Hey everyone,

its been a few days, I am still waiting for contact from Heather at DKMS Americas as to what the Patient's Doctor has found. Every day makes me more anxious for the results, I am checking my Phone everytime it vibrates or rings to see if its an email from Heather. I am scared to hear them say I am not a match, not for myself, but for the Patient. What does that mean for them?? Did they find the Match they needed? Are they still searching?? Will they be ok???

I look at my Son and I wonder if he was in the patients position(I PRAY he is NEVER in that position) would I be able to find someone like myself to donate to him?? I can't imagine what a Parent or Loved One is going through.

New Updates

Hey everyone,

Its been a few days I know but I didn't have any new information.

I do now though:)

I got an email today saying that my blood sample was received by the lab and it may now take up to 3 months for the doctor to confirm I am the best match for the patient.

I have been advised if I am selected I would have to go through a few more steps before the donation would occur those being:

1. Participate in an information session: a detailed discussion about the donation
2. Attend a physical exam: a medical exam to confirm that there will be no ill effects to myself or the patient
3. Donation

I have also been advised to speak with my family and friends about this as it is a BIG commitment.

I am very excited and I am checking my email all the time. I will update more with feelings and such later right now I have some errands to run

Talk to you all soon :)

Thanks for reading :)
Angie

Day Starts out with Waiting

Hey everyone.

Hope you are enjoying reading and also learning a few things. I hope to accomplish a few things with this blog
1. Help to inform others about the process
2. Dispel some of the Rumors that are out there about this process
3. Have a place for new donors or people interested in donation process to become informed
4. Document this process for my personal reasons
5. Have something for my son to read one day :)

I started this blog not knowing what it was going to become but I think I have figured that out. I LOVE the thought that I have a place to get my feelings down on "paper". Its in a way difficult right now for me, because I don't know anyone thats given Bone Marrow before so I have nobody to "soundboard" off of, my family and SO are trying but they are going through this for the first time as well. I am finding that they are supportive but they don't have the answers to the questions I have as they come up, which is ok really because Heather at DKMS Americas has been very helpful, she has opened up her phone number for me as well as her email so I do have direct access to her if I would happen to have a question that I can't find the answer to(which has not happened yet).

So Today is a Day of waiting so far. I keep checking my phone to make sure I have not missed something, I keep going on the computer to make sure my phone is working correctly delivering emails.

With Christmas right around the corner, I wonder if I should tell my out stretched family about whats going on right now, I don't want to have to tell them I wasn't a match this time, but I think it would be a Great Time to know about whats going on. My Grandfather died from Cancer and my Father has had Cancer(in remission) neither of them were Leukemia but they were still just as Devastating. I have known so many people touched by Cancer if not experienced themselves. So many people are claimed by this, its a VERY evil disease and has no boundaries, Anyone can come in contact with it, I think for me thats what makes this so important to me. I can only HOPE that if someone I love were to be in the position this patient is in there would be someone like me willing to give marrow to a complete stranger.

Well I have to go for now everyone. Have to get my house cleaned and then some errands to run.

I am sure I will write again soon!! Thanks for Reading.

If you have any questions for me, I will do my BEST to find the answer, please just leave them in comments on the post, in my guestbook to the right of this page or even contact me Via Facebook.

I would love to hear from the people that have checked in to read this. I will be sure to update once I hear any news as well!!

Thanks again,
Angie

Step One Complete

12:24pm 12/16/2010

Hi again everyone.

I completed my blood draw today, and while doing it I talked with a few people along the way, while doing it I realized how big this really is.

My day started out a little rough, my son was up at 5:00 Am and let me tell you that made for a sleepy mommy. Well I put on his favorite movie per his request Toy Story. We watched for a little while and then he started to play, so I thought I would lay donw on the couch for a little while and watch tv with him, well that lead to me falling back to sleep.

I woke up at 8:20...making my morning a RUSH around now. I got in the shower, with my mother on the way to pick us up. I am not only irritated that I fell asleep but now I am running late and let me tell you that I HATE to be late. I got ready in a very quick fashion and threw on a tshirt and jeans, got my son ready and my Mom took me to my appt..I was just in time...9:30...

I walked to the counter to "check in" and I advised the receptionist that I was there for a Blood Draw for Bone Marrow Donation Testing, she asked my name and then said "You are Famous around here, we have paper work all over about you" I was amazed I didn't think what I was doing would draw this much attention. On to the waiting room.

I was called back shortly after and asked if I had a "kit" with me, I advised that everything was sent ahead of time and described the box Big and White with a Red puzzle piece logo on the side.

The Nurse went to look for the box, while I was waiting my Mom asked if she should take my son out the cafeteria to wait for me there, not sure how long this would take I agreed.

