If you are told that you might be referred for a bone marrow transplant, it is usually at a time when things aren't going too well. If there were a simpler way to cure your cancer, there would certainly be no call for bone marrow transplantation.
Having the procedure will sometimes involve traveling a considerable distance to a marrow transplant center. If your province does not have a marrow transplant center, referrals to centers in other provinces can be made.
The costs for the transplant are covered by provincial health care plans. However, significant expenses may be faced to cover medications after discharge from hospital.
Securing a Bed If you are referred to a particular transplant center, you will usually have to go to the facility for a "transplant interview." The center has to decide whether you are a good candidate for the treatment. You have to decide whether you feel comfortable undergoing treatment at that center.
Once this decision has been jointly made, there will be other decisions such as whether more "traditional" therapy might be done to improve the chance for success. An allogeneic donor may have to be found or stem cells will have to be taken and stored for an autotransplant. Then it will be necessary to secure a bed in the transplant unit. Keep in mind that some centers have long waiting lists. Once a bed has been secured, you enter the hospital and begin therapy.
