After 2 weeks

Doctors usually collect blood-making stem cells from the donor just before they give them to you.

There are 2 options for collecting stem cells. It is not common for the donor to have any problems, but there are small risks with both options.

Option 1: Apheresis

Apheresis is when doctors collect the stem cells from the blood.

For 5 or 6 days before apheresis, the donor gets a G-CSF injection.

• This is medicine that causes the blood-making stem cells to expand and come out of the bones into the blood.
• It is common for this medicine to cause side effects, but these are not severe: bone and muscle aches, vomit (throwing up), nausea (feeling sick in your stomach), and trouble sleeping.

During apheresis, doctors connect the donor to a machine that collects stem cells from their blood.

• It takes 5 to 8 hours to collect the cells. Sometimes it can take more than one day.
• It can make the donor feel lightheaded, chills, numbness around the lips, and cramps in the hands.
• The donor is awake. It is not surgery.
• The donor will be in the hospital for a half day. They do not need to stay overnight.

Option 2: Bone Marrow Harvest

This is when doctors take blood-making stem cells from inside the donor’s hip bone.

• The donor is asleep during this surgery.
• Doctors put a needle in the hip bone and pull out blood-making stem cells.
• The surgery takes 1 to 2 hours.
• The donor will be in the hospital for a half day. They do not need to stay overnight.
• The donor will get anesthesia (medicine to put them to sleep). A specialist doctor will talk to the donor about anesthesia risks.
• After the bone marrow harvest, the donor can feel stiff or have a sore hip. They should be back to normal in a few days, but sometimes it can take a few weeks.