Anne Hathaway Foundation: Bone Marrow Donation Drive

I’d love to help out, but I have a massive phobia of needles. Has anyone here actually gone through the stem cell donation process?

I have no issues with the donation process itself, but you have to undergo a blood test first, followed by a full physical screening, before they actually store your components for whenever someone might need them.
It isn't nearly as grim as people make it out to be; you simply sit at a station that looks somewhat like a dialysis machine where they draw the blood from one point, separate the necessary elements, and then return the rest back through a different arm.
There is nothing to fear here. I believe they can even extract marrow from the hip bone if needed, though I could be mistaken. I actually stumbled upon this resource which explains everything quite clearly.

http://www.redcross.org/donate

Come now, surely you aren't going to let a tiny little needle prevent you from doing something meaningful, right? They might even give you a lollipop for being brave. 😉

I can walk you through how it works, just like stormymaker24 mentioned. Basically, they hook you up to the machine via one arm—blood goes out into the device where everything gets processed—and then it flows right back into your other arm. Another way is to go under general anesthesia; from what we’ve seen, they just numb the lower part of the leg and pull out a little bit of bone marrow. You'll probably spend a day or two at the hospital and then you're good to head home. It's really not that big of a deal—my 7-year-old brother was actually a donor. Since he went through the whole thing, if he can handle it, anyone can 🙂. I'm not sure if that's the standard procedure for everyone or if they just did it that way for my brother because he's so small, but apparently, once they draw some blood, they just pump it back in through an IV. I know they wouldn't give him someone else's blood, so they just took a bag of his own a few days prior and cycled it back to him. Might sound intense, but honestly, if a 7-year-old can do it... though, hey, I don't know about that fear of needles 🙂 🙂

I'm curious about what the exact process looks like—how long does it actually take, and is it painful?

I'm considering going through with it, so I'd love to know what to expect...

Any firsthand experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Ashley Edwards57 said:I'm wondering what the actual process looks like—how long does it take, and is it painful?

Basically, I'm thinking about doing this, so I want to know what I'm getting into...

Any experiences would be appreciated... thanks in advance!

First off, you have to give blood so they can run a tissue typing test. They log your data into the registry, and if someone shows up who’s a match and needs bone marrow, they'll call you up to donate.
Everything you need is laid out right here: http://www.anne-hathaway-foundation.org/c...a/pitanja.aspx

Angela Wright said:First, you donate blood so they can perform tissue typing. They enter your details into a registry, and if someone ever shows up who matches your profile and needs a bone marrow transplant, they’ll reach out to ask if you're willing to donate.
Everything you need to know is right here: http://www.anne-hathaway-foundation.org/c...a/pitanja.aspx

Right, I get it now... and I'm actually planning on responding to their call this Tuesday at the botanical gardens.

I am curious about the actual extraction process, though—is it dangerous, does it hurt, how long does it take?

Ashley Edwards57 said:I'm really curious about the actual extraction process—is it dangerous, does it hurt, how long does it take...

the blood draw process?

yeah, it's risky, takes about 4 hours, and the pain is absolutely insane.

so many people have ended up passing out from the pain during a blood draw.

Ashley Edwards57 said:Alright, I get it... I think I'm going to respond to their call this Tuesday at the flower shop.

I’m curious about the actual extraction process—is it dangerous, does it hurt, how long does it take...

Since you didn't bother checking the link I sent you, I'll just copy-paste it here so you don't have to struggle.😉 :

How is bone marrow harvested?

Bone marrow is extracted from the pelvic bones. Since this isn't exactly a painless procedure, the marrow harvest is performed under general anesthesia in an operating room. You'll need to stay in the hospital for three days.

How are peripheral stem cells collected?

Peripheral stem cells are collected through a process called leukapheresis.

What exactly is leukapheresis?

Leukapheresis is a procedure used to separate peripheral stem cells from a donor's circulation. The leukapheresis machine works similarly to a dialysis machine. Blood is drawn from one arm into the device, where it undergoes centrifugation to isolate the stem cells, while the rest of the blood is returned to the donor's circulation through the other arm.

Is anesthesia required
for collecting peripheral stem cells?

No, the procedure is painless and there is no need for anesthesia.

Is stem cell donation limited strictly to major medical centers in places like New York City, or can you find those facilities in other parts of America too? Also—if you don't mind me asking—do you find yourself feeling incredibly weak after undergoing a leukapheresis procedure? It sounds quite intense, doesn't it?

So, I already put some thoughts down over here. 😉

I gave my brother some bone marrow... if you want the lowdown on how it went, I can tell ya more

don't even sweat it! about a week before the actual procedure, they draw like half a liter of blood and then give it right back to you while they're doing the bone marrow biopsy. it’s done under general anesthesia too... afterward, you'll just feel some mild soreness at the site for a day or two, kind of like if you bumped yourself or got a bruise. i was a donor less than a year ago, so if you need anything else, just ask!

I just donated blood and now I'm sitting here waiting... honestly, I’m pretty terrified of hospitals, but I can push through the anxiety knowing it might save someone's life somewhere out there.

stormycanyon56 said:I actually gave my brother bone marrow; if you want to hear about my own experience, I can walk you through it.

👍
Please do!

About two weeks out, they ran every test imaginable—blood work, chest X-rays, heart scans, EKG... they even pulled about half a liter of blood just to give back during the bone marrow harvest. The night before the transplant, you just show up at the hospital, chill out, and sleep through it. Then the actual transplant happens the next morning, takes maybe an hour tops, stay one more night, and boom, done. No painful procedures at all, and I didn't have any side effects. The only thing they had me do was take iron supplements right before and after to make sure I didn't get anemic. That was way back in the day though, so I doubt much has changed since then...

Did you feel completely wiped out after donating those bone marrow stem cells? How long did that exhaustion actually last? Also, I’m curious about the physical aftermath—did you end up with any permanent scarring on your hips from where they performed the harvest? And how much time did you have to spend in the hospital or on medical leave?
How long was it before you felt like your old self again?

Absolutely nothing has changed👍. Seriously though, where on earth did you get those bones from? My brother says he saw them in a dumpster behind a CVS, so I gotta know—did you end up with any little scars or anything?

I didn't even feel wiped out... just had a tiny fever that day, which they told me is totally normal. By the second day, I was feeling brand new and headed home. So yeah, you're looking at staying two nights. That little scar where they poked you? It’s basically like a tiny pimple mark. A year later, all I have are two faint spots that only I can see. Seriously, there's nothing to worry about. One professor over at Mayo Clinic who's been in the transplant game since the beginning told me that out of about 900 transplants, there hasn't been a single case of a donor having any lasting issues. Just be brave... and if you can save a life, be happy about it. It's such an amazing feeling (at least it was for me).

They pull the bone marrow right out of your pelvic bones, just a bit above the butt🙂
you end up with a tiny little puncture scar on each side, though mine's barely even visible now. Honestly, it's no big deal. I really think every healthy person should consider being a donor... it could literally save someone's life without costing you anything at all.

Does anyone know if there's a spot in RI where I can donate blood and actually get "registered" as a stem cell donor? I asked about it at a local hospital a couple of months back, but they just stared at me like I had dropped in from Mars.