Be the Match. . . for ME!

[derylykt]

I have lymphoma and have had it four separate times. . . I had two bone marrow procedures on two different occasions - once using my own PBSC (Peripheral Stem Cells) and once from an unrelated donor. However, the match wasn't perfect, and the hybrid bone marrow I now have failed after about 28 months, sending me into a relapse of cancer. The long and the short is i need another bone marrow transplant, and I need to find a better match. You could be that match. Thousands of other patients with leukemia and other life-threatening diseases depend on the Be The Match RegistrySM to find a match to save their life. Patients need donors who are a genetic match. Even with a registry of millions, many patients cannot find a match. Donors with diverse racial or ethnic backgrounds are especially needed. To learn more, see The Need for Donors. On November 21st from 1PM to 4PM at the Millville Moose Lodge - 40 Bogden Boulevard at the Millville Airport - in conjunction with the National Marrow Donor Foundation, will be holding a bone marrow donor drive in my name. From the Be the Match site - http://www.marrow.org - What to expect
Joining the Be The Match RegistrySM is easy. Patients need donors who are between the ages of 18 and 60, meet the health guidelines and are willing to donate to any patient in need. When you come to a donor registry drive, we will explain what it means to join the registry, help you understand your commitment, answer your questions and help you through the process. All you need to do is:

• Complete a registration form with contact information, health information and a signed agreement to join the Be The Match Registr. To help you complete the form, bring along:
• o Personal identification (such as a driver's license or passport)
• Contact information for two family members or friends who would know how to reach you in the future if your contact information changes.
• Give either a swab of cheek cells or a blood sample to be tissue-typed. We'll use the results to match you to patients.
• Please also consider making a financial gift to the Be The Match Foundation. The total cost to add a new member to the registry is about $100. Your generous contribution in any amount is tax-deductible and helps make it possible for others to join.

That's it! You'll be listed on our registry where patients turn when they need a matching donor.
Donor Center: National Marrow Donor Program Northeast District Telephone Number: 860-334-6983 Drive Name: PA / Millville Moose Lodge Drive Location: Address: 40 Bogden Blvd Millville , NJ 08332 Drive Date: Nov 21 2009 Drive Time: 1:00PM - 4:00PM Map: View Map
Steps of Bone Marrow or PBSC Donation
The first step to becoming a bone marrow donor is to join the Be The Match RegistrySM. Thousands of patients with leukemia and other life-threatening diseases depend on the Be The Match Registry to find a matching donor to save their life. If a patient's doctor selects you as the best match, you will be asked to donate either bone marrow or cells from circulating blood (known as PBSC donation). Be The Match Registry is the new name for the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) Registry. If you joined the NMDP Registry, either in person or online, you are a member of Be The Match Registry and do not need to join again. Learn more about Be The Match.

1. Join the Be The Match Registry Anyone age 18 - 60 who is willing to donate to any patient in need and meets the health guidelines can join. You'll complete a short health questionnaire and sign a form stating you understand what being on our registry means. Then you give a swab of cheek cells or small blood sample to be tested, and your information is added to the registry -- join now.
2. Stay committed and available Doctors search our registry to find a donor who is a close match for their patient. If you are identified as a possible match for a patient, we will contact you. If you agree to proceed, we will schedule more testing. (For more information, see When You’re Contacted as a Possible Match.)
3. Attend an information session If you are selected as the best donor for a patient, we will invite you to to learn about the donation process, risks and side effects. Please feel free to bring a friend or family member to your information session. We will let you know if the doctor has requested a bone marrow donation or PBSC donation. Then you can decide whether or not to donate. (For more information, see When You’re Asked to Donate for a Patient.)
4. Receive a physical exam If you agree to donate, you will have a physical exam to make sure the donation is safe for both you and the patient.
5. Bone marrow donation Bone marrow donation is a surgical procedure. While you receive anesthesia, doctors use special, hollow needles to withdraw liquid marrow from the back of your pelvic bones. Many donors receive a transfusion of their own previously donated blood.
6. PBSC Donation PBSC donation takes place at an apheresis center. For 5 days leading up to donation, you will receive daily injections of a drug called filgrastim to move more blood-forming cells out of the marrow and into the bloodstream. Your blood is then removed through a needle in one arm and passed through a machine that separates out the blood-forming cells. The remaining blood is returned to you through the other arm. This process is similar to donating plasma.
7. Side effects and recovery - MARROW DONATION You can expect to feel some soreness in your lower back for a few days or longer. Most donors are back to their normal routine in a few days. Your marrow is completely replaced within four to six weeks.
8. Side effects and recovery- PBSC DONATION You may experience headache or bone or muscle aches for several days before collection, a side effect of the filgrastim injections. These effects disappear shortly after collection.
9. Follow-up We will follow up with you until you are able to resume normal activity. After that, we will call you annually for long-term follow up.
Consider your decision
Discuss your decision with your family or friends when you join the registry. You may need their support if you are ever contacted as a match. If you match a patient, your commitment to donate is very important, but you have the right to change your mind. However, a late decision to not donate can be life-threatening to a patient. Please think seriously about your commitment before joining the registry. Myths & Facts about Bone Marrow Donation
Learn the facts about bone marrow donation to help you make an informed decision about joining the Be The Match Registry. MYTH:
Bone marrow donation is painful. FACT:
General or regional anesthesia is always used for this procedure. Donors feel no needle injections and no pain during the marrow donation process. Afterwards, most donors feel some pain in the lower back for a few days or longer. MYTH:
All bone marrow donations involve surgery. FACT:
There are two ways to donate. The majority of donations do not involve surgery. The patient's doctor most commonly requests a peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) donation, which is non-surgical and outpatient. If the patient's doctor requests marrow, marrow donation is a surgical procedure, usually outpatient. MYTH:
Pieces of bone are removed from the donor. FACT:
Pieces of bone are not removed from the donor. In marrow donation, only the liquid marrow found inside the bones is collected. In a PBSC donation, cells are collected from the bloodstream in a process similar to donating plasma. For more details, see the steps of donation. MYTH:
Donating bone marrow is dangerous and weakens the donor. FACT:
Though no medical procedure is without risk, there are rarely any long-term effects from donating. Only five percent or less of a donor's marrow is needed to save a life. After donation, the body replaces the donated marrow within four to six weeks. The National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), which operates the Be The Match RegistrySM, screens all donors carefully before they donate to ensure they are healthy and the procedure is safe for them. We also educate donors, answer questions every step of the way, and follow up with donors after donation. MYTH:
Bone marrow donation involves a lengthy recovery process. FACT:
PBSC donors take the drug filgrastim for five days leading up to donation and may have symptoms such as headache, bone or muscle pain, nausea, insomnia or fatigue during this time. These symptoms nearly always disappear one or two days after donating, and the donor is back to normal. Marrow donors can expect to feel fatigue, some soreness or pressure in their lower back and perhaps some discomfort walking. Marrow donors can expect to be back to work, school and other activities within one to seven days. The average time for all symptoms to disappear is 21 days. MYTH:
Donors have to pay for the donation procedure. FACT:
Donors never pay for donating and are never paid to donate. All medical costs are paid by the patient's medical insurance or by the patient, sometimes with assistance from the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP). The NMDP, which operates the Be The Match Registry, reimburses donors for travel costs, and may reimburse other costs on a case-by-case basis. Although a donor never pays to donate, many people do contribute toward donor registration costs when they join the registry.