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About me and my leukaemia
100 day countdown
The 100 day countdown is an important factor for stem cell transplant
patients.
Firstly, 100 days is when a bone marrow aspiration will take place to
determine the early success of the transplant. Secondly, it is a marker
determining Graft versus Host Disease (GvHD).
Acute - Graft versus Host Disease occurs within the first 100 days
Chronic - Graft versus Host Disease occurs after the first 100 days
It is difficult to say who will develop GvHD after a transplant, but
somewhere between one and four out of every five people (20 to 80 per
cent) having a donor transplant will develop some degree of GvHD. Some
people have a very mild form which doesn’t last long. For others, GvHD
can be severe.
Acute GvHD:
Acute GvHD often starts with a rash on the palms of your hands and soles of your feet. Or you may have a rash
on your face. The rash may be itchy. Acute GvHD may also affect your mouth, gut (digestive system) and liver,
as well as your skin. This can cause diarrhoea, nausea, loss of appetite, and yellowing of the skin (jaundice).
Chronic GvHD
Chronic GvHD can follow acute GvHD. It can appear several months after your transplant, even if you’ve not
had the acute form. But you are more likely to get chronic GvHD if you have had acute GvHD.
Like acute GvHD it may affect your skin, gut, liver or mouth. But it can also affect other parts of your body,
such as your eyes, lungs and joints. Chronic GvHD may be mild or severe, and for some people can go on for
several months or even years.
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