Robin Roberts posts blog update

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Robin Roberts get bone marrow transplant

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Robin Roberts thanks viewers on day of transplant

  Eyewitness NewsNEW YORK (WABC) -- Robin Roberts thanked her viewers for their support ahead of a bone marrow transplant on Thursday.

The "Good Morning America" co-anchor sent a video message taped from her New York hospital bed for Thursday's show.

"This journey is as much about the mind as it is the body," she said in the video. "Your thoughts. Thoughts are so powerful. You've got to change the way you think in order to change the way you feel. And let me just say this lastly, I feel the love and I thank you for it. Thank you." CLICK HERE for Robin's full message.

Roberts' transplant comes after 11 days spent in the hospital and eight days of chemotherapy to prepare her for the procedure. The donor is her older sister, Sally-Ann Roberts.

In June, the 51-year-old Roberts disclosed that she has MDS, a rare blood disorder.

The transplant itself takes between 30 and 60 minutes, and Robin is being kept in room designed to keep the air as clean as possible - but she is not totally isolated. Medical staff, friends and family will be able to visit.

Even though Robin's sister was a perfect match, Robin's system will still try to attack the donor cells. Doctors will work to prevent any symptoms of graft vs. host disease - a rejection of the bone marrow transplant.

Earlier, Roberts wrote that her fans give her the courage to keep going.

LINK: SEND ROBIN A MESSAGE

Looking further ahead, Roberts noted she is luckier than many workers who become ill. She says her bosses have been generous in giving her the needed time off, and her job is waiting for her when she's well enough to return. She described herself as "very blessed."

A new section of the GMA website, GMA.Yahoo.com/Robin, will provide updates from Robin, her sister Sally Ann, her team and her doctors. There will also be a place to leave messages for her and to find information on how to become a bone marrow donor through BeTheMatch.org.

Until she returns, she also hopes you'll carry her message of Light, Love, Power and Presence. Those words come from the Prayer for Protection and are emblazoned on colorful wristbands that she and her team wear. If you'd like to show your support, those bands - with Robin's RRR initials - are available now at ShopBeTheMatch.org, and all proceeds will go to Be The Match.

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robin roberts, entertainment

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