Counseling

Learn more about how oncology social workers can help you cope with a cancer diagnosis.

Connect Education Workshops

Listen in by telephone or online as leading experts in oncology provide up-to-date information about cancer-related issues in one-hour workshops. Podcasts are also available.

Podcasts

For Any Cancer Diagnosis

• Life with Graft vs. Host Disease (GVHD) Post Allogeneic Stem Cell or Bone Marrow Transplantation: New Treatment Approaches

For Mantle Cell Lymphoma

• Life with Graft vs. Host Disease (GVHD) Post Allogeneic Stem Cell or Bone Marrow Transplantation: New Treatment Approaches
• Life with Graft vs. Host Disease (GVHD) Post Allogeneic Stem Cell or Bone Marrow Transplantation: New Treatment Approaches
• Life With Graft vs. Host Disease (GVHD) Post Allogeneic Stem Cell or Bone Marrow Transplantation: New Treatment Approaches
• Transplantation as a Treatment Option for Blood Cancers

Publications

Read or order our free Connect booklets and fact sheets offering easy-to-read information about the latest cancer treatments, managing side effects and coping with cancer.

For Leukemia

• Treatment Update: Acute Myeloid Leukemia
• Treatment Update: Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia

For Lymphoma

• Coping With Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma

For Mantle Cell Lymphoma

• Bone Marrow Transplantation as a Treatment Option: What You Need to Know

For Multiple Myeloma

• Caregiving for a Loved One with Multiple Myeloma
• Treatment Update: Multiple Myeloma

Financial Assistance

Limited assistance from CancerCare is available to help with cancer-related costs.

Ask CancerCare

Every month, featured experts answer your questions about coping with cancer including specific answers to questions asked by caregivers.

For Any Cancer Diagnosis

• Q.

  How soon after a stem cell transplant can you return to work? Will I need to take a leave of absence during the complete work up as well as transplant and average time off?

  A.

  I suggest you speak to your transplant team about when you can return to work. Since your immune system is completely destroyed and then replaced, it can take anywhere from around three months from an autologous transplant, to about nine months if you have an allogeneic transplant. You may also feel a lot of fatigue and the many doctor appointments and follow ups after your transplant may make it harder to go back to work. You also may want to take into account the type of work you do. If the work is less labor intensive, you may feel well enough earlier, than if your work requires more labor intensive activities.

  In terms of taking a leave of absence, you might want to speak to your Human Resources department and/or supervisor about your options. During the workup phase, you may be able to continue your work schedule, but it depends on what the workup and pre-transplant procedure is like at your transplant center. I would encourage you to get a direct answer from your health care team. During the transplant you will be hospitalized for at least a month, during that time you will not be able to go to work. You may be too fatigued to be able to work remotely. When you are ready to return (with your doctor’s permission), I would encourage you to speak to HR/your supervisor to work out a schedule to work only a few days a week before going back into a full-time schedule, as you may have to slowly reintegrate work back into your normal routine. For more guidance, I encourage you to listen to our Connect Education Workshop “Transplantation as a Treatment Option for Blood Cancers,” as it provides information about stem cell transplants that you might find useful. Cancer and Careers may also be a useful resource as well.

  Answered by
  Paige Soleimani, LMSW, Oncology Social Worker

  ∞ Direct link to this question

  Tags:stem cell transplant