Reflections

Reflecting back on the donation process, I had thought my experience would slowly fade into a golden nugget of a memory. Instead, it has done just the opposite and seems to grow in magnitude every time I share my experience and hear the reactions of others.

This has been an incredible experience. Unfortunately I’m not enough of a wordsmith to be able to describe it in a more grandiose fashion. I apologize for that.

The greatest challenge for me as a donor was the mental aspect. The medical requirements were a breeze to get through, they just required a bit of my time. I found myself worrying often about my recipient and wondering if anything would happen to delay, or even worse, cancel the donation. To mentally psych myself up for the donation but simultaneously prepare for the fact it might be delayed or cancelled was not easy.

As someone who likes to be in control, it was difficult to be in a situation where I had very little. The only thing within my power was to ensure I completed all of the steps I needed to as quickly as possible in order to prepare for the collection procedure. This is where I tried to focus my energy.

For those who are considering joining the registry but wonder if they have what it takes to donate, I hope reading through my experience has helped you decide to join.

For those who have received the call, congratulations! You have been handed an opportunity to experience something incredibly rare. If you have questions, talk to your donor center representative or your apheresis/blood center staff. They are there to help you through the process. Feel free to contact me with any questions you might have about my experience. Also, and perhaps most importantly; this experience, while it seems to drag on at times, will pass very quickly. Engage in the experience and treasure it.

For those who are recipients or are related to a recipient, you have the hardest part of this experience. I have absolutely no illusions about that. Us donors have the easy part. I hope that by sharing my experience you understand what your particular donor might be experiencing as they go through the donation process. I wish every single one of you good luck as you continue on your journey back to full health.

For my recipient: during the numerous blood draws I went through, I had occasionally glimpsed your patient number on the blood tubes right next to where my donor number appeared. It was a suitable analogy for the donation process, two anonymous people, represented by two numbers, completely unknown to the other. Behind each number is a living, breathing human being; a human being who feels happiness, sorrow, and joy. Human beings who have one hell of a story to tell. This was mine. I hope to hear yours one day.