uh oh, The Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow trust want my bonemarrow...
04 June 2009, 09:07 PM
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uh oh, The Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow trust want my bonemarrow...
This has been going on for a while now, but this mornings post confirmed it.
Having been on the anthony nolan bone marrow trust register for a few years now, I had totally forgotten about it, till a letter arrived saying I had been identified as a potential match.
A few weeks later I was at their HQ in north london. 10 (count em!) vials of blood were taken:
To test me for every blood borne and auto immune disease known to man. I was so out of it after that was taken I walked for 15 minutes in the wrong direction to get home
Anyway! I get home today and there was a letter waiting for me this morning, I saw the ANBMT sticker and saw it was a thick envelope.
From my college days, where you could instantly tell what the decision was of whther you'd been accepted into the college of your choice by looking at the envelope (Thick envelope, good, thin envelope bad) I knew what the result was.
6th of July is D day, they reminded me it was entirely voluntary and the choice of procedure was down to me, but on a personal level I have no choice at all, someone will die unless I donate, so donate I will.
on the week beginning 15th of june I will undergo a full medical examination (no endoscopes please) to assess my fitness, but my blood tests were for every disease known to man or so it seemed, so I doubt I will fall at this hurdle.
The one thing I am going to do is insist a nurse takes a camera in and documents everything, It was going to happen for my appendicitus, but logistics put paid to that. I dont know why I have this morbid fascination about photographing myself going under the knife (or in this case the drill) but its a small condition which I dont think they'll have a problem with.
So yeah, 6th July, rather ironically, the day I come back from holiday. Back to the grindestone in every sense of the word eh
Wish me luck!
astraboy.
Having been on the anthony nolan bone marrow trust register for a few years now, I had totally forgotten about it, till a letter arrived saying I had been identified as a potential match.
A few weeks later I was at their HQ in north london. 10 (count em!) vials of blood were taken:
To test me for every blood borne and auto immune disease known to man. I was so out of it after that was taken I walked for 15 minutes in the wrong direction to get home
Anyway! I get home today and there was a letter waiting for me this morning, I saw the ANBMT sticker and saw it was a thick envelope.
From my college days, where you could instantly tell what the decision was of whther you'd been accepted into the college of your choice by looking at the envelope (Thick envelope, good, thin envelope bad) I knew what the result was.
6th of July is D day, they reminded me it was entirely voluntary and the choice of procedure was down to me, but on a personal level I have no choice at all, someone will die unless I donate, so donate I will.
on the week beginning 15th of june I will undergo a full medical examination (no endoscopes please) to assess my fitness, but my blood tests were for every disease known to man or so it seemed, so I doubt I will fall at this hurdle.
The one thing I am going to do is insist a nurse takes a camera in and documents everything, It was going to happen for my appendicitus, but logistics put paid to that. I dont know why I have this morbid fascination about photographing myself going under the knife (or in this case the drill) but its a small condition which I dont think they'll have a problem with.
So yeah, 6th July, rather ironically, the day I come back from holiday. Back to the grindestone in every sense of the word eh
Wish me luck!
astraboy.
nice one!! Its so nice to hear that people like yourself do these sort of things for somebody in need 
04 June 2009, 09:23 PM
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What a very worthy thing to do. Well done.
Have a read here: BBC - h2g2 - Bone Marrow Donors - a Personal Experience
Steve
Have a read here: BBC - h2g2 - Bone Marrow Donors - a Personal Experience
Steve
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04 June 2009, 10:59 PM
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Firstly - well done and my congratulations for doing this.
One of my neighbours used to be a Director of Anthony Nolan BMT and I'm sure I had a conversation with him about donating - as I assumed it would be quite an invasive procedure - but I'm sure he told me that they could now simply scavenge the marrow cells from blood (or something like that) and it was no bigger a procedure than donating blood??? I guess that's where you say you have a choice of procedures - obviously some work better than others, but are more invasive, potentially risky and possibly painful than others.
Anyway - good luck!
One of my neighbours used to be a Director of Anthony Nolan BMT and I'm sure I had a conversation with him about donating - as I assumed it would be quite an invasive procedure - but I'm sure he told me that they could now simply scavenge the marrow cells from blood (or something like that) and it was no bigger a procedure than donating blood??? I guess that's where you say you have a choice of procedures - obviously some work better than others, but are more invasive, potentially risky and possibly painful than others.
Anyway - good luck!
04 June 2009, 11:24 PM
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Firstly - well done and my congratulations for doing this.
