After a bone marrow or cord blood transplant, your recovery will take many months. By one year after transplant, many transplant survivors are able to take part in their usual activities, such as work or school. Most say they have a good quality of life, maybe even better than before their transplant. They say they have a greater appreciation for the good things in life and find joy in each day.
On the other hand, most survivors have some long-term effects or complications from their transplant. Some of these go away over time. Others are permanent. Some are fairly easy to manage, but other long-term effects are serious or painful. You cannot control whether you will have these long-term effects, but you can take steps to deal with them.
Your treatment and recovery can also affect your emotional health and relationships. It is important to be aware of changes and get the support that you and your family need.
You can also view presentations about managing many of these effects from our survivor's conference.