The post-donation timeline

What happens next

Your health and wellbeing is our top priority, and the Donor Follow Up team will be in touch with you for up to 10 years after your donation! Here’s what to expect:

The post-donation timeline

The first month

• 24-48 hours: You may be feeling some side effects and need a day or 2 to recover from the donation. See our advice for managing donation side effects

• 2-3 days: We will call you to see how you are doing, answer your questions, and share more information about what happens next.

• 7 days: You will receive a survey by email to check on your recovery. It’s really important you complete this survey!

• 14 days: If you donated bone marrow (not PBSC) you may get a second email or call to see how you are doing as it can take a little longer to recover from this type of donation.

• 1 month: You’ll receive another survey by email, and it is important you return it to us. We will ask about your recovery and ask for feedback on your donation experience.  We will also ask how you feel about staying on the register and potentially donating again in future.

The next 10 years and beyond

We will send you an annual questionnaire on the anniversary of your donation at years 1-6 and then at year 8 and year 10.

We will ask how you are after donating and if there have been any changes to your health. It's really important you complete this questionnaire and tell us about any changes to your health.

Your recipient's transplant journey

The first month

• Pre-transplant: The patient will be in hospital preparing for their transplant. This entails high doses of chemotherapy and sometimes radiotherapy to prepare their body for their new cells.

• Transplant day: A volunteer courier will race to the patient’s hospital with your precious donation. Your cells will be transplanted within 72 hours, or if they were frozen they will be transplanted in the next few weeks.
  
  The transplant isn’t painful, and the patient will be awake while they receive the donated stem cells or bone marrow through a drip.

• 1-30 days post-transplant: Your healthy stem cells will be making their way to the bone marrow to grow and mature into blood cells. This is called ‘engraftment’.

• 30-100 days post-transplant: The patient’s immune system will slowly be getting stronger, but doctors will keep a close eye out for infections and complications. When they're ready they'll be discharged from hospital, but they'll still have lots of appointments and medications

1 year post-transplant and beyond

Every patient’s recovery will vary, and there may be complications or setbacks, but hopefully, slowly, they’ll be getting back to what many call a ‘new normal’. They’ll be adjusting back to family life, work, or study.

However, the long term physical and emotional effects of a transplant mean that patients will continue to need regular check-ups.