Gave platelets today for the first time.

RSKY · Jul 12, 2018

Have a friend who is going to Hospice for cancer. Youngest daughter's FIL has cancer. Know a couple more having chemo. So I thought this would be a good way to help. I gave a full three units which is the most you can give. She said they would be very full units and asked me to come back if possible. Said the bigger the person the better results they have. I am 6' and 240 so they were happy to see me. Said most men gave two or three units and women one or two. People undergoing chemo usually get one unit each time. Don't know if this is true in all cases but it was the simplified explanation given to me.

The lady sticking me was good. Didn't feel the stick in the left arm. Had a little sting in the right. She insisted on putting a heating pad under my back and a blanket over me. I did get cold. Blood goes out your right arm, thru the machine, and back in the left arm. It is cold when it goes back in your arm. The entire process took around two hours. You can give once a week but they recommend two weeks between times. She said they have people who come in on a regular schedule to donate. I may schedule once a month. I am retired, two hours sitting on a recliner watching a movie is not a big deal. Some of my family may need it some day.

RSKY

Wagtail · Jul 13, 2018

Lord, I wish I could give blood again. I used to donate regularly when I was in the Navy but those dockyards/bases were always in a major city with either the full facility or a mobile clinic.

Then I got kidney cancer, which wasn't a big deal for me as they just 'popped' the bad one out. Easy peasy. But they barred me from giving blood for 5 years after that, even though I didn't have to go through any treatments other than the nephrectomy.

Now that I live in the North-East corner of Tassie, with a 4 hour round trip to where they can take donations (no mobiles), I'm buggered if I can. I'd have to stay overnight due to 'being down a pint or two'.

Oh, well.

Streetcar · Jul 13, 2018

Rsky glad to see another platelet donor.
Blood centers love their platelet donors. In Cincinnati the machines use one needle, so only arm gets chilled.
You are roughly same size as me. I usually give a triple but sometimes platelets are low and they only take a double. I can donate every two weeks, but average once a month

Bird · Jul 13, 2018

Yep, nothing to it. I used to donate every once in awhile; but not on a regular schedule. I guess the last little button they gave me was for having donated 7 gallons. I did the regular one pint in the earlier days, then the double red in later days. So I was going to try the platelets just to see what it was like, and now I've forgotten just what the reason was that they said I shouldn't; just to do the same as I'd been doing.

Complete Turf Care · Jul 13, 2018

All of you who donate blood are true heros. You are giving life to someone else. That is being very generous. Thank you....

I have given blood many times over the years, and I need to do it again. I do pass out almost every time I give. But I always warn the technicians to be prepared for me to pass out.

Yesterday, our guest speaker at our weekly Rotary Club meeting was the blood coordinator at a local hospital. She said they are ALWAYS on the verge of running out of blood.

UpstateSC_Papi · Jul 13, 2018

CompleteLawnCare said:
All of you who donate blood are true heros. You are giving life to someone else. That is being very generous. Thank you....

I have given blood many times over the years, and I need to do it again. I do pass out almost every time I give. But I always warn the technicians to be prepared for me to pass out.

Yesterday, our guest speaker at our weekly Rotary Club meeting was the blood coordinator at a local hospital. She said they are ALWAYS on the verge of running out of blood.

Morning! Fellow Rotarian here! That's a great idea on having local blood coordinator speak. I'll have to look into that. Will discuss next time I am in to donate!

YIRS

bigtiller · Jul 13, 2018

I have a sign on the back door from the blood center that says I am a 3 gallon blood donor. I have always given Whole Blood, never Double Red Cell, Platelet, or Plasma. After the paperwork is done, it takes 5 to 10 minutes to draw depending on hydration levels. And ad another 20 minutes for cookies, orange juice and bs ing with old friends.

Keep it up RSKY, it is a good thing to do and you probably slept better that night.

Streetcar · Jul 13, 2018

bigtiller said:
I have a sign on the back door from the blood center that says I am a 3 gallon blood donor. I have always given Whole Blood, never Double Red Cell, Platelet, or Plasma. After the paperwork is done, it takes 5 to 10 minutes to draw depending on hydration levels. And ad another 20 minutes for cookies, orange juice and bs ing with old friends.

Keep it up RSKY, it is a good thing to do and you probably slept better that night.

Big push for platelet donors, I have friends that do dedicated donation of platelet. With dedicated donation, you are scheduled for a specific person to receive your donation.

deserteagle71 · Jul 13, 2018

I'm scheduled to go in next Wednesday, 18 July. They only take 2 units of platelets from me, though...I weigh a lot less than you guys! Thought I was going to freeze to death the last time I did this so this time I'm going to make sure they give me a warm blanket. Never heard of getting a heating pad also but that sure sounds good to me!

