The Gift of Life in the MMP

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Hubs received many gifts of life over the past 4 years. We are very thankful for the people who donated blood and platelets and especially grateful for the 25 year old woman who donated the stem cells that he received.

I wanted to repay the gifts so I have donated blood 3 times since he started receiving transfusions. I donated platelets a few weeks ago and now am in awe of people who donate platelets frequently. It was not something I will do again as I did not react well to the process.

A week ago we attended a graduation party for our former neighbor who now lives in the UP. Her mother works for the Red Cross and told us that there is a serious shortage of blood. The grad has volunteered for the Red Cross and she sort of encouraged me to donate blood again. So, I have an appointment to do so this afternoon.

Have you or your loved ones received any gifts of life or donated gifts of life?

Hubs is almost done with everything that comes with a stem cell transplant. The only thing left is for him to receive the MMR vaccine which he is scheduled for next week. The long journey from MDS to good health is almost complete. I am very appreciative for all the support I have received from our wonderful MMP family.

2

Mornin’ !
Phone app says 14o, met office website says 19o.
So I expect it’s somewhere around that.
Still feels hot.

3

Morning, mumpers! It’s currently 19c/66f with a predicted high of 22c/71f and mostly cloudy. Weather app says “Your moves are fucking weak, Sun. You need to fucking do better than this.” I disagree, I think the sun around here has been overworked and should be taking a break!

Cat Glove I am grateful for the people who donate blood and platelets, I am not able to do it myself but I applaud all those who do. I am an organ donor though, so hopefully when I’m gone, someone else will benefit from the bits I haven’t managed to destroy :slight_smile:

It’s feeling a lot cooler today, there’s a nice fresh breeze in the house and I’m glad to not be melting for a change. I am working at home today, off to do the grocery run at lunchtime, and off to the gym in the evening. Dinner will be leftover chilli from the freezer because I still don’t feel like cooking :slight_smile:

4

Good Mornin’ Y’all! Up and caffeinatin’. YAWN 'Tis 73 Amurrkin out and sunny with a predicted high of 95 and sunny. I foresee some quality cee-mint pond time today, followed by much RDOS sloth inside da cave where it’s cool. Sup will be poke tenderloin in the slow cooker, peas 'n carrots, smashed N.O.T. with gravy and rolls. An easy not heat the place up too much sup.

Cat_Glove so glad your husband is almost done with everything. It’s been a long journey for him and for you. I can’t donate blood due to health conditions, but I do encourage those who can to do so. I am an organ donor. Don’t know what will or might be useful but it will be there for whatever purposes.

Now I need more caffeine and to feed rumbly tummy. Then, onward into the day! Rah.

Happy Moanday Y’all!

5

I’ve given blood 176 times, around 15 gallons, in my life. I’m O negative, CMV negative, so my blood can be given to infants, which is quite rare. I recently learned that my body’s stored iron was low, so I have to stop donating for a while and take an iron supplement to build it back up. Hopefully I will be back donating fairly soon.

6

Today starts with 68 Ferrets, headed to mid-80s, and the highs will climb all week to triple digits by Thurs and Fir… dammit. I hope to get some mulch on the stuff I planted yesterday, and we’re going to load the truck for a trip to the dump/convenience center/whatever to get rid of the assorted debris associated with the deconstruction of the garden in the back yard. Dunno what else might happen.

As to donations, I have really crappy veins - just getting enough blood for my semi-annual check-ups can take a while, so being able to pump out enough for a donation within the time limit is pretty much not happening with me. But when my time comes, my entire carcass is going to the State Anatomy Board to be used as they see fit. And I’m an organ donor. Once I’m done with my assorted parts, I hope they’ll benefit someone.

Well, there’s a cheery thought to start the week. :grin:

Happy Moanday!

7

Already near 80F at 0700 and projected to hit 95 by mid-morning. We’re under a heat warning, so here’s hoping the AC continues to do its job.

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Afternoon.

Am attempting- badly- to WFH today. I’m just supposed to be writing, and it’s slow and annoying and I keep having to stop and check conventions on how things should be written.

I’ve had repeated issues with low iron, so donating hasn’t been an option for me. I would like to, my cousin needed a load of emergency blood when she haemorrhaged giving birth to kid #1 . From what I heard, cousin or kid #1 (and of course kid #2) would not be around if she hadn’t been able to get it. I did tick the ‘help yourself’ box on the organ donor form though, hope no-one’s going to knock at the door and ask for my liver.

I need to head in shortly, cos I have a meeting later. Don’t really wanna.

9

I couldnt donate when younger as I didnt weigh enough.
I’ve tried to donate plasma but one of my viens was not large enough.

