Stem Cell donor issue
 

Has anyone heard of a donor not being able to make enough stem cells to harvest? My sister is a perfect match but she went to donate and on three different days she did not produce enough to even hook her up. I never even thought of the possibility. They sent her home and it sounds like my Doctor will be looking for an unrelated match.
Scott

Did they give her Neulasta? My brother, my donor, received numerous neulasta shots before harvest. I think maybe 2x per day for 5 days. Not sure exactly because I was on chemo and out of it at that time. The neulasta is suppose to increase your WBC thus increasing your stem cells that linger with the WBC.

Andrya D.,
Yes, she got shots for five days prior and the tried a sixth day. She is 65yoa, maybe that has something to do with it? I just never even gave that a thought. I never read about anyone having this issue.
Scott

Stem cells
 

My hubby did an auto about 3 years ago . . . at 67 . . . 5-6 days of neupogen/neulasta and then 6-7 days of collecting to get enough stem cells. There were several others going through it at the same time including a young man in his 20s . . . he collected enough stem cells on his first day. And there was another man . . . probably 60s . . . who had tried for auto sometime earlier and couldn't produce enough stem cells and was back with a donor. I met a woman recently who got something like 10x the amount of stem cells she needed on her first day and had the excess frozen . . . for herself later if needed or perhaps as a donor for someone else. Age could certainly have something to do with it, and it could also be just one of the differences among us.