For as long as I can remember both my parents have donated blood. From a young age I would attend the donation with them (mostly for the free biscuits) and they always explained to me what they were doing and why it was so important. Because of this I signed up to give blood as soon as I was able to and on my 17th birthday I gave my first blood donation.
During one of my donations I was asked if I would be interested in joining the stem cell register. The nurse explained a bit about it and gave me a leaflet. To be honest, I was a bit hesitant at first, after learning that it may involve an operation. When I got home, the first thing I did was ask my parents if they were on the register. Of course they said yes and explained all the reasons they believed it was important to help others if we can. Basically it was all the same reasons that I donated blood but amplified!
So after that chat with them and doing some more research I knew I wanted to join the register.
A surprise phone call
I had been on the register less than a year when I got the phone call saying I was a potential match for someone. I was so surprised!
From that first call, the team at Anthony Nolan were so supportive. They explained everything including the next steps and were happy to answer all my questions. I was 1 of 5 potential matches and I was asked to have a blood test that would be sent to a lab for further testing. I would then receive a phone call to let me know if I was the best match or not. Again, to my surprise, I got a phone call to say I was the best match! The team was very supportive and explained that at this point it's still entirely up to me if I want to continue with the donation. They also happily answered all my new questions!
The next step was for me to travel to one of the donation centres for a medical. It was explained that the medical would involve a few tests and measurements to make sure I was fit and healthy enough to donate. The Anthony Nolan team worked with me to find a day suitable to do this, they also arranged all my travel so all I needed to do was turn up and everything was taken care of!
Soon after, I received another phone call to let me know that I passed the medical exam. We also discussed some more details about the actual donation. Due to the circumstances of the recipient I was asked to donate via Bone Marrow (as opposed to PBSC). The team explained what this would involve and again were very helpful in organising dates that worked for me and arranging my travel arrangements. After a bit more chatting with the team, all my questions had been answered (again) and everything was in place for my donation!
My experience of donating bone marrow
Day 1
I arrived at the donation centre at 10am the day before the donation. I was quickly shown to my private room in the donation centre and the team there were very friendly! As the Anthony Nolan team had explained, the day before involved some more tests to make sure I was still healthy enough to donate. It also involved some waiting but there was a TV and WiFi so I was happy to just chill out. The team were regularly checking in on me to make sure I had everything I needed.
Later in the day I met with the doctors who would be performing the operation. They were very friendly and explained the procedure that would take place. They answered my last few questions and explained what I needed to do to prepare. I was asked not to eat and drink after a certain time (which was a shame as the food was tasty!) and they said the anaesthetist would come to my room at 7am to get me prepped for my donation. I tried my best to get a good night sleep but safe to say I was still a bit nervous (which is completely normal!).
Day 2
I set my alarm for 6:30am so I had time to wake up and have a shower before getting dressed in my compression socks and gown. Sure enough at 7am there was a knock at the door and the anaesthetist explained it was time to go!
We walked to a small waiting room, the whole time the anaesthetist was very friendly and chatty. I'm guessing it was to try to help with the nerves and it certainly took my mind off it a bit! In the waiting room I met some of the team that would be performing the operation and they were all very friendly and expressed their gratitude for my donation. After a short wait I was told everything was ready.
I walked through to a small room with two anaesthetists and asked to lie down. They continued asking me questions and chatting to me... And then I woke up! It was surprising how one moment you are chatting about something so small and the next moment you wake up after donating bone marrow!
As I woke up the nurse told me that everything went as planned and thanked me for my donation. After some time I was wheeled in my bed back to my room. I then spent the day in bed recovering. Once again the team was incredibly friendly and made sure I had everything I needed.
As they had explained, there were some side effects but that was to be expected and they provided some stuff to help. I felt a bit stiff in my hips but they said it should loosen up over time. At 6pm a member of the team came in and asked if I was happy to get up and try to walk around a bit. I think this was to help loosen my hips and get the circulation pumping and after all day in bed I was raring to jump up and run around! So the team helped me very slowly get up from the bed and take a few steps around the room. I spent the rest of the evening relaxing, recovering and gradually taking a few more steps each time I got up.
Day 3
The next day the team were happy with my recovery and said I was free to go. I really can't emphasise how friendly everyone was and everyone kept thanking me for my donation which felt really good!
After my donation I had a few more phone calls with Anthony Nolan to check up on me physically but also mentally. I really appreciated the time they gave AFTER the donation to make sure I was still looked after all through my recovery and beyond.
Joining the register? It's a no brainer
All my friends and family were so supportive throughout the process. My friends were very impressed about this amazing thing I was doing, and my family said they were all very proud.
I would 100% recommend joining the register to anyone thinking about it! I understand it's not for everyone but it truly is an amazing thing we can do. Words can't really express how incredible it feels knowing you have given someone a second chance of life.
Everyone at Anthony Nolan and the donation centre made the experience easy and everyone is just so friendly. A few very relaxed days of your time to give someone a second chance at life feels like a no brainer!