Kati L. Millar and Dr. Susanne F. Olsen, Marriage, Family, and Human Development
My primary question when I began my research concerned the relationship of family members during a bone marrow transplant of one of the members. I was specifically interested in how their relationships changed during this time if any change actually occurred. I hypothesized that the time elapsed during a bone marrow transplant would serve as a strengthening time for the patient and family members involved. This is a time of challenge and difficulty for a family, and they must pull together to make it through.
Various health care workers were interviewed from the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit of a hospital for this research. Initially I hoped to interview families of patients, but because of the hospital staff=s concern for their patients= confidentiality and privacy I wasn=t allowed to talk to any families or patients. I found it worked just as well to talk to a variety of health care workers as they were able to provide helpful information concerning patients and families who have been treated in the unit.
Family support tends to wane when the health problems are prolonged. Three to four years post transplant may become very difficult for families when the patient is still coping with illness resulting from the bone marrow transplant. A great deal of tension begins to arise in the family situation, and consequently, at this point the staff begins to see a breakdown in family relationships. The stress begins to wear too much on the family and their coping mechanisms are worn down.
The closeness and support a family experiences during a bone marrow transplant often depends on existing problems and personality traits members that the family brings into the situation. When the family members have very poor coping skills, this carries over as they continue to struggle during transplant. Current mental health is also a factor. If a patient or family member come into transplant depressed, it is likely they will continue in this direction. Stressors such as finances, work, other children, and existing marital problems make it much more difficult for a family to get through this together. Anger tends to be a primary emotion which will tear a family apart during treatment.
Each family’s situation is very different from the next as they enter transplant. In order to aid clients in dealing with this experience, the staff strives to educate their clients, helping them come to their treatment with an open mind. One of the most important traits in maintaining and improving positive family relationships is that of honesty. In almost every positive family situation honesty was extremely important.
From talking with health care workers and conducting research in published studies, I have come to conclude that in the majority of cases, the family will grow closer together during a bone marrow transplant. The transplant poses life and death issues with the patient and his/her family. Many families begin to realize that their loved one may die through this treatment. They devote themselves in all ways possible to help with everything required. The ones who succeeded in their relationships with one another are those who laugh, are honest, and educate themselves as much as possible about their treatment.