Bone Marrow Donation questions?

No idea, but

And I would avoid Chicago in the winter.

Yea I know but they are asking me to do the surgical route. Anyone know why they would be asking for bone marrow over the stem cells?

If you go the bone marrow route, I'd make damned sure that they're ponying up for some sedation. Given the choice between feeling someone drill into your hip bone or being off in a propofol induced haze, pick the haze.

Also, go to Denver. I like mountains.

First of all, thank you for being on the registry and for agreeing to the harvest/donation.

As to your question, the donation of marrow (by way of harvest from the pelvic bone) is the preferred source of cells for some diseases. If the marrow registry is requesting this, I suspect that your recipient is suffering from aplastic anemia or some other bone marrow failure state rather than leukemia or lymphoma since bone marrow derived cells are preferable in aplastic anemia whereas peripheral stem cells are equivalent to bone marrow in most cases of leukemia and lymphoma.

If you donate marrow, you will be under general anesthesia for the procedure. If you donate stem cells, you will take medications by simple subcutaneous injection for several days prior to donation to increase your stem cell production. Then, you will have a large iv placed and be connected to a machine not unlike a dialysis machine that will take from your peripheral blood what it needs and return the rest to you. This will take one or two sessions to collect enough stem cells.

Best of luck, and congratulations on saving a life. Thanks!

They pay for all your expenses for travel/surgery but they do not pay extra money for donating.
LINK

Compensated????!!!???

For those of you who would like to join the registry and aren't concerned by the fact that a donor is not compensated, visit bethematch.org, website for the National Marrow Donor Program.

You are a good man.

Back in 1997 I was given a medication after an angioplasty. I ended being the one in a bazillion that had the allergic reaction that shut down my immune system. I was told that I would probably need a bone marrow transplant and that as a 45 year old my chances of survival were slim.

I had two bone marrow aspirations at the Washington Hospital Center and was diagnosed with aplastic anemia. I was transferred to Georgetown University Hospital and they told me that they would have to do another. Fortunately my then SO was able to obtain the slides from WHC so I didn't have to undergo another.

I was fortunate. The absence of the drug that caused the problem; the presence of another drug that helped generate white blood cells; the good medical treatment at Georgetown; my body; and the Hand of God worked in concert and I did not have to undergo a transplant.

All of my siblings came to D.C. to be tested as possible donors. Come on up to your Nation's Capital and best wishes to you.

I've been a member for about 10 years, no call yet :(

Do the bone marrow. A little pain aftwr the procedure is a small sacrifice

My MIL is a BM match with a brother of hers and they're doing the stem cells once he's put on enough #s. Seems like stem cells is the way to go and there are some side effects to the donor from what I understand, but it's also a lot less painful apparently.