Can smokers donate bone marrow?
It may depend on the country but in general, donations of all kinds are accepted from smokers. Drinking, smoking or coffee dependence is not seen as an invalidating condition in the UK, for example.In the UK, 40% of lungs used in lung transplants are from smokers. Despite what you may read to the contrary, there is no way to tell if lungs have been donated by a smoker or non-smoker unless they are diseased - in which case they won’t be used (they are certainly not discoloured or black). All the senior pathologists who have written on this topic state that it is impossible to tell in any way if lungs belonged to a smoker or not. The black lungs used in photos are photoshopped, or pig’s lungs (virtually identical to humans’) are dyed black and mounted as a demonstration piece for school visits and the like. They have an extraordinarily valuable propaganda value for something that is patently false.Smoking kills, but this aspect of it is a completely fabricated lie used for its propaganda effect. Much of the rest of this kind of information is equally false.
Can you donate bone marrow if you have smoked weed/pot?(will pick top answer)?
First of all, stop smoking. Yes, you can still donate but you if you are found to be suitable to donate, you want to give her clean healthy marrow! They test you for infectious diseases, and it's ok if you are on antidepressants. Just stay healthy for you and for her!
If you smoke marijuana, can you donate bone marrow?
No you can't. They will immediately test your system for drugs and will not accept anything because it can negatively affect the outcome of the recipient.
If you have herpes, can you donate bone marrow?
You shouldn’t, not only because of herpes but of all the other hidden bugs that came with it and are not detected by screening tests:Is Herpes serious? What should I do if I am infected with herpes?
Does donating bone marrow hurt?
If you donate actual bone marrow, it will be done under general anesthesia or with an epidural. It is surgery, and you will be sore for a week or so after, but the meds will keep you from feeling the pain when they actually do it. And if you were to have it done without anesthesia, yes, it hurts like hell. Interestingly, diagnostic bone marrow biopsies are done the same way, except they are taking a tiny fraction of the amount. Its such a small amount that it takes less than 30 seconds to draw the sample. So, the patient isnt given anesthesia. It is the worst pain I have ever felt in my life, and it is completely different from any pain I have experienced. But, most donations are actually peripheral blood stem cells instead of bone marrow. The donation is done the same way giving plasma or a double red cell at the red cross is done, except they are collecting the stem cells which are a type of white blood cell circulating in your blood. If you do that donation, the most pain there is, is the veinous access in your arms.
Can I donate blood, plasma or bone marrow with this blood disorder?
I have Von Willebrand's, which is a hereditary blood disorder that prevents my blood from clotting easily. The blood platelets are not effective at clotting in most situations. I've gone to the ER from just a nosebleed before -- one that lasted ten hours straight. This means I can't donate blood, right? I have a feeling if they put my blood into someone who was bleeding profusely in the ER, it'd just dilute the good blood in their system... So it'd help in some cases but not all. What about donating bone marrow, plasma, and things like that?
How painful is it to donate bone marrow?
In 1998, while in college, there was an event for military recruiting. I was 24, and a single mom of 2 young boys at the time. I had an inclination to serve and be useful. I approached the US Air Force but was turned away due to my parent status. Next to their kiosk, was Blood Source. They were looking for bone marrow match and donor. Since I can't serve my country in the military, I thought I could help someone with my blood this way. I laid down on their version of a lazy boy chair and gave them my arm to draw blood from. Then I went my merry way.A month later, I get a call from Blood Source. I was a match for a little girl with Leukemia. One early morning, month later, I was at the hospital getting prepped for the bone marrow harvest. This is the first time in my life to go under general anesthesia. I remember laying on the operating table, a big light above me, and the anesthesiologist asking me to count backwards from 10. I think I got to 9. When I woke up I was throwing up. The worst and hated feeling for me. One of the reasons I hated being pregnant. It was really bad for me, but not enough to warrant a hospital stay. I was also really sore from my lower back. I've never had this pain before. I was only 24 at the time, so my current back ailments was absent at the time. The doctor told me that they had to go into my bone multiple times because my bones were too tough. They had a hard time getting to my bone marrow harvested. There were multiple incisions and drilling, more than usual. I think I carried this pain for about 5 years. A little tap on the back by my hip caused pain — not excruciating pain, just uncomfortable pain. I felt each of the incisions when someone touched that area. Touching that area was off limits for 5 years. 20 years later, I'm pain free on that area. The only time it hurt was when I got pregnant again 8 years later. But it was a different pain. It was “I had to carry a 9 pound baby in my little frame" pain. Throwing up was even worse as it lasted a few months. The back pain lasted until I didn't have to carry the baby anymore when he was 6 years old… I would do it again if I become a match again. I am now a mom of 4 boys and a grandma to one boy. If they were really sick and needed a transplant, I would hope that someone would step up and help.The little girl I donated my marrow to is around 24 years old now. The age I was when I donated my marrow to her. I don't know if she lived. I hope she did…
Can a family member donate their bone marrow for another family member to receive bone marrow stem cell treatment?
Yes, a family member can donate bone marrow in benefit of another family member's treatment. However, it depends on genetic compatibility. For a donor to give bone marrow to a patient, both must share compatibility of at least six Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA). The HLA are protein complexes which are part of the cells of our immunologic system. HLA are the reason to why people are asked to provide saliva samples when registered as possible donors for family members; with the samples, the different types of HLA can be compared between donors and patients, until someone matches a patient.There are cases in which family members pay to know if they are genetically compatible for them to be able to donate bone marrow to family member patients. However, Be The Match Registry provides the test (a kit for saliva samples) at no cost, if the person is between 18 and 44 years old.
What are the prerequisite for donating bone marrow?
Your ability to donate bone marrow or peripheral stem cells depends on whether: Your blood type and tissue antigens are compatible with the recipient, and You are healthy enough to withstand the donation process. If you have other borderline health conditions, there’s a chance they can’t accept you as a donor. That includes heart disease, history of smoking or history of significant lung disease. In general, the safety of the donors comes first, and their health will not be compromised. That's all I know, I'm not sure how long you would have to quit for but I'm sure a doctor could tell you. You also need to see if you are a match, because even if you quit you still might not be able to donate to them.
Questions about bone marrow donation?
If you are in the US, you need to sign up with the National Marrow Donor's Program at http://www.marrow.org The site will give you instructions on how to sign up in person or via mail. You will need to provide a tissue sample, I think they do cheek swabs. If you are in a different country, search for your contries Marrow Program. I can help you find it if you need me to. Once you sign up for one, you are searchable world wide. You would however need to make sure you update your information with the registry if you move or change phone numbers and so forth. The patient needing the transplant (or their insurance) will pay all costs involved with testing the donor and the actual proceedures. You are not disqualified because you are a smoker, however some of the health issues smoking can cause could disqualify you. You will go through a thorough health screening when you are identified as a match to insure you are healthy enough to donate. And, ofcourse, by the time you get choosen you may have quit smoking, and it wouldnt matter!