I just recently got back from Baltimore after donating Bone Marrow there at the University of Maryland Health Sciences Center. The reason I am writing this is to tell everyone how easy it is to donate Bone Marrow now-a-days, so if you are ever contacted to do so, you can lay that fear to rest.
I was contacted in February by the CW Bill Young Marrow Donation Center (Part of Department of Defense) because I was a possible match for a female with Leukemia. I had signed up in Basic Training about 8 years ago, and was in their database.
After a good deal of bloodwork (They mix part of your blood sample with the patients sample to ensure that their body will accept it), I was a match and they coordinated with me to fly to the DC area (There are three collection centers, all in the DC area).
They flew my wife and I to Baltimore, and put us up in the Camden Yards Marriot (3 blocks from the inner harbor, and right across the street from where the Orioles play) and paid $50 a day, apiece, per diem. We werew there for 5 nights and flew out on the 6th day. They also would have flown our child out and provided child care for him if we had wished.
The first four days, every morning we walked a block to the Hospital and I received 2 injections, one in each arm, of filgrastim. This medication super-saturates your marrow with stem-cells to make colleciton easier. Although I did experience some pain because of this (it makes your bones swell), it wasn't too bad, and they gave me percocet which totally alleviated the pain.
The fifth day, I went in for the procedure and they put and IV in one of your wrists and another in your arm. A machine circulates your blood, and takes out the stem cells and some platlets and pumps your blood cells back in. It took 4 and a half hours (which was the worst part of the whole process), and I walked out with no pain what-so-ever.
Apparently, according to the personnel there, they only drill into your bone if it is an emergency or absolutely neccessary, and then it is only about 4% of the donors. Most do the procdure that I had, the PBSC donation.
Just thought I would post this in case anyone has thought of donating or going on a donation list. Here is a link if you would like more info., or to volunteer.
http://www.marrow.org/NMDP/about_nmdp_idx.htmlSAWgunner
