Are there any religions against donating bone marrow or stem cells?

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I need help finding any religions that are against donating/ receiving bone marrow or stem cells (not embryonic). I need ANY, even if they're a small religion. I also need credible sources where I can find information on them and site it. I do know that all major religions are ok with donating, but I need ANY that don't. Thanks.
Jehovah Witnesses do not believe in them or blood transfusions either.  (+ info)

why can't recipients of bone marrow transplants be under anesthesia during the transplant?

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I have been told that a recipient of a bone marrow transplant can't be under anesthesia, but wasn't told why. And I can't find it anywhere. Does any one know?
I never heard of that, but no, we do not give anesthesia for this. I thought it was just a matter of getting an IV. The donors get anesthesia, though. Donating involves lots of punctures into your hip bones with a very big needle.  (+ info)

How do I find out if my family members are a match for bone marrow transplant?

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Is there any way that my family members/friends can be tested to see if they are a match to my daughter who may, in the future, benefit from a bone marrow transplant, although she is not on a list to receive one at the moment?
Currently sufferers of her disorder are responding well to bone marrow transplants and I would like to know if anyone close to us is a good match in case this becomes a possibility.
You can, but you will likely have to pay out of pocket. Siblings have the best chance at being a match, 1 in 4. Parents or children have a 1 in 8 chance. Beyond that, its unlikely that a related donor would match.

You can have as many people tested as you want, but you will be paying out of pocket. The other thing to do would be to have these people sign up for the registry. If your daughter does go forward with a stem cell transplant (the medically correct term for the transplant), they will already be on the registry and will be a part of the search.

If you are in the us, you can sign up for the registry with the National Marrow Donor's Program at http://www.marrow.org They will explain where to go or how to do it by mail. It does cost a small fee to sign up for the registry, but it is much cheeper than paying for tissue typing out of pocket. It is quite expensive.

The site will also tell you how the transplant is done and the different sources of stem cells that can be used.  (+ info)

What happens when a bone marrow transplant is needed for chronic myeloid leukemia?

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My mother may have chronic myeloid leukemia, and one of the ways of treating it is a bone marrow transplant.

Who are usually the closest matches for donors? Can children be a close enough match (usually) to be a donor?

Once a donor is found, what happens?

I am very worried, and would like to know what my chances are of being able to help my mother. I would like to know what may be in store for her, and how I can help her prepare in every way. I would also like to know how the transplant affects the donor so I may prepare, if I am a match.

Thanks for any help.
There is a non invasive way to treat CML (chronic myeloid leukemia). This is with the use of a drug called Gleevac (Imantinib). This drug targets the receptors on the CML cells and prevents them from dividing.

CML occurs as a result of a translocation of a chromosome to produce a new chromosome called the philedelphia chromosome and to produce a active protein called BCR/abl. This is a tyrosine kinase receptor which actively stimulates cells to divide uncontrollably. Gleevac targets the receptor specifically and stops the cell division.

Good luck!  (+ info)

What is involved in bone marrow donation? Can you sign up to donate it like organ donation?

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I've got an NHS organ donation card on which I've signed up to give all my organs when I die bit I want to know if I can also sign up to donate my bone marrow somehow?
Whether it be that I donate it while I'm alive or when I die.
Hi Ellie,
You don't have to die to donate your bone marrow.

Contact the Anthony Nolan Trust for full details of bone marrow donation and to have your name put on a register of donors.

If, after contacting them, you want to go on the register they will arrange for you to have a blood sample taken. This is almost painless and is risk free.

The blood will be tested and your "tissue type" will be added to your details on the register.

If you are a match for someone with leukaemia, you will be invited to donate some bone marrow. This will be done at a time and place convenient for you and you can change your mind at any time.

I won't go into the details of how the bone marrow cells are taken because it would take ages to explain everything and, if you are not a match for anyone, you will not be asked to donate.

If you are asked to donate, everything will be explained to you. There may be a little discomfort but there is no pain as you will be given an anaesthetic during the procedure. As with any anaesthetic, there is a tiny risk involved but this is not great. You will spend a very short time in hospital but will be fully recovered in a couple of days.

You can change your mind at any time but, judging from your question, you are a very caring person and I'm sure you would think very carefully before raising someone's hopes of a possible cure for their leukaemia and then disappointing them at the last moment.  (+ info)

How do you get food sponsors for events such as bone marrow drives?

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My family and a I are holding a bone marrow drive, and would like to offer anyone who shows up some food. Does anyone know how to go about getting donations from restaurants or grocery stores? Any suggestions are helpful.
Thanks.
Just approach medium-sized stores in your area, saying it is for charity and explain what it will involve. If they want recognition, you can always say the food is sponsored by them and promoter this fact on leaflets when advertising the drive or on plates serving the food.

It's a win-win situation. Smaller companies might not be able to afford to do this, but medium-sized ones are often happy to help in return for a bit of promotion. Good luck, hope it goes well.  (+ info)

How much does it hurt to get bone marrow taken out of your sternum?

