After donation
Self-care tips after donating
No two people are the same after donating. Please follow any advice given to you by your collection centre. You can also read our advice below about how to take care of yourself. The main thing is to rest and take it easy. If you’ve got any questions or concerns, please call your Donor Support Coordinator.
Click the image below to read our factsheet.
If you've donated Peripheral Blood Stem Cells (PBSC)
Most donors feel fine after donating blood stem cells, but one or more of the following symptoms can be common:
Paracetamol should help ease these symptoms.
This usually occurs around the needle sites and should disappear within a few days.
Rest and avoid strenuous activity for 48 hours after.
I was a bit tired after the donation, but it was the weekend so I enjoyed a few lazy days. I felt so lucky that I was able to give this gift of hope to a family.
Lisa, PBSC donor
If you've donated bone marrow
After the procedure, you may feel sore, have some colourful bruising and some stiffness in your lower back region. Most donors recover well and are back to their regular routine within days. However, some may take two to three weeks before feeling recovered.
From the thousands of bone marrow donations performed over the last 30 years, we know that serious complications are very rare. It’s still important you monitor for any signs of anaesthesia reaction, infection, transfusion reactions, or injury at the needle insertion sites.
Side effects can vary, but here are the most common:
Paracetamol should help ease these symptoms.
This usually occurs around the needle sites and should disappear within a few days.
Rest and avoid strenuous activity for 48 hours after.
This should subside within a week or two after donation.
Watch more below
Mononuclear Cells (MNC) Apheresis donation
Sometimes a recipient may need white blood cells (lymphocytes) from their donor. This is called a Donor lymphocyte Infusion (DLI) which is collected via an MNC Apheresis procedure. This type of donation can be requested within months of the transplant or several years later and is primarily requested to boost the patient’s recovery after their transplant.
Preparation for this is more straightforward and doesn’t require any injections. White blood cells are removed from your blood via apheresis and can take approximately four to five hours. The donation usually takes place at the same collection centre as your previous donation.
Contacting your recipient
Depending where the recipient is from and if they want to, donors may anonymously contact their recipient by writing to them. All correspondence is checked to ensure the following are met:
- There are no identifying details. If any potential identifiers are included, these details will be removed before forwarding on the correspondence
- Gifts should be limited to cards rather than items of monetary value
- Gifts of cash cannot be accepted under any circumstances
- Correspondence should not include any assumptions about religious or political views
If you have donated and would like to write an anonymous card or letter to your recipient, you can send it to us via email donors@stemcelldonors.org.au or by mail to the address below:
Stem Cell Donors Australia
PO Box K358
Haymarket NSW 1240