Hi Again Folks,
Since I sent out the bone marrow challenge back in October, I’ve received a lot of questions about the bone marrow registry and donation process, so I thought I’d give a brief overview. First, let me put out a disclaimer that the following information in NO WAY can serve as a surrogate for a direct conversation with one of the specialists at the bone marrow registry or with the oncologist who would actually perform the procedure if you were to register, match and be asked to donate. I could not possibly detail the complete picture on a fansite. Hopefully, though, I can help you get your feet wet on some bone marrow basics.
TODAY’S TOPIC: HOW DOES ONE DONATE “BONE MARROW” (i.e., HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELLS, HSC)?
There are 3 potential sources for “bone marrow” or HSC donation: 1) bone marrow, 2) peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC), 3) cord blood.
If you join the registry and you are a match for a potential recipient, the 2 potential ways you could be asked to donate are via bone marrow or PBSC. You will not know at the time you enter the registry by which of the 2 methods you would be asked to donate, so you should be sure that you would feel comfortable giving via either of the 2 methods before you would decide to register.
1) Bone Marrow Donation: Some of you have had a friend or family member tell you they had this done and it was painful, but they are probably thinking of a different, diagnostic procedure performed on patients when they are awake without anesthesia. Nooo, that’s not the same thing. When a person donates his marrow to a patient, the procedure is done under anesthesia (usually general). Also, although I’ve seen this described online as a surgery, I would describe it as a “procedure” because you aren’t having tissue cut out, it’s just a needle that is placed in the back of each hip/pelvis and then the liquid marrow is removed with a syringe. Here’s a bit more about myths and facts of this procedure http://marrow.org/Join/Myths_and_Facts/Myths___Facts_about_Donation.aspx and http://marrow.org/Registry_Members/Donation/Donation_FAQs.aspx#process
This video of a news anchor who donated his marrow gives a nice summary.
2) Peripheral Blood Stem Cell (PBSC) Donation: These are not the embryonic stem cells you hear about in political debates. They are hematopoietic stem cells meaning that they have the potential to form different types of blood cells (they can’t become other types of tissue). For this process you get a daily injection for about 5 days of something to boost the stem cells from your bone marrow into your bloodstream. Then, the actual donation is basically just you sitting in a bed with an IV in each arm while a machine takes out the cells it needs and gives you back your plasma and red blood cells.
Here’s another video that shows what it’s like.
http://marrow.org/Registry_Members/Donation/PBSC_Donation.aspx
3) Cord Blood: This is a donation of your baby’s umbilical cord after it is cut at the time of birth. There is no cost to you. This needs to be discussed well in advance of the birth with your doctor because the team must be prepared before you go into the delivery in order collect/handle the cord properly. In some hospitals they may not even be equipped to collect it, but here is a directory for those that do
http://marrow.org/Get_Involved/Donate_Cord_Blood/How_to_Donate/Where_to_Donate.aspx
This is different from services that charge you a fee to store the cord for your own family’s use at a later date, so you should be clear at the outset with your doctor if you want this to go into a public cord bank so that another family could potentially benefit. This site also gives a good description of the differences between donating to a public bank and paying privately for family storage.
http://parentsguidecordblood.org/
And if you haven't yet, be sure to add your name HERE to the list we're giving to David, of people who have helped out with bone marrow donation. Read more about our Crush Kids' Cancer Bone Marrow Registry Challenge HERE.
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