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When the Unexpected Happens: Surviving a Stem Cell Transplant when your body says no

Maybe you are wondering how a stem cell transplant works.

The doctors will attach you to a machine which will looks something like a blood transfusion as your blood will go through a drip into a machine which will collect your healthy stem cells which are responsible for producing healthy cells, then your blood will go through a different drip back into your body.

Once chemotherapy has been induced with the hope of killing all cells, the doctors will re-inject your stem cells back into your body and wait for your stem cells to start producing healthy cells cancer free.

In theory, this is how it works.

However, in some cases your body will refuse to take back your own stem cells and even somebody else's.

Where do you go from there?

You can be lumbered with engraftment syndrome which is a very painful experience of your skin shedding as the cells are not reproducing.

Doctors can give you something for the pain like cortisone. Depending on the person, this procedure can take a few weeks.

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