One of my neighbours used to be a Director of Anthony Nolan BMT and I'm sure I had a conversation with him about donating - as I assumed it would be quite an invasive procedure - but I'm sure he told me that they could now simply scavenge the marrow cells from blood (or something like that) and it was no bigger a procedure than donating blood??? I guess that's where you say you have a choice of procedures
One of my neighbours used to be a Director of Anthony Nolan BMT and I'm sure I had a conversation with him about donating - as I assumed it would be quite an invasive procedure - but I'm sure he told me that they could now simply scavenge the marrow cells from blood (or something like that) and it was no bigger a procedure than donating blood??? I guess that's where you say you have a choice of procedures
Stem cell recovery from the blood stream on the other hand is just like a blood transfusion. Unfortunately, to do that, you need to stimulate the stem cells into the bloodstream and to do that you need to have several injections of G-CSF.
There have been 5 reported instances of rutured spleens after administration of G-CSF.
So for this donator it harvest. Harvest all the way.
astraboy.
04 June 2009, 11:30 PM
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05 June 2009, 09:04 AM
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Well quite! you are correct, there are two procedures, bone marrow harvest which involves my hips being dislocated and my femur getting drilled into, a litre of bone marrow getting sucked out and two weeks or so being as weak as a day old giraffe.
Stem cell recovery from the blood stream on the other hand is just like a blood transfusion. Unfortunately, to do that, you need to stimulate the stem cells into the bloodstream and to do that you need to have several injections of G-CSF.
There have been 5 reported instances of rutured spleens after administration of G-CSF.
So for this donator it harvest. Harvest all the way.
astraboy.
Stem cell recovery from the blood stream on the other hand is just like a blood transfusion. Unfortunately, to do that, you need to stimulate the stem cells into the bloodstream and to do that you need to have several injections of G-CSF.
There have been 5 reported instances of rutured spleens after administration of G-CSF.
So for this donator it harvest. Harvest all the way.
astraboy.
05 June 2009, 09:59 AM
#19
I reckon that the recepient will be up and around in no time, dancing like a spong 
AB, major respect and best wishes, I am suitably humbled by your selflessness, just think of all that Karma.
AB, major respect and best wishes, I am suitably humbled by your selflessness, just think of all that Karma.
(joke)
05 June 2009, 11:59 AM
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Sir, I tip my cap. :-) Do you get to meet the person you help ?? That would be a nice end if you do.
Tell me more about what they have to do, Im someone that believes in karma, so Im tempted myself in being a donar.
SBK
Tell me more about what they have to do, Im someone that believes in karma, so Im tempted myself in being a donar.
SBK
05 June 2009, 01:04 PM
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That leaves you with two deep puncture wounds at the top of the back of your legs and about a fortnight of being as weak as a newborn kitten as your body replaces the bone marrow.
The second is a similar to giving blood, but to encourage your stem cells into your bloodstream, they inject you with a chemical called G-CSF which leaves you weak(again) and achy.
Its much of a muchness really, but I dont like the thought of chemicals in my body so I'm going for the harvest. Like I said, the GCSF has been known to rupture spleens and I'm rather attached to mine
So its the Harvest for me. Harvest all the way.
astraboy.
05 June 2009, 01:31 PM
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It depends on what procedure I opt for. I have two options, the first is the bone marrow harvest where both my hips are dislocated, the top of my femurs are drilled into and a litre or so of bone marrow is removed.
That leaves you with two deep puncture wounds at the top of the back of your legs and about a fortnight of being as weak as a newborn kitten as your body replaces the bone marrow.
The second is a similar to giving blood, but to encourage your stem cells into your bloodstream, they inject you with a chemical called G-CSF which leaves you weak(again) and achy.
Its much of a muchness really, but I dont like the thought of chemicals in my body so I'm going for the harvest. Like I said, the GCSF has been known to rupture spleens and I'm rather attached to mine
So its the Harvest for me. Harvest all the way.
astraboy.
That leaves you with two deep puncture wounds at the top of the back of your legs and about a fortnight of being as weak as a newborn kitten as your body replaces the bone marrow.
The second is a similar to giving blood, but to encourage your stem cells into your bloodstream, they inject you with a chemical called G-CSF which leaves you weak(again) and achy.
Its much of a muchness really, but I dont like the thought of chemicals in my body so I'm going for the harvest. Like I said, the GCSF has been known to rupture spleens and I'm rather attached to mine
So its the Harvest for me. Harvest all the way.
astraboy.
It involved having injections for 5 days prior to the op to stimulate stem cell growth. The actual operation involved sitting at a harvesting machine for 6 hours solid (boy, was I dying for a pee)
The only downside I found was when the drugs were being injected, the body was filling up with stem cells and this made EVERY joint ache - so bad that I had to crawl up the stairs to get to bed and I couldn't grip anything - a bit like servere arthiritis I suppose. However, as soon as the drugs were stopped the pain went and I could move like normal.
Good Luck to you mate, the feeling you get from knowing you have helped save somebody's life is second to none
Andy
