Following Up With Your Care Team

Follow-Up Appointments

After your transplant, you will visit Dana-Farber or your local oncologist for regular follow-up visits (usually weekly, for the first few months). As time passes, your visits to Dana-Farber will be less frequent. Your primary caregiver should be available to participate in these appointments.  

During these visits, you will:

• Have a physical exam  
• Have blood draws/labs to check your blood counts and medication levels. Based on your counts and how you feel, you may get infusions of fluid, blood, or supportive medications for nausea or pain.  
• Meet with your care team to discuss any questions or concerns you may have.  
• You can also schedule an appointment to meet with your clinical social worker or a nutritionist.  

Reminders for Your Clinic Visits:

• Wear a mask and gloves.
• Bring requests for medication refills before your medication runs out.
• Do NOT take your morning dose of Prograf (tacrolimus) or Rapamune (sirolimus, rapamycin). Bring these medications with you to take after your blood has been drawn.  

When to Call Your Care Team

Contact your care team whenever you have questions. If you notice any of the signs or symptoms listed below, call/page your care team right away.

Page your physician (617-632-3352) if you experience:

• Temperature greater than 100.4°F  
• Shortness of breath, chest pain
• Any problems with your Hickman catheter (pain, redness, swelling, difficulty flushing)
• Light-headedness or fainting
• Confusion

Contact your care team right away if you notice the following signs or symptoms:

• Bleeding from the gums, nose, rectum, or bladder, or increased bruising
• Symptoms of cough, nasal congestion, flu/cold-like symptoms
• Any change in level of nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, or the inability to eat, drink or take pills  
• You are unable to take your medications for any reason, including if your pharmacy is unable to dispense your medication
• Any skin rashes or redness (check every day when you bathe)
• Any mouth sores or rectal tenderness
• Any genital sores, vaginal bleeding, discharge, or odor
• Any burning, pain, blood in urine, or change in frequency of urination
• Dizziness or headaches  
• Yellowing of the skin or eyes
• Any new pain

When in doubt, always call your care team.

In an emergency, page any member of your care team by calling the Dana-Farber page operator at 617-632-3352.