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Don't give up
Apr. 21st, 2010 01:41 pmMy sister (who keeps track of these things far better than I do) reminded me that it was a year ago today that Mom had her stem cell bone marrow transplant. Her younger sister was the donor - she got lucky that way. But there are many people who don't have siblings, or compatible siblings, to help them with such things.
She died 60 days later from a blood infection because the stem cells didn't have time to manufacture new bone marrow. But this does NOT mean the transplant was a failure - and we should not give up on stem cell research, or discourage it in any way, or on the efficacy of transplants themselves. Many people's lives have been saved by donors. Mom knew what she was doing was experimental, and she did it anyway, figuring the research would eventually help others, if not her.
If you're not an organ donor through your driver's license, please consider becoming one. If you are able and willing to become a potential bone marrow donor, you can see the requirements through the Be the Match Foundation - you don't have to die to do it, and modern collection methods have improved greatly and are supposed to be less painful than the old days. Also please consider giving blood, platelets, and plasma through a local appropriate blood agency - Mom's life was extended by multiple transfusions, and we are grateful to those donors for that.
SOAPBOX: Mom was also a big supporter of the idea of health care reform, even though she always had health insurance through her employer or Dad's retirement insurance. She knew there were people who couldn't get the kind of care she did, couldn't afford it, and thought it was horrible. (She was also well aware there were several years when I couldn't get insurance, that may have influenced her, I'm not sure.) I'll also toss in a nod to the federal government for helping the car companies (God help me, even to Bush, who helped authorize the initial bailout), for that help is what helped keep the one Dad had worked for afloat, and kept helping fund his retiree health insurance, to pay for Mom's hospital stays and treatments. (I haven't posted about politics on this LJ in a very long while, and this is the closest I'll get today. I've been taking a break, but I'll get back to it at some point, I'm sure, whether you like it or not. *G*)
/not friendslocked because everybody needs this kind of reminder
She died 60 days later from a blood infection because the stem cells didn't have time to manufacture new bone marrow. But this does NOT mean the transplant was a failure - and we should not give up on stem cell research, or discourage it in any way, or on the efficacy of transplants themselves. Many people's lives have been saved by donors. Mom knew what she was doing was experimental, and she did it anyway, figuring the research would eventually help others, if not her.
If you're not an organ donor through your driver's license, please consider becoming one. If you are able and willing to become a potential bone marrow donor, you can see the requirements through the Be the Match Foundation - you don't have to die to do it, and modern collection methods have improved greatly and are supposed to be less painful than the old days. Also please consider giving blood, platelets, and plasma through a local appropriate blood agency - Mom's life was extended by multiple transfusions, and we are grateful to those donors for that.
SOAPBOX: Mom was also a big supporter of the idea of health care reform, even though she always had health insurance through her employer or Dad's retirement insurance. She knew there were people who couldn't get the kind of care she did, couldn't afford it, and thought it was horrible. (She was also well aware there were several years when I couldn't get insurance, that may have influenced her, I'm not sure.) I'll also toss in a nod to the federal government for helping the car companies (God help me, even to Bush, who helped authorize the initial bailout), for that help is what helped keep the one Dad had worked for afloat, and kept helping fund his retiree health insurance, to pay for Mom's hospital stays and treatments. (I haven't posted about politics on this LJ in a very long while, and this is the closest I'll get today. I've been taking a break, but I'll get back to it at some point, I'm sure, whether you like it or not. *G*)
/not friendslocked because everybody needs this kind of reminder
