Having a transplant or high-dose treatment with stem cell support can be a very frightening experience. Although you may sometimes feel optimistic, there may be other times when you are anxious, afraid or depressed. You may ask yourself questions like ‘Is the treatment working?’, ‘Will my blood counts ever go up?’, or ‘How am I going to cope with the side effects?’

As the time for you to leave hospital comes closer, you may find yourself becoming impatient and longing to get home. But at the same time it can be quite hard to readjust to leading a more independent life again, after spending so much time as a patient. You may find our section, Adjusting to life after cancer, helpful.

Even when the treatment is over, you may resent the restrictions on your life. It may sometimes seem as though you will never be able to go back to your normal life again.