10

Morning all. Slept through to 7am without a Bladder alert so that was nice. It is already 83F outside around 8am, so that isn’t nice. Outside of the usual shop-n-sammich routine I have no plans to go out into the furnace, and according to the weather wizards it’s going to be like this for the next week. All y’all stay cool, looks like summer is here with a vengance.

As for blood, I used to give in my 20’s and 30’s, but got out of the habit (I really don’t like needles). Having A+ (as does about 30% of all Americans) means there isn’t a huge demand for it and at 73 I’m not sure if it’s usable or not, but if there was ever a call for it…actually, I rationalize a lot…

Cat Glove, I am so happy for Hubs and you, may his health and his time with you be long and joyous.

Flipper, that’s quite a record of donation and many infants probably owe you thier health without ever knowing it. Well done.

FCM, I’m also an organ donor, never thought about donating my body…hmmm, I may have to see if that is feasible here in Ali-bama.

And onward into the week. Have a good one all.

11

I overslept, so I’m getting a late start. It’s already 79 degrees F outside, headed to at least 90, with heat indexes (indeces?) well over 100. Extreme heat warning, etc. When I was younger, I donated blood regularly. For various reasons, I don’t now.

12

Good morning.

It’s 54F and cloudy right now. It’ll remain cloudy all day, with a daytime high of 66F. I’m not complaining; it’s supposed to warm up starting Friday, so I’ll enjoy the cool weather while I can.

I am an organ donor, but I’ve never donated blood.

My husband has decided that it’s time to start working on fixing up the house. His plan is to tackle one room at a time and spend six to eight hours a day doing it until we’re done. We shall see how soon he runs out of steam. Today’s plan is to clean up and paint the guest bathroom (formerly the kids’ bathroom). I explained that we need to wash the walls first, and that they need to dry. Next, since that was a room we’ve never painted and it still has the original contractor’s paint, we’ll probably have to prime the walls and then paint, because otherwise the paint will just soak right up. As any of you who have painted know, it’s not just a one-day job.

That being said, I know it needs to be done, but the fact of the matter is, he’s famous for starting projects and not finishing them. Also, the kids are coming from Missouri around the 23rd or 24th of July, and I don’t want to be in the middle of fixing up the house. Finally, what this usually means is it’ll be me finishing all this, and frankly, I resent that. Also, all I see are dollar signs floating out the door. And, finally, I really didn’t want to be doing this in the summer, when it’s going to be hot.

Ah, I’m doing a bunch of griping. I don’t mean to sound like that, but I’m a planner. He is not. He just has a wild hair and goes for it, but doesn’t see the whole picture until it’s too late. So, we clash in that respect.

Okay, time to get the day started. You all take care of yourselves, please. I’ll be over here washing walls, and whatnot.

13

There once was a man from Pawtucket
Who kept all his cash in a bucket
Till his daughter Nan
Ran away with a man
And as for the bucket, Nantucket.

Pa followed the pair to Pawtucket,
The man and the girl with the bucket;
And he said to the man,
“Good luck with my Nan.”
But as for the bucket, Pawtucket.

Then the pair followed Pa to Manhasset,
Where he still held the cash as an asset,
But Nan and the man
Stole the money and ran,
And as for the bucket, Manhasset.

Pa’s true wealth is stashed in Poughkeepsie,
Where he spends it on women and whiskey;
So Nan and her Man
Got the bucket, as planned,
But as for the fortune, Poughkeepsie

(And I have no idea who snuck in and inserted that extra ‘t’ in my previous post.)

Were you having a dry thunderstorm? I’d never heard of it until I read your post and googled to see if it was the same thing as heat lightning.

For those who don’t know what a frappe (pronounced “frap”) is, it’s a weird New England term for a milkshake.

Back in the '70s; they won’t take my blood now. But Lady SCAdian and I are both organ donors.


76 of 86 ferrets at 1000. They’re threatening us with forecasting an extreme heat watch from 1200 Wed (87 ferrets) until 2100 Fri (94).

Have to pick up some drugs at the base pharmacy tomorrow, and swap books with the library again. No further plans for the rest of the week, though some shopping might happen.

14

Good morning. Mrs Magill was still tired when the walking alarm went off. Well, it was really a combination walking/bladder alarm. Chloé and I put in our 3.5 miles. It was mostly clear, sow while it was mostly cool, the sunrise was rather meh…

Spike picked up Mrs. Magill and Fang from the airport last night. It’s good to see Fang. It’s also funny how quickly the brothers will fall into the same old roles again. Fang was chasing Squeaky around upstairs like when they were all 8, 4, and 2. Now they’re (almost) 23, 19, and 17 and weigh a hundred pound more than they once did, it’s not as endearing. I have a full house again, and it is loud. I kinda liked quiet.

