That is, I gave two units of red blood cells at the local blood drive today. The procedure as part of the normal bloodmobile drive is still fairly new in Maryland, so this was my first chance to try it, and also, as it turns out, my last, as the physical requirements for women are disproportional to the ones for men, and since I’ve been losing weight (totally intentionally and safely) recently, I (knock on wood) probably won’t make the weight requirement next time.
For anyone who hasn’t done it, you give blood into a centrifuge which, when it’s got a pint, spins up and separates your red blood cells from your platelets and white blood cells. By the way, blood, minus the red blood cells, looks remarkably like beer. The ersatz beer is then fed back into you (I suggested they would find many more donors among our college students if they said it was actual beer you get back,) along with some saline, and then the process is repeated, thus allowing the donor to give twice the amount of red blood cells as a whole blood donation.
Overall, Pros:
Lots of whole blood donors watching jealously as I gave into the special whirring, beeping, machine, while they just waited for a bag to drop.
Said machine has a gage on it that told me when to squeeze to keep the volume up, instead of squeezing the whole time.
Free Coke and cookies.
Smaller needle!
Feeling twice as good about giving blood.
Cons:
It takes a bit longer since they have to stop halfway through and replace the white cells and plasma so as not to leave me a withered husk when the second pint comes out.
Even though I was told I wouldn’t get woozy halfway through because of the extra saline, I did anyway, and I feel a bit lightheaded now. Maybe I’m just a wimp.
But I’m a wimp with a shiny new Double Donor sticker and a givelife rubber bracelet.
Wow… so many questions coming to mind! First of all, good on you for donating “double”. I’m too much of a wuss to have ever donated before.
So, the questions: what are those requirements for women, and why won’t you be eligible next time?
Why did you choose to/get to donate this way?
Where in Baltimore was this, and why haven’t I seen you before?
av8rmike, I chose to donate double because one of the phlebotmists came over as the ten a.m. group was reading all the required literature to give blood. She explained the procedure and requirements and asked for volunteers, and not many of the women in the group I was with were eligible, so I figured I’d better step up and represent while I still could.
The requirements are: for men, must be at least 5’1" tall and weigh at least 150 lbs; women must be at least 5’5" tall and weigh at least 175 lbs.
Next time around, I probably (hopefully) won’t weigh enough to give this way, although I’ll still be able to give whole blood.
For either gender you have to have a more advanced iron test than usual - you have to have a 40 hemocrit level. (by the way, if anybody knows what that figure means, please reply and explain it to me. I’m assuming it’s parts per million or some such?)
I’m jealous. I tried to do that but was banned because I had lived in the UK, and blood banks can’t yet test for Mad Cow Disease. Which I’m sure every resident of the UK is carrying around.
Well, that would explain a lot about the way ya’ll put extra 'U’s into words.
Seriously, yay for MercyStreet for at lest trying to donate.
And double yaay! for Jenny Haniver. Good luck on that weight-loss thing too.
I’m jealous, too. I donated (regular whole blood) once, when I was half a pound over the minimum weight. Felt like crap, physically, but those Red Cross folk are really good at making you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I’ve since lost my eligibility, though.
Hijack: I recall hearing someone once talking about donating plasma (I guess sorta the opposit of what Jenny did), and getting paid for it. Is this urban legend?
I just did that a week ago. I had donated before, but never through the double-red unit machine. The weirdest part for me was when they pump the plasma-saline mixture back in, it’s cold. I mean, it’s really just room temperature, but room temperature is a lot cooler than I expect substances in my veins to be!
The real beauty of it is that I only have to go in half as often. All the civic pride; half the inconvenience.
That sucks, but after what happened in the early days of HIV, you can hardly blame them for being overly cautious. (And, speaking personally, if given a choice between Mad Cow and HIV, I would reluctantly opt for HIV.) Don’t despair, though – I was ineligible to donate for years due to HIV concerns (even though I absolutely tested negative for WAY longer than any possible window period), and am now eligible again due to rule changes.
