Bone Marrow Donation

I was recently informed that I was a match for a 74 year-old woman with leukemia in need of a marrow transplant.  It's a huge honor, but I'm confused why people keep acting like I'm doing something extraordinary. I agree that it's a good deed but if you found out that you could save someone's life, wouldn't you do it?

Its not like they are not going to have to drill into my hip or cut my leg off, so why not?  I'm going to be given a medicine for 5 days that increases my red blood cells and on the 5th day they take out the cells the same way they take plasma or blood.**

As a matter of fact if you are interested in getting signed-up, here is the link.  Be The Match

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So after I found out that I was matched to someone in need of a marrow transplant I was asked to go by the local blood bank for additional tests, which consisted of a couple of tubes of blood being drawn.

A week or so later I was told that the recipient and I were a good match and asked to drive down to Houston for a physical and more blood tests.

So Amanda and I drove down to south Houston to start the process for the bone marrow donation.  We met with a woman at the blood bank that took a couple of blood samples and showed a brief video describing the process that is in store for me and while I am not being paid for this donation, I will not be out any money for the process.  (I'm being reimbursed for travel, food, and lodging as needed.)

After the blood bank, we were sent over to the hospital for the rest of the physical which included a UA, an EKG, and a chest x-ray.  All in all, the whole process only took about 3 hours and it didn't feel like we were there that long.  Everyone involved was really nice and anytime we needed or asked for anything that were right on it.

Now I just have to wait until January 8th to start the medicine and the donation will take place on the 12th.


**The side effects of the medicine include flu like symptoms (headaches, body aches, nausea) and they said that those effects wear off after a week or so.