Blood Plug

[Stephenite]

Thanks for the reminder. Not that i need it really. It's looking like my brother is going in for yet another op.



Giving blood + going out on the piss = money saved!

 

[JohnHenry]

Thanks for the reminder. Not that i need it really. It's looking like my brother is going in for yet another op.



Giving blood + going out on the piss = money saved!

I'm old enough to remember when you were given the choice of a Mackeson or a Guinness after giving blood - none of this litre of water and plastic tea in those days - they reckoned the beer would get your iron level back up to where it should be after losing a "whole armful"

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

I have considered marrow donation but i've no idea how to sign up, i hear its damned painful too! still its gonna save someones life so whats a little pain.
tis only like falling off a bike and at least your pride isn't hurt

My Brother and Sister are donors (although they don't give blood, work that one out if you will) and apparently are matches for each other, but they have never found a match for me. Luckily the drug Glivec came along just at the right time, so I now have had my Leukaemia kept at very low levels by it for years, before starting on Nilotinib (I can't remember it's 'common name' currently) last December there.
Since starting the new drug, I now have the best blood results I have ever had since before diagnosis.

As for taking bone marrow hurting, well, all my brother and sister had were blood tests, but if the actual extraction process is like having a Lumbar Puncture or Bone Marrow Aphorisis, then yes, it DOES HURT!!
Actually, it is more uncomfortable than anything because your bone isn't used to feeling things inside it.

The Anthony Nolan Trust is a good place to start. I gave a blood sample in 2003 when they set up a blood drive where I was working at the time. They actually made contact recently regarding having another blood test in an attempt to find the best match for somebody who needed a donation. If I was the best match it would have meant taking time off work and spending time in London. This wouldn't have been a problem when I signed up and I would have been prepared to go through with it (no point signing up otherwise) but when I was contacted I had to decline having another test as I have three young kids and a newly disabled wife and it would have been impossible to spend any time away from home<br><br>Looking at the website it looks like they can use placentas and umbilical cords which would otherwisebe thrown away. Something to consider if you have children in future.<br>

I am sure you had good intentions, but did you ever find out what happened to the patient?? You are helping save a life after all.
If I learned that had happened to me, then I don't think I'd have been terribly impressed, considering matches for me are virtually nonexistent (which is why the family of drugs that I am still on came right at correct moment).

I'd have thought that they could have arranged for it to have been done locally and then sent to London?

 

[Ghost Donkey]

I am sure you had good intentions, but did you ever find out what happened to the patient?? You are helping save a life after all.
If I learned that had happened to me, then I don't think I'd have been terribly impressed, considering matches for me are virtually nonexistent (which is why the family of drugs that I am still on came right at correct moment).

I'd have thought that they could have arranged for it to have been done locally and then sent to London?

I spent quite a bit of time on the phone with the people at the Anthony Nolan trust. As I understand it there were several people who were asked to go for blood tests to regarding finding the best/a possible match. The blood tests were local but donations would have meant London and time away from home. Before my wife was ill our lives were arranged that I did everything bar her job and she did that a basically (ordering me around to get things and fetch and carry that she was too unorganised to sort out until the last minute and she doesn't drive/have time. A rant for another time and place) . Add to that she was in and out of hospital with different symptoms various problems with a range of mis-diagnosis so I was the only one at home with the children a lot of the time. Our nearest family is over 100 miles away and both my parents work. Her only parent lives in another country. My intentions were good when I signed up but I was in charge of my own life at the time and couldn't have predicted things would spiral out of my control in this way. I don't know what happened to the person they were looking for donors for and I sincerely hope they were able to find a donor. Going for the blood tests would have cost money to the charity and the further I would have taken it would have been worse when I wasn't able to follow through. My wife has very limited mobility at the moment and can't look after the kids on her own. I'm at home when the kids are awake and go to work when my wife is at work, usually in a wheelchair, and do all the housework and anything practical that needs doing for anyone in the house. I still train in my lunch breaks swimming and running and use a turbo in the kitchen when the kids are in bed. When I do a race it's organised that my parents are down for the day. I also have the advantage of being able to give blood at work.

 

[Melonfish]

i'll look up that anthony nolan trust thanks guys.
dispite the pain i'd be up for bone marrow donation, the important thing is you're saving a life, thankfully my home life is stable so i'll give em a shout and see if i can help.
i'm sure there's someone out there who needs my polluted tissue, billeruben irregularity aside i'm pretty normal.

 

[palinurus]

I'm old enough to remember when you were given the choice of a Mackeson or a Guinness after giving blood - none of this litre of water and plastic tea in those days - they reckoned the beer would get your iron level back up to where it should be after losing a "whole armful"

Before my time, but I always pick up some Guinness on my way home from donating.