So I've been giving blood for a while, and my bone marrow donor information pack came today. I'm not really sure whether I want to sign up to donate yet or not. I'll have to wait 4 months anyway because they have to take a blood sample which is done when you give blood (and I did it yesterday).

The thing is, it's not always going to be painful because they can just take stem cells directly from the blood (they insert a drug to promote the increase in stem cells). They then remove some blood and run it through a machine which removes the stem cells to be used by the person needing it.

Anyway, my question is, what do you guys think I should do? Should I register my name for blood marrow donation, or not?

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"Intelligence is the ability to avoid doing work, yet getting the work done."

i heard donating your bone marrow is really painful

There better be some damn good compensation involved.

i dont ever plan on giving blood or bone marrow or bein an organ donar as i dont want my body to be mutilated with cuts when im dead

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Its not my fault everyone is too myopic for my opinions

Given blood and I plan to give marrow. It's an honorable thing to do mate, you'd be saving someone's life.

Think how you'd feel if one of your family got sick.

I think it's up to you.

But personally I think it's a really amazing thing to do. You are saving peoples lives.
And imagine if you are ever in hospital and need blood or whatever.

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I think you are brave to want to donate your bone marrow. It could be painful, though you will be all the braver for doing this.

But I happen to know a girl who survived a lesser virulent strain of leukaemia, and it was because someone like you braved the pain to give her life.

You have my full admiration!


Best,
Poppi

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Some people are like slinkies; not really good for anything but they bring a smile to your face when pushed down the stairs.

I'll be donating blood since I'm type O. I couldn't this year because I was underweight =\.

Marrow I'd done too, I work with a nonprofit organization helping 2 middle school girls with brain cancers, both of which are in the middle of a double bone marrow transplant thing. I know one of them got pretty I'll waiting for a donor. And one of my friends with cancer had one, but he relapsed a few months later with a new (previously undocumented) type of cancer and passed away. So I know how important it is that theres marrow out there for people that need it.

Organ is a definite too, I'm not going to be using my body after I'd dead, why not save a few lives.

I've registered for organs, and I'm planning on blood but I think i'd be way too scared for bone marrow.

But kudos to you.
You'd be doing such a great thing!

I think it sounds good. :]

I've been meaning to donate blood for a while now, just haven't really got round to it. :/

^same here.

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I think you should. When I am of age, if I am able, I think I will because you could be saving lives by just giving a little of yourself. One of my best friends is sick, and bone marrow donations have helped her in the past. I can't imagine what would have happened if they were unavailable. Your donation can save a father, a mother, a daughter, a son, or a best friend.

Well what would be the cons of it? All I've been hearing are pros ("you'll be helping save someone's life!"), but there has to be a reason why you didn't immediately fill in and send off the paperwork.

What the Donor Experiences

In most cases, a donation is made using circulating stem cells (PBSC) collected by apheresis. First, the donor receives injections for a few days of a medication that causes stem cells to move out of the bone marrow and into the blood. For the stem cell collection, the donor is connected to a machine by a needle inserted in the vein (like for blood donation). Blood is taken from the vein, filtered by the machine to collect the stem cells, then returned back to the donor through a needle in the other arm. There is almost no need for a recovery time with this procedure.
If stem cells are collected by bone marrow harvest (much less likely), the donor will go to the operating room and while asleep under anesthesia, a needle will be inserted into either the hip or the breastbone to take out some bone marrow. After awakening, he/she may feel some pain where the needle was inserted.

Its nothing bad at all, though the 2nd option tends to be quite painful.

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Pain only lasts for seconds.

Donations last forever.

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