Before: You will be seen by a nurse practitioner or physician assistant at least two weeks before your donation to have a physical exam and blood work, and to make arrangements to receive filgrastim (also known as G-CSF, a protein that causes your bone
marrow to increase the production of blood stem cells).
You will receive filgrastim injections for five days before your stem cell collection.
During: Your stem cells will be collected in an outpatient setting using a procedure called apheresis. During apheresis, blood is removed through a needle from one arm or through your Hickman catheter, the stem cells are collected, and the remaining blood
components that are not needed for transplant are returned through a needle in the other arm.
For apheresis collection, you will come to the Kraft Family Blood Donor Center. The collection process will take up to five to seven hours daily, usually for one or two days.
After: You will leave the Kraft Family Donor Center the same day you donate. You will feel tired at the end of the collection process, so we recommend that someone drive you home afterwards.
If you can, it is best to take some time off from work during the time period when you will be donating.