Donated Plasma today!

[TehLemur]

(If reading about medical things makes you sick, don't read on and stuff)

So I took a shot at donating something today, and it was plasma. For those who don't know Plasma is a substance within your blood that can be used as medicine to treat others. The donation centers compensate you for your time in doing so, but I did it more for the good cause.

Let me tell you, it was really weird. I have never had any health issues so I never knew what it was like getting blood drawn, and then receiving the blood back, and I don't think I was properly prepared for it today due to stress of the past few weeks (finals for college) and nervousness. Since I'm small they took the smallest amount registered, 690ml, I listened and sat down and prepared.
It got to me lol, I don't know who else has donated, tell me how you felt if you had, but I got messed at the very beginning. After they inserted the needle and began to draw I began to nauseate and whatnot, and eventually puked a little in about five minutes XD, but after that I was fine. The ending of the cycles is usually the worst they said, but I ran through it with little problems, just felt really weird and numb in my left hand and had to use the restroom (both 1 and 2) really really bad XD. All in all it was a fun experience, and I plan on going back soon, once finals are over and I can relax more so that I am not so tense when doing it.

Share any of your donation, transfusion stories, I'd like to know how it went for any of you guys!

 

[SingularPoint]

I can't donate blood, without parent's agreement (darn you age limits!!!!!) but I'm totally going into it. Good cause, money and free juice at the end.

 

[lplkassm]

I donated blood during my senior year of high school for someone's Senior Project.

She got the American Red Cross to come to our school, post up in the gym, and drew blood from some 400 students.

It was well worth it because I got cookies (which I LOVE), and I got out of Chemistry

 

[DanJK]

I thought you meant a Plasma TV but after reading this, you had a much better thing to donate
Its good your showing an interest in helping get medicine for others and I hope to one day when I am old enough to do the same.

 

[Tee Hee Hee]

I've given blood in South Africa while out there on my gap year, but the UK where I live won't let me and guess why... "drum roll" because I've been to South Africa too recently "sigh"

But back to your point Lemur, well done for doing it...probably should have eaten more before it. Not heard of that many people being sick during donation so sorry to hear that and yeah, everyone who is healthy should do it. So many people every day need both blood and plasma to help with a whole range of conditions/medical events ranging from cancer to trauma to clotting disorders to child birth and I could go on...

Go donate people, take an hour out of your day to save someones life!

How cool does that sound?

 

[AnotherAsian]

for a second there, I thought you donated plasmIDS. Not plasma...

I was like "You cant give away superpowers!"

 

[ManBearPig]

When I was still in school a Donor bus would come every couple months...You got a sweet T-shirt and a soda AND you got outa class for like an hour...Sweet deal

 

[Rolling Bluestar]

Yeah I used to donate plasma for a straight year twice a week, but had to stop because I got a new tattoo and plan on getting another one soon (Can't donate for a year after you get a tatoo). But it's a great thing to do and the center in our town gives you money for doing it too . Here's the link to see if theres one near you, so you can donate and make a buck : http://www.biotestpharma.com/products/plasma/locations.html

 

[Altec]

I will when I am old enough, which is next year. My brother donated in previous years at our school's drive, but couldn't this year since we traveled to the Dominican Republic this year.

If you have O type blood you should definitely donate. I believe that is the most needed, but I'm not 100% sure.

 

[IngeniusDodo]

I've yet to donate, but I've had more than my fair share of blood removed for testing.

If you have O type blood you should definitely donate. I believe that is the most needed, but I'm not 100% sure.

It's not that it's the most needed, but it's the most valuable blood type, in terms of donors. Type O blood can be accepted by virtually every single blood type, because the blood contains no antigens. So type O can help types O, A, B, and AB. However, a person with type O can't receive blood from any type other than another type O. Conversely, AB is the best receiver (accepts all), but the worst donor (donates only to AB). However, AB is much more common than O, so it's still a valuable donor type.

