a cure. Thus far, the only cure for the illness is a bone marrow transplant. Black people, in particular, should find out everything they can about this procedure as they are more prone to developing sickle cell disease than other ethnicities. Furthermore, their symptoms tend to be worse.
Bone marrow transplants are usually limited to people who have significant symptoms and complications from sickle cell disease. Some of the potential complications include stroke, organ damage, pulmonary hypertension, blindness, gallstones, and deep vein thrombosis.
Once your doctor thinks the transplant is an option, they’ll request tests to assess your overall health. This can include blood and imaging tests to check for other chronic conditions that may affect the procedure’s success. You can also expect to do a bone marrow biopsy, which gives an accurate picture of your condition.
However, you should bear in mind that Black people may have a harder time getting a match for a bone marrow donor. Black Americans who need a transplant generally have to wait longer than other ethnicities because there aren’t as many Black donors available.
Your doctor will give you more detailed guidance but there are a few things you can do to get prepared for your bone marrow transplant. Eating well is recommended to keep healthy and build your strength.
You should keep hydrated as much as possible. Exercise is also important as it’s been shown that physical activity encourages healing and recovery.
Additionally, you’ll likely undergo conditioning up to 10 days before the procedure. This will be done at a hospital or an outpatient clinic and is meant to prepare your body for the transplant. It can include several doses of chemotherapy, radiation, or both. The treatment is meant to weaken or destroy unhealthy bone marrow and cancer cells.
It also suppresses your immune system and gets your body ready to accept the new cells. Unfortunately, chemotherapy and radiation therapy can affect your fertility. Your doctor will talk to you about your options for freezing your sperm or eggs before getting started.
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After conditioning, your doctors will install a central line so you can receive the transplant. On the day of your procedure, the stem cells will be infused through the line. The time this takes may vary for each person and it’s painless.
You’ll typically be a wake for the transplant. Though the bone marrow transplant is fairly simple, there are certain potential risks that you should know.
One major risk of a bone marrow transplant is that your body might reject the donated cells. According to medical statistics, rejection can happen in up to 60 percent of cases. That figure can be devastating to Black Americans given how hard it is to find donors in the first place. Fortunately, there are medications you can take to prevent it. You should also let your doctor know if there are any signs of rejection such as jaundice, skin rash, vomiting, and abdominal cramps.
As with many surgeries, there’s also a risk of infection. You may also experience nausea and diarrhea.
You may be in the hospital for a few days while you recover. Depending on your condition, you may need to be close to the hospital for several weeks. During this time, your doctor will check how well your body is responding to the transplant. These checks can include blood tests. If your bone marrow is responding as quickly as the doctors would like, you may receive blood transfusions to help.
In addition, you’ll be prescribed medications that combat rejection of the transplant and infections. Once you’re out of the hospital, your doctor will guide you on what you can eat and how much exercise is recommended to help with recovery.
Things you should avoid include unhealthy fats, salty foods, and alcohol. It’s also important to note that grapefruits and grapefruit juice can affect how well your immunosuppressive medications work.
Though sickle cell anemia predominantly affects Black Americans, there is a large disparity between those who need bone marrow transplants and available matches. If you have sickle anemia and might qualify for a transplant, it’s important to start the search as soon as possible to increase your chances. Once one has been located, you should adhere to the treatment protocol so the odds of rejection are less.
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