If you match the tissue type of a patient seeking a donor, additional testing will confirm the results. You will meet with marrow donor counselors at the Blood Center who will help you make an informed decision about donating marrow. The marrow collection process usually does not require an overnight stay in the hospital. The procedure itself is painless, because it is performed under anesthesia. But, for an average of two weeks following the procedure, most donors experience sore hips and some must restrict their activities.
Most donors also report that donating marrow is a very positive experience.
Many marrow donors are willing to donate again in the future. The donated marrow is transfused to the patient, whose diseased cells have been destroyed by intensive chemotherapy. In time, the donated marrow engrafts and begins producing healthy blood cells. For four or five days before the PBSC donation, the donor is given an injection of a medication called Filgrastim to increase the number of stem cells released into the blood stream. After receiving the medication, peripheral blood stem cells are collected by apheresis, the same process to collect platelets.