These are the words of my Learned Friend and fellow MS recoverer. He has been one of the leading voices in our striving to get the word out about HSCT and to let people know the pitfalls and life altering aspects of the procedure. I felt I would be remiss if I didn’t add this, as my Blog seems to be getting read by more people of late.

The major thing about HSCT is IT IS A REAL MEDICAL PROCEDURE. You are told about being careful before the procedure. You are told about being careful during the procedure. You are also told to be careful afterwards for a while. There are issues that are waiting to interrupt your progression, and make you quite ill or worse could be deadly! His main point is not to scare people, but to ensure we are aware this is just as deadly as using the pharmaceutical medications.

Please read the following statement by George Goss:

Many people have told me over time that I exaggerate the risks that post-HSCT recipients face and have told me that I am being alarmist when I tell people to exercise careful post-transplantation behavior to reduce the risk of experiencing life threatening infections due to a persistent post-transplantation compromised immune system. Today I learned the details that this patient contracted an E. coli infection most likely from eating at a restaurant a few days after the patient returned home. This person is extremely fortunate to have recovered and be alive today (their spouse was told several times that they would unlikely survive). I wonder if they consider their life worth that great last restaurant meal. Brings new meaning “meal to die for.” Fortune favors the prepared.

In a follow up to the following post I made in the Mexico forum, I found out today that the the patient I referred to here was infected by E. coli that caused sepsis and near death after going out to eat at a restaurant just a few days after returning home. Patients are their own worst enemies and should worry more about exercising responsible behavior instead of just complaining about my warnings. . . .

* A cautionary tale *

I wanted take a moment to let everyone know about a recent transplantation recipient that was discharged from treatment in Mexico in an non-sick status and approved for return travel back home. Although healthy, such recently transplanted recipients are nowhere near being back to “normal,” as an HSCT recipient’s immune system remains compromised for months following the transplant. At some point after discharge (likely once returning home), the patient acquired an infection and developed sepsis (an EXTREMELY dangerous and life threatening systemic whole body infectious reaction) which required hospitalization and immediate critical care.

Although I have no idea the actual source of the patient’s infection and am happy to report the patient is recovering, I highlight this issue as important for all HSCT recipients because the immune system can take up to a year, or a little more to return to normal and healthy following HSCT and I STRONGLY urge all patients to behave in a responsible manner to reduce the risk of post-transplantation infectious complications that pose the most serious threat to life. This is also the reason Dr. Ruiz and the clinic issues the following general single page guideline summary. Although a single page summary won’t cover every situation, the overall subject should be taken seriously because HSCT is a serious medical procedure. Remember, just feeling well (as most recipients do) following the transplant is no reason to let down your guard. Common sense behavior is your best defense to remain healthy following transplantation. Better safe, than sorry!

The following is from Clinica Ruiz Head, DR. Guillermo Ruiz Argüelles

George Goss’s photo.

George and I in Atlanta

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