Lymphoma, organ transplant, infections and palliative care. Does my friend have a chance?

[QuintessentialShadows]

I have just been to see an old friend. (Some of you may remember my other thread/dilemma)

He got a lymphoma diagnosis 2 years ago. Blood cancer. Been having chemo and radiotherapy and it was going well.

He woke up a few days ago after spending 11 days in coma, fighting double pneumonia, and other infections, having had an organ transplant in November. He has no immune system. The doctors say he is unlikely to leave the hospital. However, they said it was unlikely he would wake up from the coma, and then that he was unlikely to to see 2014.

Yet, he is still fighting.

Seriously. Does he have a chance?

What organ(s)?

Who knows whether he still has a chance. Not me. I recently followed a friend of a friend's progress through something different but as challenging to the body. That person didn't make it. Sometimes people do make it, I hope your friend does but it doesn't sound great from what you say.

And you can't do anything, but if close enough toucan offer support to your friend's family. It's not an easy place to be.

Has he had a stem cell transplant? I would be surprised at an organ transplant whilst being treated for lymphoma, but stem cell transplants are used as part of treatment.
There are many factors at play with these situations. Donor stem cell transplants come with a 20% fatality rate! there can be many outcomes and the docs have no idea how each patient will respond.
It really is just a case of wait and see, these are major treatments. I had a donor transplant in September after treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma, I'm presently back in hospital with a kids cold virus, which a GP would usually do nothing for, but because we are so vulnerable at this stage I'm having treatment.

Thanks for responding. I think treatment had finished a year ago, and that he was doing fine. Infection happened following the organ implant. His dp said "the implant took 11 days to graft" or something like that, so dont think he was referring to stem cells.

Oh and hanloumac, I hope you get better soon.

Sounds like a stem cell transplant, they kill off your immunity so you have no immunity, then transfuse either donor cells or own cells back and after 10-14 days they graft and you start producing a new immune system but immunity is like that of a baby's for first year or so. I hope your friend recovers, I have a friend presently in a very similar situation after stem cell transplant.

You were right, it was a stem cell transplant.

I hope you will be out of hospital too soon, and that your friend recovers.