Pre transplant info

Function of Bone Marrow
Bone marrow is a soft, spongy material found inside some bones. Its main function is to produce blood cells. Immature blood cells or stem cells, produced in the bone marrow continually divide and eventually mature to become different types of blood cells. Some, however, can be found in the blood stream-these are called peripheral blood stem cells.

What is a Bone Marrow Transplant?
Leukaemia and other blood disorders interfere with the stem cell growth causing the cells to stop developing or to become defective. Eventually, the abnormal or immature cells enter the bloodstream causing the patient to become ill. Transplantation can offer the best chance of cure to patients, as it aims to replace the body's bone marrow, providing new immunity and allowing normal cell production.
The process involves destroying the diseased marrow with a combination of chemotherapy/radiotherapy and immunosuppressant treatments. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy act on cells that are dividing and are used in the treatment of cancer because cancer cells divide more often than most other cells. Once this has been achieved, the new, healthy marrow can be infused into the patient, to fill the "space" created.
The re-infusion of the marrow is relatively straight forward (it is given intravenously through a drip line, the same as a unit of blood). Understandably, it is often a major focus point for everyone involved. The cells naturally find their way to the marrow cavity where they grow over the next 2-4 weeks, providing a new source of healthy blood cells. This process is called ENGRAFTMENT.
During the interim period (whilst i am waiting for the new marrow to engraft) i will have no immunity and be susceptible to a variety of problems.
There are several different types of transplants to treat the types of disease that you have-your own circumstances will determine which transplant you have. The process of transplantation does not involve any surgery, as some people may think.

I am going to be having a MATCHED UNRELATED DONOR (MUD). This is an allogenic, matched transplant using a donor who is not a relative. Volunteers are found from donor registries, for instance, the Anthony Nolan Donor Panel. In this case the donation of marrow is anonymous.