You Can Save a Life Much Easier than You Might Think

Hola from day 2 at the SCCA infusion center! I got news today that my blood counts look great and things are progressing well. I'm still feeling good and haven't yet experienced any side effects. 

I've had quite a few people ask me if there's anything they can do to help, to please let them know. If you're reading this, there is something you can do. 

When I used to think of blood donation, I mainly thought about significant trauma or major car accidents. The truth is that countless numbers of cancer patients depend on blood and platelet donation for their survival every day (among several other people that need blood for so many other reasons). 

Since my diagnosis, I've received about 8 or 9 units of blood and 3 units of platelets to keep my hemoglobin above an 8 and platelets above 8,000 (these are the transfusion thresholds). By the time I'm finished with treatment, this number is surely to increase. My blood type is B-. Approximately 2% of the world has this blood type, so I feel an increased appreciation for all those who donate to help keep people like me alive. O- types are also universal donors that can be used for other blood types, but from what I understand, there is a somewhat increased risk of side effects during transfusion, so they prefer to use your type, if available. 

Does any of this sound like an episode of True Blood to you too? Oh, I'll have a B- today. Tomorrow, O- might taste better. When I'm getting transfused, I kind of feel a vampire vibe and it's crazy how much better I feel even 15 minutes into the transfusion. Ironically, this time last year when I was still on maternity leave, Remi and I were hanging out watching episodes of True Blood while navigating the newborn baby world, so that gives me some laughs. 

Back to the serious stuff... if you can donate a unit of blood, I highly encourage you to do so. So many people can and will benefit from your donation, and they will also be truly thankful for it. I've donated in the past and can say that it's a relatively painless process, much like having blood work drawn but with a heavier gauge needle. Plus they give you juice and cookies after and who doesn't want that? There are always blood drives going on, or you can schedule a donation at your local American Red Cross.

In addition to blood donation, there are opportunities to become a bone marrow or stem cell donor, especially if you're between the ages of 18 and 44. I'll never be able to register for this amazing opportunity, but so many of you out there can and if you can have the opportunity to be a match for someone and save their life, I can't imagine what a powerful experience that would be. 

Approximately 70% of the people needing bone marrow or stem cell transplants do not have a family match, so they rely on the donor registry for a match. I'm one of these people and there are thousands of others out there with leukemia and other cancers. If you are of African, Hispanic, Asian, or multiracial decent, your donation is even more crucial to the survival of others, as race and ethnicity play an important role in matching HLA types between patients and donors. You could be the match for a child or an adult who may face transplant as their only option at survival. 

Be the Match provides a wealth of information about the donor process, and if you have any specific questions that you cannot find an answer to, I would be more than happy to help you get the correct information. Just leave a comment below and I can help point you in the right direction. Imagine how amazing it would be to know you could save someone's life with something as simple as a few injections and a procedure as simple as plasma donation. 

Please let me know how I can help in this process, and I hope that you will truly consider providing the opportunity to survive and provide a second chance at life for potentially thousands of people just like me.