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Bone Marrow
& Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Donor Preparation
Step 7: If a
recipient is found, you are considered a 'potential match.' You
then get another test, an HLA DR, DQ Typing (Class II Antigens), which
you do not have to pay for this time. If you are a match yet again
you begin your physical and other tests to ready yourself for the
aspiration procedure. You may choose to back out at anytime but
please know that after the recipient begins chemotherapy/radiation
therapy their immune system will be gone. They will be in
dire need of your bone marrow and you could essentially contribute to
their death should you choose to back out at this time. Not trying
to pressure you, but it is a big responsibility and I want you to know
the reality of it.
Step 8: You
may either fly to the area where the recipient is or have the procedure
in your hometown and your bone marrow is flown to the recipient after
aspiration and cleaning (filtering for bone fragments). Bone
Marrow Donor Preparation
As with all
surgeries, you need to prepare. After the match has been made and
you are scheduled to donate you are told to STAY HEALTHY! This
means during the recipient's chemo/radiation therapy time you need to not
be endangering yourself in any way, this means no racing motorcycles, no
skydiving, no getting sick--no high risk living. If anything happens
to you, even if you get a common cold, you may not be able to donate and
your recipient is depending upon you and could die if they are unable to
get matched marrow. I know this is a huge responsibility
but it is such a small sacrifice in the end.
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peripheral
stem cell donation 