Luke'sScreenName · Jul 13, 2018

Thank you sir. It is a truly honorable and selfless thing to do. There's a high probability that it will save someone's life. That, IMHO, is the definition of a heroic act.

Also, I can tell you from first hand experience that the medical community is very careful that that valuable gift is not wasted or used ineffecently.

Thank you.

RSKY · Jul 15, 2018

Luke'sScreenName said:
Thank you sir. It is a truly honorable and selfless thing to do. There's a high probability that it will save someone's life. That, IMHO, is the definition of a heroic act.

Also, I can tell you from first hand experience that the medical community is very careful that that valuable gift is not wasted or used ineffecently.

Thank you.

It is not a heroic act to sit on a couch and watch a movie while trying not to go to sleep. I put this on here to try to get more people to do the donation. I have given maybe two gallons of blood at the most. A disabled neighbor across the street from me has given more than fourteen gallons. THAT is a lot.

RSKY

Luke'sScreenName · Jul 15, 2018

RSKY said:
It is not a heroic act to sit on a couch and watch a movie while trying not to go to sleep.

RSKY

We'll have to agree to disagree I guess... :laughing:

QRTRHRS · Jul 21, 2018

I donated whole blood this past Thursday for about the third or fourth time the blood bank has been in my area and my 56 days were up again. Previously for the last couple of years my iron has been hit or miss. After trying several ideas I got onto one that is working. About a week before donating I start taking iron pills with a glass or two of orange juice daily right to the day of donation. My iron has been coming up at around 14.3-14.5.

However, that regiment makes me run to the bathroom to urinate so I could never sit for two hours.

Jim Shooz · Jul 21, 2018

Way back (about 40 years) I was called regularly and gave just over 6 US gallons until it was found that I had a predisposition to diabetes. As I recall it the needles were the size of drainpipes.

RSKY · Jul 22, 2018

If you have low iron try getting a bottle of sweet red wine and drinking about 6-8 ounces before bed every night. Doing that will increase your iron, lower your blood pressure, and make you sleep better. I did it for years then got to the point that I would either forget to buy some when I ran out or just forget to drink it. But it sure is better than taking iron pills. Been there, done that.

RSKY

3Ts · Jul 22, 2018

I need some education on blood donations. When I've given blood before, they stuck me with a needle and drained it into a plastic bag. Then a bandaid, some cookies and some OJ and back home, probably half hour at most. I was under the impression that that blood would then be separated into it's components and distributed as needed. The platelet donation sounds like they separate it while they are drawing it and put part of it back into you. Why not take the whole sample? What is the benefit here?

ruffdog · Jul 22, 2018

A double red also uses the machine that separates the red blood cells and returns other liquid back to your body through 1 needle. A person also may get cold from the cold saline fluid going into your body. The first time I was very cold but now I seldom get cold. A DR uses a smaller needle than the one used for whole blood too. The higher your iron level, the quicker the DR goes...I have good iron so they like using me. The last time I went in, one machine was not working so I just did a whole blood instead.

bigtiller · Jul 22, 2018

3Ts said:
I need some education on blood donations. When I've given blood before, they stuck me with a needle and drained it into a plastic bag. Then a bandaid, some cookies and some OJ and back home, probably half hour at most. I was under the impression that that blood would then be separated into it's components and distributed as needed. The platelet donation sounds like they separate it while they are drawing it and put part of it back into you. Why not take the whole sample? What is the benefit here?

This explain the 4 types of donations pretty well.

Types of Donations - LifeServe Blood Center

Streetcar · Jul 22, 2018

3Ts said:
I need some education on blood donations. When I've given blood before, they stuck me with a needle and drained it into a plastic bag. Then a bandaid, some cookies and some OJ and back home, probably half hour at most. I was under the impression that that blood would then be separated into it's components and distributed as needed. The platelet donation sounds like they separate it while they are drawing it and put part of it back into you. Why not take the whole sample? What is the benefit here?

Blood bank here has big push for platelet donors. They always ask regular donors if they want to try platelets.

Guidshir · Jul 22, 2018

once you give, the red cross will call you every 3 days. I've told them that they are in fact running off people who are willing by calling too often but they don't seem to care. The donation time is more than two hours which not many working folks can afford to do every week. I usually end up donating when I have time off and am still in town.