Bone Marrow Donation, Part 2

In early September, The Times shared the story of Waitsburg Middle School teacher and high school football coach Gabe Kiefel and his experience as a potential bone marrow donor.

After a fairly grueling screening process, Gabe was scheduled to donate, but the donation was postponed when the recipient, a 14-year-old boy with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), failed to meet the criteria for starting the procedure.

As our Sept. 3 story ended, Gabe was unsure if he would actually donate, after all. However, on Oct. 8, Gabe traveled with his wife Jessica (a registered nurse), to California for the final procedure. Here is "the rest of the story" in Gabe's own words:

We ended up flying to Calif. and had the bone marrow collection procedure on Oct. 8. We flew down on Oct. 7 and spent the day going from appointment to appointment at the Stanford Hospital Cancer Center.

That night we crashed at the hotel before 7 p.m. due to lack of sleep from the early flight and all the hustling. We were to be at the cancer center by 5 a.m. for the 7:30 a.m. procedure. I remember waking up at 7:33 and freaking out because I thought I missed the whole thing. Jessie jolted me out of my disoriented state by noting that it was 7:33 p.m., not a.m.

A taxi picked us up at the hotel the next morning to take us to the cancer center but the cab driver didn't listen and dropped us off at the main hospital. Stanford Hospital is going through a major facelift so pathways between buildings are not open.

Jessie and I took off on foot and jogged to the cancer center a few blocks away to try and make it on time. It was surreal to be jogging through sand and gravel in the dark in a strange, unfamiliar place.

After being checked in, they called me back to meet the nurse, anesthesiologist, and two surgeons. For bone marrow collection, there is a surgeon on either side of the pelvis. At one point, I warned the surgeons that my dentist once told me I have really hard bones. (I also told them that others have told me that I have big bones, but they weren't being nice.)

I asked the surgeon if he could take a picture of the bone marrow for me to see since I would likely never have the chance to see it since I would be sedated. He told me he could take a photo with his cell phone, but that he would have to destroy it after showing me because of confidentiality.

They wheeled me back and made small talk until the anesthesia took effect. At least I think the small talk ended after that. Next thing I recall is waking up in the recovery area. My nurse was very nice and told me that the surgeons had already come to check on me.

I asked if they had already shown me the marrow photo, which they had. However, I was still under the effects of the anesthesia and cannot remember seeing it.

They took two full liters of bone marrow and re-administered an autologous unit of blood. They usually try to give two units, but the timing didn't work out properly with the donation. (Autologous blood is blood previously donated by the patient who will receive it.)

When they spoke to my wife, they told her that I was telling the truth when I said I had hard bones. Usually, they make five or six punctures to the iliac crest on the left and right sides each. They only managed to make two punctures on either side. The post-op bruising also helps explain why the procedure went over by about 45 minutes.

Since I was low on fluids, it took me a long time to be able to sit up without my blood pressure bottoming out and getting nauseous. After a couple units of fluid and a snack, I was able to get up and go to the bathroom, which were the requirements for discharge.

We stayed at the hotel that night and flew out in the morning. Although I could walk decently, it was awkward navigating the airport and airplane spaces.

We made it back to Waitsburg that afternoon in time to go to the home football game. My wife would have preferred me staying home and resting, but there was no way I could have just stayed home. The players were very welcoming. I tried to help in the booth, but spent most of the second half trying not to pass out.

Since the procedure, I have had a little sciatic nerve pain, which only happens in rare cases. Nevertheless, it has been a memorable life experience. The patient for whom I have donated the marrow could not receive it immediately.

They cryo-froze my marrow until the 14-year-old boy with ALL can receive it. I have been asking for an update, but the last I heard, he has not yet received the marrow.

I am crossing my fingers and praying for his health and recovery. It is strange to have such an investment for the well-being of someone I haven't met yet. If all goes well, I may be able to meet this young man after a year.