I am part of the bone marrow match registry and i got an email this morning saying that i might be a potential match for someone which makes me very happy and i would donate in a minute to help save a life... but now i am a bit scared and nervous. has anyone ever done this before? i have a few friends that have been a match and donated and they said it hurts like the dickens!
I am prepared for all of that but just nervous. i am sure doctors will talk to me before and after the procedure. Can someone share their experience if you have donated? Thanks!
thank you all for replying! i am in tears hearing beautiful stories. i know when i think about this even though i am scared and nervous, the thought of saving a life brings butterflies to my tummy! i know i will be ok, just a bit nervous! thank you all for the good luck and well wishes... i hope i am a match! Stay tuned!
I have been on the registry as a donor since 1997 and have received several "you might be a match" letters over the years. Unfortunately, after they do more extensive comparison, I've either not been a close enough match or the recipient no longer was a candidate.
I wish you lots of luck!
S.:
One of my close friends did this. He lives in Texas. They flew him here to Johns Hopkins where he underwent the procedure. he was kept in the hospital for the day - his rear end (they took from his pelvic bone) hurt for a few days.
The child that he saved still writes him letters and his family is eternally grateful.
Yeah, he had some discomfort for a few days. But he's still VERY happy he did it.
I donated 12 years ago to a stranger. It was an amazing experience, and I'd absolutely do it all over again.
Physically, yes, it was painful for a few days afterward. (I understand the procedure has changed and it hurts less these days.) I underwent a variety of tests to make sure I was healthy enough for surgery, and they drew my own blood ahead of time so that they'd have some if they needed it during/after the surgery.
But the physical experience was nothing compared to the emotional one.
Knowing that I may possibly have saved someone's life -- it's hard to put it into words, because however I try to describe it sounds trite. But it was a tangible way to make a difference and do some real good. I'm so glad I was able to donate.
Oh, and the staff at the hospital was *amazing*. They treated me like a queen and everyone -- from the check-in person to the post-op nurse -- was extremely grateful, even though none of us knew the recipient.
I matched with a 17-year-old girl in another country, and wherever she is (I suspect Japan, given the idioms in the letter and the type of gift she sent prior to surgery) does not allow donors and recipients to be identified -- ever. I never found out if she survived. I thought not knowing would be tough, but it wasn't.
Feel free to message me if you want more details.
God bless you-the pain will be short compared to the joy you will have for the rest of your life just knowing you helped-all the best-I hope you are "the one"!
MY friend's son has Leukemia and has had 3 relapses and 3 transplants.
His dad did the last donation for him.
They knocked him out, took the marrow from his hip bone, and he stayed in the hospital for a few hours. Now, he probably should have stayed for a day but he wanted to go and see his son get his marrow!
He said it was a bit painful for a day or two but he was saving a life. It's worth it.
Yes, it may be painful for a couple of days but you are helping a family. It's a beautiful thing.
L.
That is so exciting! I was always on the registry when I could but had to be taken off several times after I had spinal fusions and titanium implants. Unfortunately, I am too old now at 46!
Go for it, it is an amazing gift and could have saved my mother-in-law.
I am on the registry also and got the same letter last year. They ended up choosing someone else, so I do not have personal experience to share. Just wanted to mention that the info I got says that about 70% of donations are done by a donation process similar to donating plasma, they take blood out of one vein run it through a machine and pull out the stem cells, then replace the rest back through another vein. That seems super easy. The bone marrow procedure is certainly more invasive and I expect would cause some discomfort for a fee days, but I am sure the pain is very manageable with some pain meds and rest. I think if you continue to put your focus on what an amazing gift you will be giving someone that is fighting for their life, the prospect of this procedure will seem less daunting. I hope this recipient finds the best possible match and lives a long happy life. I think BeTheMatch.org is such an amazing organization and I would encourage everyone to look into it.
I recently lost a good friend to leukemia.
She had 2 perfect match donors from the registry.
Unfortunately, she never regained enough strength after chemo to be able to start the pre op transplant regiment for the transplant.
Nowadays, many donations are taken in similar fashion to a blood donation.
You can find lots of donor information online at www.bethematch.org
I am also registered to donate and did a lot of research before signing up because I was worried about what I might face if ever called up.
I was comforted to find that increasingly they are collecting the cells they need through blood filter machines - similar to plasma donation - which I've done countless times before. It's no more painful that a plasma donation which is only 2 needle pricks.
If they do end up harvesting from your bones, they will numb the area as well as possible. Hey, if it can save a life, I'm willing to endure some pain. It's just temporary - just like child birth. The reward of knowing I saved a life will far outweigh the memory of the pain involved, I would think.
