Post HSCT Depression?

There's a study paper that pops up on Google searches of HSCT, Distress and Depression Among Bone and Marrow Transplant Patients .

One of the experts cited in that paper shares my last name, Wenzel.  That person is not related to me.  Neither am I a depressed post-HSCT patient. In fact, I am less depressed after HSCT than I have ever been in my adult life. Amazing what getting out of a wheelchair and regaining bladder control can do to improve a person's outlook. Not to mention removing the chronic brain inflammation of MS that had been grinding away at my psyche for years.

That said, I did read the paper, and I can relate to much of it. Though the primary subjects of that study were cancer patients who were treated with HSCT, there are physiological and psychological similarities in the treatment procedure. It is stressful to comprehend wiping out one's immune system with chemotherapy, stressful to do it, and recovery is often erratic with up and down days.

The paper recommends anti-depressant drugs as one solution for the depressed. While I personally don't need antidepressants now, I do believe they can be a good option for a lot of people. And it's good to know that they're there if I ever get to the point where my down days exceed my up days. For now, I feel balanced and on a path to steady improvement. The only therapy I need is a walk in the sunshine and a good book. Right now I'm reading The Mediations of Marcus Aurelius. It's quite wonderful.

Having work to do, visiting with friends and writing this blog also buoys my mood. And it brings me great joy whenever I can help someone learn about how HSCT can help them beat MS. (Good luck Kristen when you meet with Dr. Burt!)

The HSCT procedure is not for people who describe MS as "an inconvenience",  at least not yet. HSCT is too extreme to be considered for mild MS cases. It's risky and beyond unpleasant. But when drugs aren't stopping the disease, HSCT provides hope to save your mobility and quite possibly your life, as it did for me. I was fortunate to recognize HSCT as an option. I shall be forever grateful to Dr. Burt and the transplant team at Northwestern Hospital.