Day 1: Peripheral Stem Cell Donation PBSC

A little over 3 months ago I received a phone call. In 2007, while serving on Active Duty aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt, I had joined the registry and I was now showing up as a possible match. Would I be interested in donating bone marrow? It was something that hadn’t really crossed my mind at the time, and now that I was on the phone…. My immediate reaction was yes. I mean…. Really, the chances still weren’t in my favor. Only 1 in 500 on the registry go on to actually donate. I kept thinking to myself… I’m 30 and I am healthy (thank god) why wouldn’t I donate? This decision became more and more firm in my mind the more I knew about the patient…. despite hearing all the details of the procedure. (I am a wimp and pass out very easily). I began the process of having my blood tested, multiple times, and I was seen to ensure that I was in fact in good health and able to provide a donation. While at Georgetown Medical Center in early May my blood was tested, yet again, I received chest x-rays, an EKG, and they took urine samples. All of this ensured that I was in fact healthy enough to go through with this. It also confirmed that I was the best match for a young man living over seas who suffers from Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. In my mind… whatever he is going through and experiencing, far outweighs the poking and prodding (and the passing out) that I have experienced. It really does feel like a gift to have the opportunity to do this. To help save a life. Heck I am helping people every single day so this was just another means of doing that. I remember waiting for the results, having started my own research, and I even prayed that they would want to remove the bone marrow directly from my bone at the hip. Less blood that way… although it is more invasive. But because it’s more beneficial for the recipient, I was chosen for Peripheral Stem Cell Transplantation (PBSC). I am in Washington DC now and I will donate on Thursday. Please follow along to view my journey with me. If you would like to register or learn more about the procedure, check out these resources: http://bethematch.org/Support-the-Cau...