There is no cutting, no stitching. The procedure involves a needle aspiration, performed using an anesthetic. Typically, the donor enters a medical center's outpatient facility in the morning and goes home in the afternoon. The collection site will feel as though you had bruised yourself in the lower back. The procedure does not preclude you from going about your daily routine, and the soreness diminishes over time.
Most people go back to work in a day or two.
The collection procedure is paid for by the patient or the patient's insurance company. You are left with the knowledge that you helped to save a life. Marrow regenerates within a few weeks. The donation does not curtail your daily activities. You can also donate again in the future if you wish.