Dennis' Donation Story

Post 2: Road to Donation

November 22, 2011
12:52 PM

That sums up the logistics leading up to the procedure. Sometimes I wonder why they make it so difficult to give. Each of these different hospitals, blood banks, blood labs are working autonomously with their own hours and their own times of availability. Trying to get to all these places without a car and being mindful of the fact that NMDP probably doesn’t have an infinite amount of donor dollars made the process harder. I know that there are probably few workplaces that would be against you taking half-days here and there to get things done, especially if you are helping to save someone’s life, but it does make it pretty inconvenient.

Since first being contacted I’ve had to go to the following:

• Blood draw to check for infectious diseases and see if I am still a match (a couple of vials of blood)
• Physical exam (a few hours requiring a full physical, chest xrays, and a few other things - including blood vials)
• Blood donation (just like giving blood)
• Blood draw - to check for infectious diseases, within 30 days of the procedure
• Blood donation (giving blood again)

They (NMDP and the patient/doctor) definitely do a great job of working with your schedule regarding the procedure date and all the blood work dates, but I had no idea it would require so many different visits to all sorts of sites.

But at the root of all this is how do I feel? Do I feel like a hero? Am I worried or scared about the procedure? For some reason, it is difficult to say. I probably won’t be nervous until the day of the procedure. As this is becoming more and more real, I realize my perspective on donating has changed from when I was first contacted to now. I think a huge factor has been the ability to talk with someone that knows what the procedure entails, the importance, and the ‘bigger picture’. Daniel, my fiancée’s friend, who had to experience the trials of fighting leukemia, has helped in this regard to demystify the donation process and anxieties that I had regarding being debilitated or unable to function well after the procedure. Of course, the support of family and friends has been incredibly powerful as well. But in the end, I think people like myself are scared because of the “unknown” of the whole procedure. I feel much more comfortable when someone can say, “Hey, I did it it and it wasn’t comfortable, but there hasn’t been any long-term effects.”

I think that’s one of the things I look forward to. After getting through this procedure and experiencing it, I will hopefully be able to explain the process and assuage any fears/anxiety that other potential donors (or better yet, people who are having qualms of signing up to the registry) might have regarding the whole process. I’d want to talk, chat, email or have any sort of dialogue with those that may be going through the donating process and those starting to take the steps necessary to becoming part of the registry.

Having the opportunity to potentially give someone more than a few days/weeks to live is not something I’ve always wanted to do. What I mean is, I never really thought I’d be at the intersection of being the right person (blood or skills) at the right place at the right time to save someone. Trying to grasp how unlikely (or likely) it is for all these things to match is difficult to comprehend. All I know is that it will feel pretty darn good once it is all done and over with. I just hope that my marrow will do some good.