Right now, that is. The local blood bank just upgraded their system to have computers at each station.
It’s almost making me wish I’d learned to type one-handed Dvorak. This took me about five minutes to type.
Well, I’ll be here for an hour or so, so go ahead and ask me questions with short answers.
No questions, just a big
{{{{{iamthewalrus:)3=}}}}}.
Thanks - one of us may need that.
Well, I hope you don’t need it too badly, because it was a wash.
The official story is that the first arm was a bad stick, and they wasted too much time moving over to the second, so the blood clotted in the tube. End result: two bandaged arms, and just enough blood that I can’t donate for another 8 weeks. But not enough to actually use.
This was pretty mundane and pointless before, but it’s reached a new plateau.
Very cool. I donated at work last week so I am a few weeks out but I spend enough time sitting on my ass on the computer so I may as well donate blood at the same time. It it the one on upper State or down town?
It took until my third time before I gave a full pint. Two days ago I found out that I have donated 1/2 gallon total. I got a car ribbon magnet for it. 
Thanks for trying walrus!
The one downtown on Laguna.
And it looks like they don’t have computers at all of them, but only at the R2 chairs.
An hour? Do you have the slowest heart in the history of mankind?
Hey, wow! I have an appointment today at 12:30! What a coincidence.
I gave blood for the very first time on Wednesday. I was pretty excited and a little amused by all of the extra screening and attention you get as a first timer. I also thought those confidential stickers were a riot. Why would I go to all the trouble of donating just to tell them not to use it? Ahh well. They got their blood. I am waiting to see if I get a letter.
They are screening for West Nile and if I have it I will get a letter explaining that I am welcome to come and try again in August, but they couldn’t use it this time.
It took about five minutes to actually give the blood, but once you figure in the donut and the application it tok about an hour.
Do they pay for blood in the US? I see it in the movies all the time and have always wondered…
Nope! But you do get cookies and juice.
You might be embarrassed to tell them the reason in person (gay sex or sex in exchange for money) but can check the little box on the form. There might be a blood drive at work and you felt peer pressured into donating even though you knew that your blood wasn’t able to be used.
Actually they do in some places but not at the Red Cross. I believe that that blood is used for research purposes though. It’s a way for starving students and homeless alchies to make some cash. I never did it when I was in school but I know people who did.
It’s a double donation—sort of. They take a pint, centrifuge it to get the red blood cells out, then they pump the plasma back into you with some anticoagulants, then they take another pint, centrifuge it, and pump the plasma back. Each stage takes about 10-15 minutes, and they usually have to slow the firt plasma return for me (and give me TUMS) because the chemical they add binds to calcium and my lips go all tingly
They claim that this is more useful to them than a whole blood donation, and I only have to do it half as often. So, win-win.
I occasionally do the opposite, which is spin for platelets and give the rest back. I am a hard stick too and often infiltrate on the return and have to stop. I get the tingly lips a little bit but mostly I just get really yawny.
When come back, bring cookies.
Cookies?
HAH!
I got a chocolate covered doughnut. MMMMMMmmmm!
Canada - where the great blood-giving perks are
Not only cookies and juice, but I got a coupon for a free burger and fries from a local place.
Hey now, we get doughnuts and cookies. Top that, I dare you.
So did I. It cracked me up. Give blood and then clog your arteries with a chili burger at the Habit.
I did yesterday for the first time. It went fine, though I got woozy when I got home. That went away pretty quick, though, and I have a nice duffel-type bag to use. Yay! I finally got to pay the unit I got back in 1986 back!
I’m just baaaaarely over the weight limit, and I really need to lose a few pounds, so I don’t know if I’ll be a regular at this. But it felt good to do it at least once.
Okay I can’t beat the burger, be we get doughnuts, cookies, juice, coffee and pop.
A regular diabetic-coma inducing smorg!