And, frankly, blood banks have so little in reserve that people should donate regardless of the blood type, barring potential for infection, etc.

for a second there, I thought you donated plasmIDS. Not plasma...

I was like "You cant give away superpowers!"

I'd be more concerned with how he got powers to give away.

I thought you meant a Plasma TV but after reading this, you had a much better thing to donate
Its good your showing an interest in helping get medicine for others and I hope to one day when I am old enough to do the same.

Don't feel bad. I first read it as "detonated plasma", and thought he was talking about the fourth state of matter.

 

[Tee Hee Hee]

It's not that it's the most needed, but it's the most valuable blood type, in terms of donors. Type O blood can be accepted by virtually every single blood type, because the blood contains no antigens. So type O can help types O, A, B, and AB. However, a person with type O can't receive blood from any type other than another type O. Conversely, AB is the best receiver (accepts all), but the worst donor (donates only to AB). However, AB is much more common than O, so it's still a valuable donor type.

And, frankly, blood banks have so little in reserve that people should donate regardless of the blood type, barring potential for infection, etc.

If you're only looking at the ABO system yes, however someone who is O but also Rhesus group positive shouldn't give blood to people who are Rhesus group negative. I just thought you'd like to know that there are other groups than the ABO one when it comes to cross matching blood. Knowledge is almost never useless...

 

[XXzz-Trauma-zzXX]

Nice man, I would give blood at my school but they are all volunteers and people i know say they miss alot and whatnot, Id rather have someone do it right, over turn me into a pin cushion

 

[TehLemur]

I've given blood in South Africa while out there on my gap year, but the UK where I live won't let me and guess why... "drum roll" because I've been to South Africa too recently "sigh"

But back to your point Lemur, well done for doing it...probably should have eaten more before it. Not heard of that many people being sick during donation so sorry to hear that and yeah, everyone who is healthy should do it. So many people every day need both blood and plasma to help with a whole range of conditions/medical events ranging from cancer to trauma to clotting disorders to child birth and I could go on...

Go donate people, take an hour out of your day to save someones life!

How cool does that sound?

Yeah, the questioning about if you were in Africa at a specific time or had any relations to certain people in the countries was like "wut?" But the physician told me why afterwards.

Yeah, I will definitely be more prepared, I won't eat eggs for the breakfast and I'll make sure to not eat at 8:30am and nothing else after when the donation occurred at 1:00pm lol. It's uncommon they said, it just must have been my nerves getting to me, but they had a few jokes to tell, something new happens every day, of course nothing seriously bad, but humorous lol.

Very good cause, and random people will thank you for doing so. (I was in starbucks afterwards with one of donation center bags and stuff and people chatted with me about it and offered me some of the food, they paid for it, I was really surprised.)

 

[FMR]

I've been donating whole blood and double red-cells for over 40 years. They used to keep tack of how many gallon I had donated and they stopped doing that now. However, rough calculations tell me that I'm probably over 30 gallons of blood donated. I recommend all that can donate to do so. When my wife got sick and needed transfusions, she got the blood for free because of my donations. It ain't about the money. It is about saving lives. It takes very little time, is not uncomfortable (once you get used to it) and doesn't cost you a dime! Please Donate!

FMR

 

[IngeniusDodo]

If you're only looking at the ABO system yes, however someone who is O but also Rhesus group positive shouldn't give blood to people who are Rhesus group negative. I just thought you'd like to know that there are other groups than the ABO one when it comes to cross matching blood. Knowledge is almost never useless...

I tried to keep it simple, as I didn't want to put the thread on a tangent (read: didn't want to write a half-essay explaining it in grater detail). But, yes, knowledge is almost never useless.

The more you know!
Twinkle twinkle...

 

[TheyCallMeC]

ive donated at my school everytime weve had a drive

its a fun experience

only trouble is that sometimes they have trouble getting the needle in

last time i donated they poked the needle through the vein and caused a huge blotchy bruise all over the inside of my elbow