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Old 11-22-2003, 04:50 PM   #3 (permalink)
eribrav
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Location: upstate NY
Sledge, let me clear something up (well a few things actually).


The campus drive will only involve a blood draw. They will use your blood to do something called HLA typing. Marrow donors are selected for specific recipients based on the degree of match in their HLA types. Generally when someone needs a marrow transplant, their siblings and other family are checked first as donors. After that, if they're not a match, the lists are consulted.

By being HLA typed you are not in any way obligating yourself to do anything further.

There are now 2 ways to do a "marrow transplant". The more traditional way is to do multiple bone marrow taps from your hips. You can have either general or spinal anesthesia, and here in the States you go home same day, albeit with a sore backside. The second, newer way which is becoming more common, is called a stem cell collection. IV's are put in you, and your blood flows out into a pharesis machine (looks like a small washing machine). Your stem cells are collected and the rest of the blood is returned to you. The stem cells are then given to the recipient and find their way back to the marrow and reconstitute their marrow and immune system.
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