register to be a bone marrow donor

Okay, www.marrow.org is the National Marrow Donor Program website which is very thorough, and I now know my options for locations to go have the tissue typing done. It still says that if I’m a match for someone, I have the option of saying no—but to me, that’s giving someone false hope.

It just seems a little overwhelming; they keep you on the registry until your 61st birthday (and I’m only 36!). I’ve never had elective surgery; it’s a scary choice. What if something happens to me—then where will my husband and daughter be??

We have a friend whose adult son is suffering from multiple myeloma and not doing well at all. A perfect marrow donor match was found for him, then in the physical exam the donor was found to have heart disease which disqualified him. Something just keeps nudging me to do this—I guess deep down I’m afraid I will be a match for him, or someone else, and I’ll actually have to go through with it. But it’s the right thing to do.