When it became clear to us that Clark’s brother might have to donate bone marrow to keep Clark alive, we were very curious as to what the procedure was like, and how painful it was. So here is the low-down:
When you donate bone marrow, liquid is essentially drawn from your hip bone with a needle. This liquid contains cells that will be put intravenously into the recipient. Depending on the amount that is needed (babies need a very small amount, adults need more), and how “robust” your bone marrow is (generally based on how old you are), this may be a couple to a few pokes into your hip to draw liquid. The hip bone is the primary source for extraction, as it is the largest and easiest bone to draw from.
The entire procedure is done while under general anesthesiology, so you will be fast asleep when it happens. When you wake up, you will have an achy hip for a day or two. Somewhat like if it was bruised from a “hip check” in soccer or hockey.
And that’s it, you are a hero, and you’ve saved someones life. No long term side effects. Well, not physical ones…
Now is surgery emotionally traumatic? I would say yes. I’ve had my bicep sewn to a bolt that was drilled into my forearm. I was very nervous going into that procedure, as there was a chance I would never use my dominant hand again. And when I woke up, it was a year long recovery. Compared to that? Well, let’s say bone marrow donation is a walk in the park.
That said, surgery is surgery, and it can be emotionally traumatic no matter if it is your molars or a hip replacement. So you do have to come to terms with that. That said, for all the different acts of heroism in the world, this is definitely one of the easiest by far.