March 27, 2007

• I spoke with the representative from the National Marrow Donor Program this morning. We filled out a questionnaire over the phone and she told me what would happen next. Now that I've given them permission to test my blood, they are going to do more tests, and in about 6-8 weeks, they may tell me that I will not need to donate, need to draw more blood to do more tests, or ask me to be a donor. If they draw more blood, then it could be another eight weeks to see if I am the best candidate.

  I asked her a few questions about the actual process of donating marrow and she described two options. One is a needle to my pelvis, and the other is through the collection of stem cells. She said that about 70% of donors go through the latter procedure.

  This procedure includes being injected for 5-7 days with filgrastim, which causes the body to create an abundance of stem cells. On the last day, the potential donor is placed on a machine that filters the blood, collecting the excess stem cells, and returning the blood to the body. She said it usually takes 5-8 hours to collect enough stem cells. It kind of sounds like a dialysis machine. The filgrastim has flu-like side effects, and will usually cause people to miss work. The effects include bone pain, weakness, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain. If it could save a life, it's worth it.

  I also found a tiny bit more information about the girl that is needing the marrow transplant. She has myelogis or myeloid leukemia. While they couldn't release her location to me, she did say that one year after the transplant, if her parents and I agree, we would be able to meet. That would be exciting.

  She also gave me the organization's Web site address, which is http://www.marrow.org/index.html. It has a lot of useful information that I will definitely look over before I proceed. Like the Web site says, "You have the power to make a difference. To save a life. Join the NMDP Registry online and be a part of a global movement 10 million strong. And tell a friend. Do it because you care. Do it because you can."

  Finally, I asked her how she found my contact information, after nine years. I had signed up in April 1998 and had moved, changed each of my home phone number, and my cellular phone number multiple times. She told me she found me on MySpace. Imagine that.

  • 3:38 pm
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