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I'm getting a procdure done that requires my bone marrow to be take out of my sternum. Local anestesia will be used. How much does it hurt? Will it be sore? Will her be a scar? What should I expect? Is it better just to be put under?
A friend had a bone marrow biopsy of the hip last week.
Everytime you start to feel something , ask for more freezing.
They refreezed her about 7 times. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the worst pain, she said it was a one.
Good luck , you will be fine.  (+ info)

What are the odds of being a bone marrow match?

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After being on the bone marrow donor list for 20 years, I was contacted as being a match. Was just wondering what the chances were of being an unrelated match.
After being on the bone marrow donor list for 20 years, I was contacted as being a match. Was just wondering what the chances were of being an unrelated (not related to the reciepient) match.
I was contacted once too, but after further testing, they determined I wasn't a good match. I'm not sure what the numbers are, but I think the chances are pretty low that you'll match.  (+ info)

How does a person live after a bone marrow transplant?

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A friend has AML and will undergo a bone marrow transplant. Can she go back to her old job after the transplant? Can she live a normal life? How many years more?
HANDLING EMOTIONAL STRESS
In addition to the physical discomfort associated with the transplant experiance there is emotional and psychological discomfort as well. Some patients find the emotional and psychological stress more problematic than the physical discomfort.

The psychological and emotional stress stems from several factors. First, patients undergoing transplants are already traumatized by the news that they have a life-threatening disease. While the transplant offers hope for their recovery, the prospect of undergoing a long, arduous medical procedure is still not pleasant and there's no guarantee of success.

Second, patients undergoing a transplant can feel quite isolated. The special precautions taken to guard against infection while the immune system is impaired can leave a patient feeling detached from the rest of the world and cut off from normal human contact. The patient is housed in a private room, sometimes with special air-filtering equipment to purify the air. The number of visitors is restricted and visitors are asked to wear gloves, masks and/or other protective clothing to inhibit the spread of bacteria and virus while visiting the patient. When the patient leaves the room, he or she may be required to wear a protective mask, gown and/or gloves as a barrier against infection. This feeling of isolation comes at the very time in a patient's life when familiar surroundings and close physical contact with family and friends are most needed.

'Helplessness" is also a common feeling among bone marrow transplant patients, which can breed further feelings of anger or resentment. For many, it's unnerveing to be totally dependent on strangers for survival, no matter how competent they may be. The fact that most patients are unfamiliar with the medical jargon used to describe the transplant procedure compounds the feeling of helplessness. Some also find it embarrassing to be dependent on strangers for help with basic daily functions such as using the washroom.

The long weeks of waiting for the transplanted marrow to engraft, for blood counts to return to safe levels, and for side effects to disappear increase the emotional trauma. Recovery can be like a roller coaster ride: one day a patient may feel much better, only to awake the next day feeling as sick as ever.

LEAVING THE HOSPITAL
After being discharged from the hospital, a patient continues recovery at home (or at lodging near the transplant center if the patient is from out of town) for two to four months. Patients usually cannot return to full-time work for up to six months after the transplant.

Though patients will be well enough to leave the hospital, their recovery will be far from over. For the first several weeks the patient may be too weak to do much more than sleep, sit up, and walk a bit around the house. Frequent visits to the hospital or associated clinic will be required to monitor the patient's progress, and to administer any medications and/or blood products needed. It can take six months or more from the day of transplant before a patient is ready to fully resume normal activities.

During this period, the patient's white blood cell counts are often too low to provide normal protection against the viruses and bacteria encountered in everyday life. Contact with the general public is therefore restricted. Crowded movie theaters, grocery stores, department stores, etc. are places recovering BMT patients avoid during their recuperation. Often patients will wear protective masks when venturing outside the home.

A patient will return to the hospital or clinic as an outpatient several times a week for monitoring, blood transfusions, and administration of other drugs as needed. Eventually, the patient becomes strong enough to resume a normal routine and to look forward to a productive, healthy life.

LIFE AFTER TRANSPLANT
It can take as long as a year for the new bone marrow to function normally. Patients are closely monitored during this time to identify any infections or complications that may develop.

Life after transplant can be both exhilarating and worrisome. On the one hand, it's exciting to be alive after being so close to death. Most patients find their quality of life improved after transplant.

Nonetheless, there is always the worry that relapse will occur. Furthermore, innocent statements or events can sometimes conjure up unpleasant memories of the transplant experience long after the patient has recovered. It can take a long time for the patient to come to grips with these difficulties.  (+ info)

How old must a person be to give a bone marrow donation?

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I am 17 years old (18 at the end of this month) and I would like to, if possible, give a bone marrow donation. I do not know if I am too young and my bones are mature enough yet or not.
as long as you are of sound mind and body, and understand the decision you are making, you can volunteer to be tested as a candidate for donation. Im not sure if you are trying to donate to the national registry for just anyone, or if you are trying to help a friend. In the case of a friend, you will go through some dna testing to see how compatible you are to that person before the donation will ever occur. at 17 I doubt you will have any resistance by a medical staff in your decision to donate. you are old enough to understand what you are doing and of sound mind and body. And not sure how it works, but I know through the Hippa laws (which are laws set by the government regulating health information) at 14 we consider you capable of desiding who has access to your medical info. So technically parents dont have to know if your able to do this on your own (driving around etc) In the case of expenses, if your donating to a friend, their insurance pays for everything, as far as I understand it. so good luck!!  (+ info)

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