Questions about Stem Cell Transplant

[MISSINDI]

Our cousin is in desperate need of a stem cell transplant, and they're having a donation/drive next week to find possible matches (siblings weren't).

1. Being nearly 9 months pregnant, will they allow me to get tested?
2. Anyone know anything about the actual procedure should any of us be a match?

[Terri_A]

One of my best friends is up for a stem cell transplant too! She was easy to match, apparently, though. I will say that the process for removing bone marrow is EXTREMELY painful. They can numb your skin and muscle, but they cannot numb bone. They use a screw type device to basically drill into the bone and retrieve the marrow, which is inside the bone. The donor is the one who has the painful end. I don't know the details on the procedure they use for the recipient, but my understanding is that it is less invasive than donation.

As for you being pregnant - I think that they will test you as it is just a blood test. I have no idea if they'll let you donate while pregnant.

[Loremma]

I registered to be a bone marrow donor and that test was just a cotton swap in the mouth--inside cheek. The pamphlet that they gave me said the donating process would be just a blood "cycling" similar to dialysis. No anesthesia involved. I wonder if that would be available for you to do?

[seathyme]

Missindi, very sorry about your cousin.:( A stem cell transplant with donated cells is a scary thing. My mother is facing a transplant as well, but will use her own stem cells.

Regarding your questions, I *think* the test to determine a match is easy and non-invasive. The procedure itself I believe involves taking a drug for several days in advance of the pheresis process that Loremma mentioned; the purpose of the drug is to somehow draw your stem cells out of bone marrow and into your bloodstream (I am NOT a medical professional, so this is my lay understanding of what we were told just last week). Then you get hooked up to a machine for several hours, after which they see whether enough stem cells were extracted. If not, you return for another day and do it again. We were told that people vary in the quantity of stem cells their bodies release in this process.

I wish your cousin all the best -- what a tough thing to go through.

[Lynno1975]

You might check out the website for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society ( www.lls.org ). There's TONS of info on their site.

[BucknellAlum]

I checked out MayoClinic, as that is my go-to medical reference. Here is a link (I don't know if you are a candidate, since you would need injections of a medicine for a few days before the procedure, and that might not be allowed if you're pregnant):

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bone-marrow/CA00047

Good luck to you all!

[mbrogier]

What about giving your cousin your umbilical cord? I think those cells are good for anyone?

[MISSINDI]

Thanks heaps for the info. From what I had heard, it definitely appeared to be a very serious, painful procedure on the end of the donor. I would guess that if someone is a match, they'll want to move quickly since his health is worsening, and if I happened to be a match, that isn't necessarily an option (still have 5 weeks before I deliver, then recovery).

Mbrogier - my sister mentioned the umbilical cord thing too - I wonder if there would be enough of what they need in it to do the transplant? That would certainly be very easy.

[cchhbb]

Missindi,

I was tested while pregnant. It was just a blood type. I did offer up my umbilical cord stem cells and was told that they weren't interested in them. I don't remember the reason. I ended up banking both my sons cord blood though.

[TKay]

Interesting thought about donating your cord. I donated the cords from both my births, didn't bank them for us. I wonder why they wouldn't be interested in them for testing to see if they were a match?

[scudgal]

My brother-in-law donated stem cells to his older brother and it was completely painless. Like giving blood - and they strip the stem cells from the blood after the procedure. No bone marrow extracted. In this case, it was a perfect match, and my brother-in-law who received the transplant is doing very well a year and a half later! He was diagnosed with a very bad strain of leukemia and would have most likely died if he hadn't had this transplant. We are so grateful that it all worked out so well.

I wish your cousin the same outcome. I hope it all works out as well as it did for my brother-in-law!


Leslie

[Terri_A]

My brother-in-law donated stem cells to his older brother and it was completely painless. Like giving blood - and they strip the stem cells from the blood after the procedure. No bone marrow extracted. In this case, it was a perfect match, and my brother-in-law who received the transplant is doing very well a year and a half later! He was diagnosed with a very bad strain of leukemia and would have most likely died if he hadn't had this transplant. We are so grateful that it all worked out so well.

I wish your cousin the same outcome. I hope it all works out as well as it did for my brother-in-law!


Leslie

Yes, when I read the original post, even though it said "stem cell" my brain was thinking "bone marrow". Stem cell extraction is not a big deal at all. It's bone marrow that's excrutiating! I"m glad to hear that your BIL is doing well! I found out today that my friend's transplant has been put on hold as the Lymphoma is now affecting her nervous system and until they resolve that they will not do the transplant. It's frustrating!