So I am sitting there in a empty room waiting for the Nurse to come back, she finally did and had a rather large box with her, which contained 8 vials for my blood along with packaging to send the blood out for testing. The Nurse asked what this was for I said testing for Bone Marrow Donation, she asked me if it was for a family member, I told her "No I have no idea who the patient is." She seemed to be a bit taken back, she then asked about how I got involved and I mentioned the procedure I went through with the cheek swabs and such. She seemed very interested, we then continued with some small talk while she filled the all 8 of the vials(this was a very painless procedure, all it felt like was a bee sting).

After my blood was collected I was told by the Nurse that she would put a time on the vials along with her initials and that the carrier was already waiting to take them off for shipping to the Doctor, another nurse peeked her head in the room and said that there were specific ice packs to pack with the blood and they were in the refrigerator. I was so taken back at all the steps taken so far, I can only imagine the funding this takes (click HERE for information on making a Donation to DKMS Americas)

As I was walking out, I was told that they take great care with packages like this because its about saving lives, and I promptly responded with "You all have helped with this and are a part of this process to, for that I thank you." I left feeling like this is way bigger than me, I am just one person in the world and to think that I could possibly be saving the life of another and all the other people involved with this, all the doctors, nurses, carriers as well as many others I hope to meet along the way.

So all in all I am done with this step and waiting for the next one, I emailed Heather today to advise that the blood draw was done successful and that I was awaiting the next steps, she advised me that she would let me know as soon as she hears any new information...so again the Waiting Game begins.

Up and At Em

12-16-2010

Good Morning Readers :)

My son thinks that 5am is wake up time the past few days, so here we are...Blood Draw today at 9:30am EST. I am geared up for it but Man am I tired. I think I might try to nap with my son, we will see how well that works :)

More later :)

The Night Before

12/15/2010

Well, its 10:45pm EST time and I am watching "The Sing-Off" while thoughts of tomorrow's blood draw run though my head. Ok not so much the blood draw itself, I have been through that a few times for other reasons, but what tomorrow signifies. The thought that I will be potentially helping someone live more of their life, helping a Mother or Father not to have to say Goodbye to their child, or a child not having to say Goodbye to a Parent. I have so many thoughts about this, I am still so sure this is the right thing at the right time for me. I have been questioning what's next in my life, I have been in a rut, but for the past few days I have a new Spring in my step. I am feeling so many things that I haven't been in touch with in a long time. Don't get me wrong I am very blessed, I have a wonderful Family, an AWESOME Son, a Great Man standing next to me and supporting me, but being a Stay At Home Mom is something you would only understand if you have done it before or are doing it now, and with that comes wonderful things but a lot of time to think about things as well.

This "Gift" as others have been calling it, doesn't really feel like a gift to me, it just feels like, I hate to say it, but an everyday thing, I know it means so much to the patient that is in need, and I hope that if I am a Match for this patient, I am one day able to meet them. To think there is another person out there that is so close to me and I have NEVER Met them, its Amazing, and really humbling!

Be Right Back Dog Wants in....

oh its a cold one in Michigan tonight...where was I??? oh yeah the feelings I have I am only one person but I could change someone's life FOREVER...thats truly amazing!! Well enough for tonight...as of right now...I could get bored and write more...

Night

A Day Full of Waiting

Well today is the Day Before I go from my Blood Draw and I can't stop thinking of what the next steps will entail if this blood work comes back to match.

I am not sure if I should be excited, humble, scared, or a lot of other emotions. I know that I can't wait for tomorrows results and I am sure I will update more then :)

A Little About What I Have Learned

Ok I know there are some questions out there, I do as Well this is my first time doing this, I am in a way going blind into this, All I really know is I have a Drive to Help Someone, (Click HERE to see DKMS's Blog that has a lot of interesting Stories) and that alone is enough for me.

Here are some questions I have received, as well as the answers I have so Far:

Q: Do you know the person you are going to be Donating your Marrow to?
A: No As of Yet I have no idea if its a Boy, Girl, Man or Woman, but I do know its a Patient in need of something I have.

Q: Do you know how they take the Marrow from you?
A: I have been told there are 2 ways to Donate Marrow, the first I was told about is one that happens 80% of the time. The process called PBSC (peripheral (circulating) blood stem cell) donation which involves injections of a drug called filgrastim this drug basically increases the flow of blood forming cells from the Marrow into the blood stream. The Proceedure that takes place is called apheresis it takes the blood from one arm and then runs it through a filter to get out what is needed then the blood is returned through the opposite arm, so no blood is actually taken just the marrow that was in the blood stream this process can take anywhere from 2-4 hours depending on your body make up.

The Second way to Donate, which is done 20% of the time, is just called Bone Marrow Donation, this process involves a Surgery Procedure and Anesthesia, you are put under anesthesia and a surgeon makes an incision then takes a hollow needle and removes the Bone Marrow Directly from the Bone.

Q: Is it going to Hurt?
A: I can't imagine it would hurt any more than child birth and I survived that. I also think that the inconvience that I will be put through and the "hurt" that I may have is NOTHING compared to what the Patient and Family go through with Leukemia . I can not imagine the pain that a parent or loved one feels when they are told there is No Donor available, I would hope if someone I loved were in that position there would be a Donor Found and its is only right for me to do the same.

