Hello everyone!

I know this is hardly scooby related, and it has taken me a while to decide to write this post. Not many people here know me as I am relatively "quiet", but I bought my first scoob in '97. I also had an evo6 that is still pictured on Paul Strong's dyno site, and I am still a fan of the Subaru.

However, that's not what all this is about. It's about life. I was a healthy, fit, and fairly succesful bloke in my early thirties( like a lot of people here I suppose ) until August this year when I had a bleed in one eye, and my spleen swelled up.

Two days later I had a thirteen week sicknote with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia written on it, and life has been a bit different since then. I am on chemotherapy now, but the the only chance of "cure" for this type of leukemia is a bone marrow transplant, itself a dangerous and traumatic circus of massive chemotherapy and radiotherapy. I was however "lucky" in that my brother was a very good match, which means that I am going into hospital on 18th January, with some hope of long term survival.

There is only a one in four chance that sufferers find a donor in the family, the rest have to rely on unrelated donors for their hope. The Asian population is worse off than the Caucasians, as very few Asians sign up as bone marrow donors, and this of course means a lot of people die unnecessarily.

Which brings me to the exciting point of this. I am not writing this for myself, as I have a donor, but for those poor souls who haven't. There are only 311000 people registered on the bone marrow register, and although this may sound a lot, it isn't, as there are so incredibly many variables when trying to find compatible marrow cells.

So what does it involve, to register? Well to start with you either email or ring the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust. They send you a questionnaire and a vial which you take to the nurse at your General Practice, where you have one pinprick and an ordinary blood test done, and that's it. Your details are then stored in a database, which is searched every time someone needs a donor, and if you are lucky, you get a chance to donate some marrow and save someone's life. So how traumatic would it be to donate?

You have some blood taken out of your arm, and hey presto, done!

Please visit www.anthonynolan.com for more info.

I would be very happy if just one of you made that effort.

Thanks for listening, and accept my apologies for writing about something that has absolutely nothing to do with scoobs!

Have a Good Christmas!

Andreas Hallin

 

For those too lazy to cut & paste the link...

www.anthonynolan.com

 

Hi Kussimurran,

I'm very sorry to hear about your health problems, I'm sure that I speak for all of us when I say that I hope that everything works out and that you make a complete recovery.

My next stop will be www.anthonynolan.com

Very best of luck.

Gazza

 

Hi Kussimurran,

I've been to the site but unfortunately, I can not register because I've had Hepititas.

But that doesn't stop the rest of you. Go on ... go on ... go online.

Cheers

Gazza

 

Yep, good luck.


A.

 

The main risk, although very small, is the anaesthetic. All donors have a full medical beforehand. The main effects of 'harvesting' are short term with bruising and soreness around the site and tiredness while the marrow rebuilds. The donor may then need a week to ten days without strenuous work or activity.

While donors give their bone marrow voluntarily we believe donors should not be out of pocket. We undertake to reimburse out-of-pocket expenses and any loss of earnings incurred by the donor or his/her companion.

Perfect for all you dossers.

 

We all hope everything goes well for you.

Regards,
Shaun.

 

Good post and good luck

Luke

 

Andreas

I hope everything goes well. We've met a couple to times, including Trax (1999) when we 'commented' on a few of the cars on display!

Please let us know how you get on.

Good luck and get well soon
Andy

 

Andreas,

Good luck with everything. Please keep us posted.

I can't believe how long the list of unacceptable conditions is

All the best to you.
Kim

 

Kussimurran good luck with it.

My brother-in-law got through it with a match from his brother. I'm on the register and would urge everyone to join as well.

All the best mate

 

I wish you the very best of luck, keep us up to date

I will work on getting my asthma treatment down to under the conditions required

Michelle

 

Just signed up for the registration pack, hope I can help somebody out there.

Sorry to here what you are going through, just hope you have a nice Christmas.

SCOBY

 

Best of luck,
Have sent away for the donor information pack.

 

I'm going to register right after this post. best of luck mate, I know where you are coming from on the not at full boost tip.
astraboy.

 

Goodluck for the new year.
My fathers had this done 3yrs ago now. His age was against him and they did his "transplant" with his own stem cells in cardiff. He started his first cemo 2days before the new year and it was a hard time for all. I wish all your family well, and remember when your fed up in hospital(you`ll be in "isolation" for a while after) THAT YOUR GOING TO BE BETTER AFTER IT ALL AND ITS ALL FOR A PURPOSE.
All the best for the coming new year
Helen

 

Hi,

I'm sorry to hear about your condition. Good luck with the operation, I hope it works out.

I've been meaning to do something like give blood for a while so I have sent off for a donor information pack, with the full intention of registering. Then, for once in my life I could say I have done something genuinely useful.

Once again, I hope all goes well.

Cheers,
Tom

 

Bummer I just went to register and can't coz I have a back problem. They sure discount a lot of people.

Dave

 

Andreas, hope all goes well on the 18th.

Dave

 

Andreas,
Very sorry to hear this mate, however I tried to list myself and it says people between 18 to 40 as I am nearly 44 sadly i am to old, May I wish you all the best for January and please keep us informed, However if you think their is something that us older ones can do to help please let us know.
Merry Christmas
Colin

 

I is already on the register.

All I had to do is give a couple of blood tests.

Go on people it doesn't take a lot.

Cheers
Lee

 

Unfortunatley I am an Insulin dependant Diabetic so I did not qualify. I'll pass on the URL though.

 

I have an appointment with my doc on Friday so I will ask to see how we can tackle my asthma so that I can join...

Other than that, I am spreading the word

Michelle

 

Have tried to register but at 44 am apparently too old. This is ageism!! I can't believe that a few years makes any difference?

If there were more donors I would understand they would want to be choosy....

 

Good morning!

Thanks ever so much for your support in this, it is a good feeling when writing a difficult post on a web board for car nuts can actually lead to someone getting another chance at life!

Nice one guys!

Have a good Christmas and a fast and furious new year!!

Andreas

[Edited by Kussimurran - 12/20/2001 11:19:57 AM]