A personal account of treatment decisions, stem cell collection, and navigating HSCT in New Zealand.
I was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in 2011. In September 2025, after five years of stability, I experienced a relapse that changed the direction of my treatment. What followed was a series of decisions, conversations, and rapid developments that ultimately led me to undergo haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).
This treatment is being carried out in New Zealand, where it is still relatively new, and I will be approximately the fourth person to undergo it locally.
This is a personal account of the lead-up, mobilisation, and stem cell collection phase of that journey. It’s not a clinical explanation, but a real-time reflection of what the experience was actually like, including the parts that were uncertain, uncomfortable, and, at times, surprisingly manageable.
My hope is that by sharing this, it provides some clarity and reassurance to others who may be facing a similar path.
– Aaron Henderson
Mobilisation & Stem Cell Collection
After a relapse in September 2025, following around five stable years on Ocrevus, it became clear my current treatment wasn’t holding. It came as a surprise. Things had been steady for a long time, so it wasn’t something I was expecting. The relapse showed up as foot drop in my left leg and some bladder symptoms. This wasn’t the first time either. I had relapsed five years earlier while on Tysabri. After finally getting back to work about 2.5 years earlier, I ended up having to leave again. Honestly, that part was devastating.
Things Start Moving
At the beginning of March, I received a call from the transplant coordinator. I remember going a bit white when I got that call. Things were moving much faster than I expected. An appointment was arranged for 7 April with the haematologist, coordinator, and neurologist. Between that call and the appointment, I was in regular contact with the coordinator, checking in and getting updates. A scheduled Ocrevus infusion at the end of March was cancelled as part of the transition.
Understanding the Process
The 7 April appointment was a big one. Everything was laid out clearly, what to expect, how the process works, and the risks involved. The risks were low, but very real. Nothing was sugar-coated. Oddly, that helped. Walking out of that appointment, I felt much more confident in the decision to move forward.
Testing & Preparation
Two days later, the full workup started:
• Infectious disease blood panel
• Echocardiogram
• Spirometry
• Vein assessment
Because I don’t live in Christchurch, everything was organised for the same day to avoid travelling back and forward. That part all felt pretty routine. During the vein assessment, it was decided my arm veins wouldn’t be reliable enough for stem cell collection. Most people are collected through lines in their arms, in my case, a neck line would be used instead. That was one of the moments where things started to feel more real.
Getting Ready
Once the mobilisation plan came through with actual dates, everything stepped up a level.
I picked up all the medications:
• Steroids
• Anti-nausea medication
• Pain relief
My main thought at the time was: “That’s a lot of pills.”
Mobilisation Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy day was 27 April 2026. I woke up at 4am, not because I had to be there that early, but because I couldn’t sleep. Nerves more than anything. Everything is closely monitored at this stage, even urine output has to be measured and tested. The chemotherapy itself took about an hour.
One thing I wasn’t expecting was the taste, a strong chemical taste that came with it. All up, the day lasted about 8.5 hours. By the end, I felt a bit tingly and light-headed, but overall it was manageable
The First Few Days
Once the G-CSF injections started, the bone pain began to build. It wasn’t sharp pain, more of a deep ache or pressure. Spine, hips, sternum, then later into my arms. Sleep became a bit of a challenge, especially lying on my side with hip pain.
Pain relief worked:
• Paracetamol
• Codeine
• Morphine
That’s probably the biggest takeaway from this phase: don’t try to push through it, just tell them.
Stem Cell Collection
Collection day followed a rough night, about three hours sleep and the bone pain at its worst. As planned, I had a neck line inserted rather than arm lines. I opted for IV sedation. Honestly, the worst part was waiting for the sedation. Because my counts were high, collection was expected to take around four hours. Once hooked up to the apheresis machine, it was pretty uneventful.
After Collection
By that evening, the bone pain had basically disappeared, which was a pretty noticeable shift. That night’s sleep was the best I’d had in days. Within two days, I was mostly back to normal. Still a little tired, but otherwise feeling good.
Overall
Mobilisation and collection weren’t nothing, but they were far more manageable than I’d built them up to be in my head. It’s a very structured process, and you’re well looked after the whole way through.
“Don’t wait for the pain to build, tell them early and they’ll sort it.”
Next Stage
With mobilisation and stem cell collection complete, the next stage of treatment is conditioning chemotherapy and the inpatient hospital stay.
I am scheduled to begin this phase on 4 June.
As with this section, I will be documenting that experience as it happens.