Marrow donation is a surgical procedure performed on a an operating table while you receive regional or general anesthesia. Marrow is removed from the back of the pelvic region with sterile needles and syringes. Prior to donation, you will receive injections of Filgrastim, a stem cell growth facter medication that increases the number of stem cells released into the blood stream. Apheresis is done at a hospital or blood center. Blood is removed from one arm and passed through a machine that sifts out stem cells before reinfusing blood into the body via the other arm.
Recovery is fairly quick.
Some bone pain and aches for several days or weeks is common. Marrow will naturally replace itself within four to six weeks. Bone pain prior to donation as a result of the Filgrastim is normal. These effects subside within one or two days after the last Filgrastim injection. But for sophomore Tiffany Miller, being a donor has taken on a new meaning.