I got the news today...I am medically cleared to donate bone marrow!
It is a tight schedule till my donation. I pretty much just have to wait for that day to arrive, and stay healthy in the meantime. During this time the recipient is being notified that there is a donor and then he/she will start the process to prepare his/her body for the transplant.
I am overwhelmed knowing that a family somewhere in this country is being presented with the news that a donor has been found. They are being presented with hope. They are thinking about me, grateful for the news and praying for me. The only word I can find to describe it is overwhelming.
The recipient needs your prayers. Please pray that the patient is able to receive the transplant and that the transplant is successful. Pray for the patient and his/her family, pray that they are granted many more years of health and happiness.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
The physical
I had a whirlwind trip to Washington DC over the weekend for the next step in the bone marrow donor process. This trip was required so that I could have a physical completed, to be medically cleared for the donation.
The registry program I am working with handled all the arrangements. They flew me direct to DC, put me up in a fabulous hotel and provided top notch meals and transportation. Not only that, but they treated me absolutely fabulously. It was a treat! They flew me out on Sunday, I had the physical Monday morning and was back home Monday night. I didn't really have time to for sightseeing on Sunday when I got there, so I spent the time relaxing and working on a paper for my MBA program. It was nice to have some quiet, peaceful time.
On Monday morning, the physical consisted of more blood tests, an EKG, chest x-ray and a meeting with a nurse practitioner. While I was there, I met a few other people in the same process as me. One guy is scheduled to have his donation the same day as mine, so I will see him again.
Everybody involved in the program was absolutely fabulous. It was a great experience. All the way down to the enjoyable afternoon spent with one of the other potential donors at the airport waiting for our flights back home.
Now we wait to hear if I cleared the physical!
The registry program I am working with handled all the arrangements. They flew me direct to DC, put me up in a fabulous hotel and provided top notch meals and transportation. Not only that, but they treated me absolutely fabulously. It was a treat! They flew me out on Sunday, I had the physical Monday morning and was back home Monday night. I didn't really have time to for sightseeing on Sunday when I got there, so I spent the time relaxing and working on a paper for my MBA program. It was nice to have some quiet, peaceful time.
On Monday morning, the physical consisted of more blood tests, an EKG, chest x-ray and a meeting with a nurse practitioner. While I was there, I met a few other people in the same process as me. One guy is scheduled to have his donation the same day as mine, so I will see him again.
Everybody involved in the program was absolutely fabulous. It was a great experience. All the way down to the enjoyable afternoon spent with one of the other potential donors at the airport waiting for our flights back home.
Now we wait to hear if I cleared the physical!
Thursday, March 6, 2014
More details
Although I got lots more details during the phone conference on Wednesday, I will most likely keep them private for now. At least timeframes, locations etc. I will share as I feel comfortable.
The phone call took about an hour. So many things were discussed. Tons more information for me to process. This time I was prepared, I took notes!
Risks were discussed. General information about the patient in need was shared. We went over the procedure and what to expect. Dates were discussed, travel arrangements were made and health questions were answered.
I will be sure to share all about it as I go through all of it.
It is my hope that by sharing, I will encourage others to consider joining the registry as well.
Be A Match. Save A Life!
The phone call took about an hour. So many things were discussed. Tons more information for me to process. This time I was prepared, I took notes!
Risks were discussed. General information about the patient in need was shared. We went over the procedure and what to expect. Dates were discussed, travel arrangements were made and health questions were answered.
I will be sure to share all about it as I go through all of it.
It is my hope that by sharing, I will encourage others to consider joining the registry as well.
Be A Match. Save A Life!
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
I am a match!
Well I thought it would be between 4-13 weeks before I received any news on the bone marrow thing.
Turns out it was exactly 2 weeks to the day.
I got a call on Tuesday. But somehow I didn't hear the phone ring. About 2 minutes later I noticed I had missed a call from a number I didn't recognize. As soon as I heard the beginning of the message I knew what it was about. The kind lady I spoke to the first time about setting up the blood draw had told me if I was a match I would receive a phone call, if I was not then they would send a letter to inform me. This message was to inform me that I was a match. So I called back right away.
I can't begin to describe the emotions you go through when you get that call. Probably, because I didn't have a chance to really process them right then...there was so much information thrown at me so quickly. I got bits and pieces of it, and then she followed up with an email confirming our appointment to talk again the next day, schedule travel arrangements and discuss the process and risks. At the time I wondered why we had to wait till the next day for all that...an then I realized shortly after that there was no way I could process it all. I NEEDED that time to let the information I had settle before I was given more.
Since I registered through this partiular Dept of Defense program, it works a bit differently than other registries. The main difference is the travel. In order to complete the donation, I am required to travel. Since there is a physical required prior to the donation, that means two different trips for me.
Anyway, she told me a little bit about the travel required and then hit me with the biggest shocker...the date the transplant would take place. Its soon, really soon! Much sooner than I would have anticipated. I guess because the first lady said the testing would take so long, and she said typically from the date of the first letter you can anticipate it happening sometime within 6 months. Well, apparently this patient has an urgent need because its a much faster timeline!
So she asked me to be thinking about the schedule and travel dates...and she emailed me all sorts of forms and information. And then I spent the next 24 hours trying to mentally process it all.
Turns out it was exactly 2 weeks to the day.
I got a call on Tuesday. But somehow I didn't hear the phone ring. About 2 minutes later I noticed I had missed a call from a number I didn't recognize. As soon as I heard the beginning of the message I knew what it was about. The kind lady I spoke to the first time about setting up the blood draw had told me if I was a match I would receive a phone call, if I was not then they would send a letter to inform me. This message was to inform me that I was a match. So I called back right away.
I can't begin to describe the emotions you go through when you get that call. Probably, because I didn't have a chance to really process them right then...there was so much information thrown at me so quickly. I got bits and pieces of it, and then she followed up with an email confirming our appointment to talk again the next day, schedule travel arrangements and discuss the process and risks. At the time I wondered why we had to wait till the next day for all that...an then I realized shortly after that there was no way I could process it all. I NEEDED that time to let the information I had settle before I was given more.
Since I registered through this partiular Dept of Defense program, it works a bit differently than other registries. The main difference is the travel. In order to complete the donation, I am required to travel. Since there is a physical required prior to the donation, that means two different trips for me.
Anyway, she told me a little bit about the travel required and then hit me with the biggest shocker...the date the transplant would take place. Its soon, really soon! Much sooner than I would have anticipated. I guess because the first lady said the testing would take so long, and she said typically from the date of the first letter you can anticipate it happening sometime within 6 months. Well, apparently this patient has an urgent need because its a much faster timeline!
So she asked me to be thinking about the schedule and travel dates...and she emailed me all sorts of forms and information. And then I spent the next 24 hours trying to mentally process it all.
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