Q: Are you sure you want to do this?
A: I have never been more sure of something in my life.

Q: Are there Side Effects to the Donation Process?
A: I have been told that with the First method of PBSC there is some slight fatague, with the Bone Marrow Donation process, as with Any Surgery, there is a recovery time of a few weeks, a lifting restriction as well as an activity restriction. I have not been told of any side effects yet but if I am I will be sure to update this post.

Q: Why are you doing this?
A: I have a question for you...Why are you not doing this?? I am healthy, I am alive, I give thanks everyday for the gifts I have. I can not imagine not giving to someone I can help. I feel this is my Way to Give Something Back, If I can help ONE person in my life I have done my part...well I plan to do MUCH more than my Part!!!

Those are the questions I have been asked so far. Please if you have any you can comment on this post, you can find me on Facebook I am more than happy to talk to anyone about whats going on, I want to make sure that MORE people are informed about this and if possible will become a Registered Donor.

Thanks again for reading!!

A Phone Call :)

12/14/2010

After waiting what seemed like FOREVER but was really only 18 Hours, I checked my phone(it was still on silent)(also not realizing that at 7:51 PM on Monday Heather sent me and email saying she received my fax and she would call Tuesday) and I saw I missed a call from Heather. I immediately checked my voice-mail on my phone and listened to a message from Heather, stating that she received my paperwork and she would like to ask me a few questions and then talk about setting up an appointment for a Blood Draw that she could send the the patient's Doctor to confirm that I match the Patient's Marrow enough to donate.

I could not hang up the phone fast enough. I had to talk to Heather so I called her back, she asked about my current cold and if I was taking any medication for it and if I thought it was going away. I answered no medication(I don't like taking ANY if I don't HAVE to) and that yes I feel that its going away and should be gone within the next day or two.

Heather then stated that they would like to set up and appointment for the blood draw to take place. She mentioned a few places that would be able to facilitate the draw and I picked a local hospital, Lakeland Out Patient Services in St. Joe Michigan, then I selected a Day, Thursday the 16th of December 2010 and a Time of 9:30am. We then discussed a few more things, how I am feeling about this and if I had any questions as well as any Days within the next 3 months that I would not be able to donate, I mentioned the 27th and 28th of February being its my Son Jesse's Second Birthday. She acknowledged those days and advised she would let the patients Doctor know.

So thats where I stand right now. I am waiting for Thursday....I have no idea where this is going to take me but I hope that I am able to help someone!!

An Interesting Email

12/10/2010 A Friday I will never forget!

I received an email on my phone and saw "Urgent- Your a Match!" I got so excited, I was shaking, the thought of me helping someone prolong their life, I was elated. I had to log on to my Desktop to view this I just had to know more.

I got on my computer hands shaking, thoughts running through my head, "What now?" "Can I save a Child from Death?" "Can I give a Parent more time with their child and vise versa?" "Is someone going to LIVE because of me?"

I opened the email and saw instructions to Call Immediately and speak to Heather as well as review some information that was sent to me. I read through the attachments and I dialed the number. "Is this really happening?" I started shaking, I was so excited to talk to her. "What do I say?" "What is going to be talked about?"

Heather answered the phone and was very pleasant to talk to. She explained that to proceed I would need to print out the questionnaire and fill it out, then fax the information to her so it could be reviewed. I had to find a printer and fax machine ASAP, I felt a sense of urgency here something was telling me I needed to get this done and NOW. The weekend passed and I was unable to get to a printer and fax. Then Monday came, I asked my Mom to come and get Jesse and I so I could use her Printer and Fax Machine so I could get Heather the information she needed.

My Mom came (we are down to one vehicle or I would have drove myself) we had some errands to run before we went to her house, I was full of urgency, I could not move fast enough to get this done. Finally we got back to the house so I could work on this paperwork. I printed and filled out the necessary information(prior medical history and questions) and faxed it back to Heather. I then sent an email confirming that I sent the fax at approximately 5PM Monday 12/13/2010. Now to wait again :)

Well here Goes...

Hi Everyone.

I am not sure where to start but I thought this would be the best outlet for me to tell everyone about whats going on. I have found that alot of people are concerned and confused about whats going on so I am going to give you a brief run down of what has happened thus far.

Here is the beginning:)
8/23/2009
While Jesse was napping, I was watching TV, (I can't remember the show for some reason) and I was touched by a story of a Bone Marrow Donor and Recipient, they showed on the show how easy it was to become registered on the DKMS registry. So that day I went online and submitted a request for a kit. I waited a few days and my kit arrived, it came with some paperwork and to really big Que tip like sticks. The kit advised me how to swab my cheek and how to send the information back. So thats what I did. I then waited.

I am not sure how long it was but I received my Donor ID Card, I was so excited, (I didn't realize then I had taken the first steps as to how I feel today). So now what do I do....well nothing...I waited and waited and waited, not really knowing what would transpire from me sending in my sample. I continued to wait.....