Donating Bone Marrow?

[dropdeded 0]

A friends daughter is at UCLA, massive chemo, going to have a bone marrow transplant. Im going to a local blood bank in the morning to see about qualifying to be a donor. Anyone know whats involved in donating bone marrow?? What disqualifies a person?

Her names Savannah, She's only 16, thought they had this fuckin shit whipped

dropdeded

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The Dude Abides.
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[guppie01 0]

Sorry to hear about Savannah... I don't know anything about bone marrow donating... However I'll be sending lot's o prayers that there is a match soon and she can live a long healthy happy life!

g

"Let's do something romantic this Saturday... how bout we bust out the restraints?"
Raddest Ho this side of Jersey #1 - MISS YOU
OMG, is she okay?

[kelel01 1]

Here's the questionnaire.

And I think whatever temporary discomfort (or pain) was experienced should you be chosen would be worth it. I know it's a basic outpatient procedure, but it can be quite uncomfortable.

[Johnsisland 0]

Interesting this came up, right after I made a reference to a situation where friends daughter had leukemia. Sorry to hear.

I have been signed up for Bone Marrow for about ten years now, and haven't been chosen to donate yet. I would donate in heartbeat. I really wish they would match me with someone before I am disqualified due to age.

Your best source of information is the information they give you when you sign up, and the National Marrow Donor Program web site at http://www.marrow.org. Anything below is just my recollection, and should be considered suspect.

Bone marrow donatation is a process, from what I remember, that involves wwithdrawal of the marrow from your pelvic bone, the bone just below your pants line on your rear. I would guess it not a "piece of cake", but probably involves some discomfort and maybe light duties depending on your job, for a short time, depending on the person.

I understand all your costs are paid for by the recepient, to include time away from work, hospital costs, etc..

When you sign up for the Marrow registry, they take either a small tube of blood, or a cheek cells, and perform tissue typing on the sample. You have to be a close match to the donor, it's more involved than simple ABO type matching. So, it's also harder to find a match for the receipent.

Again, please read the Marrow registry web site, and remember, by signing up to have your tissue typed, you are giving someone, maybe a young child, another chance at life--by increasing the pool of donors. You might be called to donate, and you might not. You can remove yourself from the donor pool at any time, but I don't know why you would.

I really, really wish they would find a match for me. I want to give another person a chance at living by being a marrow donor. I donate blood, have donated platelets, and I would really like to have the opprunity to donate marrow.

I know a kid who died from Leukemia, and I wish she was still around. After ten years I still miss her, she would be about a year older than my daughter now.

Jeff

Arch? I can arch just fine with my back to the ground.

[dropdeded 0]

Going down in the morning anyways, but man, some of those questions The "have you come in contact with..." questions, I work on a bambulance, I come in contact with everything under the sun, plus.

Thanks, hopefully it will all work out.

dropdeded

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The Dude Abides.
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[fields 0]

check http://www.marrow.org. In particular, this part about HLA matching


I have been on the NMDP registery for 17 years, but was tapped only once. After further testing, they decided there were better matches for the recipient, than me.

"And the sky is blue and righteous in every direction" Survivor Chuck Palahniuk

[Johnsisland 0]

Quote

I have been on the NMDP registery for 17 years, but was tapped only once. After further testing, they decided there were better matches for the recipient, than me.

Same for me. They called and I was really hyped. Then after they completed all the HLA typing, I wasn't the best match, I guess. I sure wish I had been the match.

One good part is if I am called now, they already know all my HLA, and I must be a good match, or one of a couple of good matches.

J

Arch? I can arch just fine with my back to the ground.

[wmw999 2,584]

I do know that you can donate marrow even if you're not eligible to donate blood; I've been registered for about 10 years. Never been tapped.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[briguy 0]

I was at a blood drive earlier this year and they were doing the Bone Marrow Registration too. I signed up, I figured, what the hell. The registry sent me some more information, but no one needs my marrow yet.

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[murrays 0]

My wife has been in Seattle at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center since January 17th. She had a transplant exactly 99 days ago and is coming home tomorrow!! (Our sons, 6 & 8 yrs old are beside themselves)

However, she received a stem cell transplant...which is apparently what they do nowadays. They harvest the stem cells by filtering the donor's blood and then transfuse them into the recipient. The donor, in this case my wife's sister, spent several hours hooked up to a machine. The only discomfort she had was caused by the injection of growth stimulant that caused her marrow to produce lots of stem cells ...her bones were so full it hurt!

My wife was lucky she had a sister that was as good a match as you can get....people without siblings have to find an unrelated donor. This is why it is so important that people register as donors.

I've been registered for 10 years or so...please everyone get on the list!

--
Murray

"No tyranny is so irksome as petty tyranny: the officious demands of policemen, government clerks, and electromechanical gadgets." - Edward Abbey

[Johnsisland 0]

Congratulations!

I can't imagine the look that will be on your boy's faces!

Jeff

Arch? I can arch just fine with my back to the ground.