Dennis' Donation Story
Post 1: Background and the Call
November 7, 2011
6:37 PM
I first signed up for the National Marrow Donor Program when I was in college. That was seven years ago. There was a representative that came to our church service who briefly explained how easy it was to get registered and the potential benefits a patient might be able to receive. The representative didn’t have any stories that are burned into my mind, but I remember the big push was to get Asian-Americans to sign up since there is a better chance for a match within ethnic groups. I found this interesting and figured the chances would be low enough where I probably wouldn’t get contacted during my lifetime. Signing up was easy enough as all they needed to do was prick my finger and I went on my way to grab some lunch.
When I think of bone marrow transplants the first image that always comes to mind is of a shirtless guy laying face down on a table. He has a blue shower cap on, a blue medical blanket on his back, and all that can be seen is his lower back which has been prepped with iodine. Lots of iodine. In the foreground is a picture of a thick, sharp, hollow needle being positioned to get some marrow.
I was contacted a few months back regarding the potential match of my blood to a patient in need of bone marrow. When I got the email and saw the subject title my heart skipped a beat and the palms of my hands immediately started to get moist. Could it be? Am I finally being called upon to donate? I was excited and scared. Excited because this could mean I would have the chance to save a life. Scared because I still remember the story of my brother’s friend giving his bone marrow for research (and $$$) and how much it hurt. The only people you ever hear actually having this procedure done are those that are sick. And people who need a transplant are super-human when it comes to enduring pain, right? That’s what I’ve always figured and admired about people who need to go through chemo/radiation for days, weeks, and months at a time. Of course THEY don’t think it is a big deal, they don’t really have a choice! (I still think they are pretty badass though)
I figured the best thing to do would be to tell my fiancée and see what her reaction would be. Instead of being worried or hesitant (like I was) her initial response was, “You’re gonna do it, right?” With that kind of confidence I couldn’t see myself not going through with the procedure, so I emailed back the center I signed up with seven years prior, to set an appointment with a blood center to get some more samples of my blood. Who knows, maybe this would be a false alarm. Through continuing discussion with my fiancée she gave me the confidence to know that this is not only the right thing to do but one of those rare opportunities of really effecting someone’s life (and the circle of people in that person’s life).
A couple weeks later I was contacted again that I was positively confirmed to be [the best] match with this patient. They couldn’t give me too much information: the person was a she, 61 years old, and suffering from acute-myelogenous leukemia. When I told my fiancée about this she told me that this sounded very familiar to the type of leukemia her friend had in college. She said he’d probably get in touch with me soon and that he was very excited. Now, knowing someone that has been on the patient-side of potentially needing a donor is one thing, but this person having the same type of leukemia, surviving, AND being a good friend of my fiancée? That struck me as much more than a coincidence. But I digress…
After a conversation on the phone with a National Marrow Donor Program representative, I was given slightly more information regarding the actual procedure, why the patient would need bone marrow, and what the process would entail. She’d also be sending me some papers that we would discuss during the weekend. She wasn’t joking. We talked for a full hour about everything inside of the packet and the forms I would need to sign to go ahead with the donation. The information was helpful and it gave me a better idea as to the whole process, but she was very clear with me, as was the pamphlet: ‘It is your choice to donate up until the procedure, however, if you choose to back out of it after agreeing, the chances are that the patient will die.’ That would probably sum up the most important message one is supposed to get out of these conversations.
The next step was to set up a physical examination at Georgetown to make sure that my blood was still good, that I’m in good health to donate, and that there was nothing else ‘wrong’ with me that would prevent me from being a donor. Once I was cleared to donate, I was told I would need to make two more appointments for giving blood and another blood draw to check for infectious diseases. Why give blood? Since the procedure requires anywhere between 10 to 50 oz of bone marrow the chances that a donor needs a blood transfusion afterwards is high. What better to give someone than their own blood? So, by giving two units of blood (one per trip) I’ll be prepared for the inevitable after the procedure.