7 replies to this topic

[mcferguson]

With SCI, is it advisable to be a bone marrow donor? I signed up before my injury, but don't know if I should continue to be one.

[Trinity]

I am still on the bone marrow registry in this country. It's actually the stem cells they need from you not necessarily the bone marrow so one of the ways of retrieving this is to increase the amount of stem cells in your body then attach you to a machine that cleans skims the stem cells off and gives you your other blood components back which is obviously less risky to a person with sci than taking the marrow out the middle of your hip bones etc which could be dramatically weaker than normal.

They do ask to be informed of any major changes in health but I haven't done this. I am no longer eligible to donate blood but I have no idea about bone marrow. i guess if I ever matched up with someone they would tell me pretty quickly if I could donate or note.

[cas]

I was wondering this the other day too!!!!! As said above I decided just to stay on the register- if I was ever a match I could ask the question then!!!!!

[wheeliebear75]

I was told that I COULD donate blood. So long as my iron count was high enough to do so. I didn't & still don't take ANYTHING that is on an all the time basis.....ALL of my Rx & OTCs are "as needed". Trinity is the reason you can't donate blood because of some Rx you take or just that you HAD an SCI & "The Red Cross" (they do most of the blood donations in the U.S.) was just hungry to get their mitts on my AB+ plasma?

[Trinity]

I was told that I COULD donate blood. So long as my iron count was high enough to do so. I didn't & still don't take ANYTHING that is on an all the time basis.....ALL of my Rx & OTCs are "as needed". Trinity is the reason you can't donate blood because of some Rx you take or just that you HAD an SCI & "The Red Cross" (they do most of the blood donations in the U.S.) was just hungry to get their mitts on my AB+ plasma?

In the UK you are not allowed to donate blood if you have a spinal cord injury due to the fact you are at an increased risk of either UTI or colonisation of bacteria due to the methods of bladder management and ANY infection or potential of infection (in the UK) is a contra-indication as although the blood is leucocyte depleted there is a theoretical risk of transmitting bacteria and causing huge problems to the person receiving the blood who are usually pretty sick and immunocompromised. Bacteraemia is a significant cause of transfusion reactions and can be fatal.
NHS Blood and Transplant head our transfusion service and have really strict guidelines (although I can't find NHSBT's huge list of who can and who can't donate at the moment but I know it exists as I have seen it before!)

I'm AB+ too

[Trinity]

found it, it's a massive document to wade through! He's a tiny bit which is very relevant

Self-Catheterization:

Obligatory Must not donate:

Additional Information Donors who need to self-catheterize are likely to have bacteraemia following the

procedure. Bacteria can be a serious threat to anybody receiving blood or blood

components. This is because they can multiply to dangerous levels after collection.






source: http://www.transfusi...b_203_08_01.pdf

[Tetracyclone]

Well that settles it. we are petrie dishes on wheels.

[wheeliebear75]

Well that settles it. we are petrie dishes on wheels.

I'm lucky enough that I don't need to cath.....BUT.....of the 3 times I TRIED to donate for a young teenage girl we knew, I was only able to donate 1x as the other 2x I tried they said my iron counts were way too low. When they did take my "donation" it was done at a hospital & they took several units but then they siphoned off the plasma & gave me back the rest of it. The dad whom we knew & their whole family were terrified that the blood donations (she had something wrong with her kidneys that required plasma infusions) might have some sort of STD or blood-desease which mine doesn't since I'm in a monogamous relationship & I've never used any street drugs aka I'm not shooting up with anything using "dirty needles". I am glad I was allowed to donate at least in this instance; I didn't have any sort of bacteria in my blood, she didn't get sick, & if having to get blood donations is like playing Russian roulette at least for THAT spin no "bullet".

However.....I'm not in any big rush to donate anyway.....mostly it's because I'm such a "hard stick", but it's all "water under the bridge" anyway.

Edited by wheeliebear75, 20 October 2011 - 10:41 AM.