Have you ever wondered what bone marrow donation actually involves?
In 90% of cases, bone marrow donation is done by “Peripheral Blood Stem Cell” (PBSC) donation, a similar procedure to giving blood. 23-year-old Brighton resident Andy McMillan talks us through his whole experience, from joining the register to donating:
After discovering Anthony Nolan and reading up on bone marrow donation, I realised that it was definitely something I wanted to do. I entered my details online and within a few days had a spit sample pot and information pack arrive though the post. I was really surprised at how simple putting myself on the bone marrow register was. All it took was for me to spit in the supplied pot and pop the prepaid envelope in a post box.
In May 2012 I got an email with the magic words “Anthony Nolan – You Are a Match”. I was really excited when I saw the email, and I called Anthony Nolan straight away to find out more. They explained that an information pack was in the post with a medical questionnaire. I went for a blood test at a local hospital and within a few minutes I had my blood vials ready to send back to Anthony Nolan.
In late January, I got a call from my Anthony Nolan representative to confirm whether I was still willing to donate. It was a strange feeling as I was looking forward to donating to help this person but at the same time was hoping they had got better and didn’t need me to donate.
After a final medical to check that I was fit to donate, I opted for the “Peripheral Blood Stem Cell” (PBSC) method of donation. This newer way seemed less invasive, pretty painless and offers the doctors the chance to obtain more stems cells than is possible with the traditional bone marrow method.
The PBSC method simply involves receiving a hormone injection once a day for 4 days leading up to the donation. When I came home from work each day, the nurses came to my house to give me the injections.
The donation was an utter breeze. The nurse talked me through everything she was doing and plugged me into the machine. It was fascinating to watch the blood going out my arm, around the various parts which separated the stem cells out of my blood, and then back into my other arm.
There was no pain what so ever, I was lying down on a nice comfy bed and could have quite easily dropped off to sleep. The donation process took dead on five hours. Throughout this time my friend and I chatted, listened to some podcasts and watched a few comedy shows.
After the donation was complete, the nurse kindly disconnected me from the machine and sent a few samples off to make sure they had obtained enough stem cells. The good news from the nurse came back that they had obtained more than enough stem cells, which meant that they had plenty to give the recipient.
Since the donation, the aftercare given to me has also been exemplary. Other than being a little tired the next day, I have been great. I couldn’t believe the difference between the images I had in my head of what donation entailed compared to how easy it actually is.
As for me, it’s a bit of a waiting game now. I have asked to be informed as to whether the process was a success or not, but can only cross my fingers and hope at this point. I know I’ve done all I can and given my recipient and their family hope as well as a real fighting chance of life. No matter what the eventual outcome is, I’m very proud of what I have done.
If you can give blood or get injections, then you can do this. For just a mere few days of your time, you can give someone and their family their lives back.
Anthony Nolan need more young men to join the register. If you are aged 16–30 and in good health, you can find out more about joining the bone marrow register here.