Bone marrow donation - have you ever?

[HomeIsWhereTheHeartIs]

I've been thinking of signing up for this, and had a look on the NHS website tonight. Have a few questions if you don't mind...
They offer counselling - why? Is it a very traumatic procedure? It doesn't sound too bad from the description.
They take a blood sample to find a match - where/how? Does your GP arrange this?
There's a course of injections in the days before you donate - do you need to take these days off work/arrange child care in order to recover? Says they can cause fatigue. How bad is it?
And what was the whole experience like? Would you (can you?) do it again?

I haven't done this yet but I have been matched with someone and i'm waiting now to hear if the donation will go ahead. I have been told the nurse comes to your home or workplace every day to give you an injection. You have the final injection in London then spend the night in a hotel before donating the next day.
If you go to Anthony Nolan website there is a very good information video explaining what happens.

You give a spit sample to go on the register (they send you a pack for this) and then if you are a potential match they send you a kit with needles etc and you take this to your doctors. I did this then had to take my parcel to the post office where it was sent off pre paid special delivery.

I'm currently waiting for a bone marrow transplant (actually a stem cell transplant). Prior to becoming ill I'd been on the bone marrow donors' register for years.

From what I understand most transplants these days are stem cell transplants rather than taking part of your bone marrow. As Meg says you have injections to stimulate the production of stem cells in your blood. Your donation is like giving blood but over a few hours. The stem cells are harvested and then the blood is returned to your body.

It is a pretty painless procedure for the donor but life saving for someone like me. My bone marrow has failed due to a rare form of blood cancer and I will die without a transplant.

Provided chemo works I will be able to have a transplant in the next few months. I'm lucky that they have identified two donors for me (my sibling wasn't a match - there is only a 30% chance of a sibling being a match).

I wish more people would sign up to be donors. Prior to me falling ill I was the only person I knew amongst my friends who was registered. I believe that you can donate twice in your lifetime.

sorry to hear you are ill, difficultpickle. I am literally standing by to donate for someone and I am praying I get the chance to help them. Good luck with your treatment

My dh donated bone marrow last year and generally found the process untraumatic. We had specialist nurses come to our house for the injections to stimulate the production of bone marrow. They came at the weekend for the two ( or possibly three ) weekends preceding the procedure. One thing we hadn't realised is that they have to stay for quite a while after the injection to monitor you in case of any adverse reactions so it did take up most of the afternoon.
Dh had difficulty taking time off work so to minimise that he asked if he could donate via apherisis rather have to have an anaesthetic and have the marrow taken directly from his bone as the recovery time is longer. I think this depends on which collection method is most suitable for the donee.
He did feel a bit tired for a few days afterwards and had a few aches due to the bone marrow producing injections but nothing major.

Counselling consisted of talking him through the procedure but also about how he might feel about the donation not helping the donee. He was told that you do find out if the donation has helped the donee, as they let you know after a certain amount of time if it was successful but not if it didn't work, so you know either way really. They also told him the weight and size of the donee as it affected how much bone marrow they needed to harvest and so we had a good idea it was a child. He hadn't expected to find that out and it made it much more emotional for him than he had anticipated.
That was probably the bit he was most surprised by, how invested you do feel in the outcome for the donee.

It is such a fantastic thing to do, giving someone a chance of life and the process was not that difficult or problematic. I know dh would definitely be more than willing to do it again if required.

Ok - I'm signing up!! Thanks for your replies everyone. I have a slight fear of needles which is why I've never done it before, but that seems silly (not to mention selfish) after hearing from DifficultPickle. Will go on Anthony Nolan website now.

Submitted my application :)

I signed up years ago. Once got asked for bloods but didn't get a match.
I like to think if I needed it someone would help me so I should therefore be prepared to help someone else.

I signed up years ago. Once got asked for bloods but didn't get a match.
I like to think if I needed it someone would help me so I should therefore be prepared to help someone else.

Well done Home.
If you are called to donate tell them about your fear of needles as I'm sure they'll do their best to make it as comfortable as possible for you. You do get treated extremely well by the medics throughout the process as they are very appreciative of the contribution you are making.

Well done Home. Hopefully you will never be in my position but I know that I got some brownie points with the medical stafff when I told them I was on the donor list!

I'm extremely lucky that due to people like you I have two 100% matches (including same, rare, blood type) so I have the absolute best chance of making a complete recovery.