Thank you, everyone for the safe travel wishes for Mrs Magill and Squeaky

My sister will be here on Friday. I’ve asked her to go to the wig shop with me on Saturday, if I can get an appointment. I need hair that wasn’t bought for a Halloween costume thirty years ago.

Mrs Magill and I talked a little this morning. I’ve said it before: she is a planner, and I wish I could give her a timeline. The only thing we’ve set in stone is that I will not socially transition until Squeaky graduates, and if I get my WPATH letter, I’ll start low dose hormones in the fall. In the meantime, Fang should be packing up his closet (which he should have done last fall, when the Army was paying for his movers), and I’ll be commandeering it for my transitory wardrobe.

It’s happening.
:biting_lip:

Hippie - Yikes!

I will not show this to Fang, who used to volunteer as Little Kid Wrangler every summer.

Mrs Magill had to have two transfusions while she was fighting her leukemia. I started donating regularly then. I stopped while I was being tested for lupus, but since that was a false alarm, I need to get back in the habit.

taters - You and I have similar spousal dynamics, only reversed. I have learned to trust the planner and to follow her checklists. If we have a project, she will make a checklist, and I will grumble. At the end, once all the little boxes are checked, and everything that needed to be done will be done, I will appreciate the checklist. I will never give her the satisfaction of saying that I appreciate the checklist, and I’ve told her so… which kinda defeated the purpose of the first part of this sentence.

15

When my big brother passed, his kidneys, liver, corneas and skin were donated. SIL received a couple of notes from families of recipients. Before health issues precluded it, I used to donate blood during blood drives.

Up, caffeinating, breakfasted and fixing to do KP. After, I’ll get sheveled and head to Sis’ so she can accompany me to the podiatrist.

Stay safe and healthy y’all!

16

Strawberries are now $1 a carton at Meijers. No duds either! My healthy lunch.
Too hot to be out for long.

17

lh75, that is some neighbour. very disturbing.

the usual shopping trip this weekend. i got mini cupcakes with soccer ball party favour rings for a watch party and i broke down and bought a fifa shirt. le sigh. the amount of fans has lessened.

i’m sure it will pickup once we know which teams will be at the july 4th game. 3 areas of phila will be a bit of a mess on the 4th, with the all the festivities.

so far the cling film is keeping koritza out of the fish water. the fishies are doing well… i hope the move to a new tank doesn’t mess things up. they really are cute, busy, and very fast. Care Guide for Pygmy Corydoras – The World’s Tiniest Cory Catfish – Aquarium Co-Op

18

Regarding to OP, I have, in fact, twice received a blood transfusion. The first was when I was extremely sick with Auto Immune Hemoloytic Anemia, and I was acutely hemolytic. I think my HGB was like 6. I don’t remember much about it, I was so fucking sick. The second time was about two weeks before I was to get my spleen removed (due to, you guessed it, Auto Immune Hemolytic Anemia). I wasn’t acutely hemolytic and felt fine, but because reasons, my doctor wanted me to get transfused in Phelps Health’s dedicated Transfusion Clinic. It was a much more low-key event: it was scheduled for a specific time rather than done ad hoc, and I was with about four or five other patients getting transfused. I remember a patient who was jonesing for drugs, he told the nurse on the unit that, yes he was scheduled for a transfusion that day, but he wasn’t going to do it unless they gave him [sought drug] first. The charge nurse was like, “OK, I guess you’re not getting a transfusion today. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”

On my way home from that transfusion, I remember being disappointed that my Toyota Yaris couldn’t roll coal, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that the 2020 election had actually, for realzies been won by Donald Trump. I guess my blood donor was MAGA.

--That’s a joke, btw, in case no one got it.

19

They had me bouncing between loading and clerking today, and it was hot. I’m bushed. But I did my Aldi run, and got dry flavorless bits for Spot, so starvation isn’t in the cards this week.

Yay!
I don’t donate because they ask too many questions, like “Whose blood is this?” and “Why is it a bucket?” :wink: Actually I’m in the same boat as half the MMP, can’t donate for medical reasons, but I am an organ donor.

I’d take it, it’s supposed to be 38C this week here.

They might. :wink:

"Always give 100%, unless you’re donating blood. Good job picking up the slack for us who can’t. Thanks.

More like a herd of drunken elephants dropping bowling balls down the stairs?

{{{{Mollie}}}}

20

19th! It’s good to be…a person who sets low bars.

Donations…I’ve received four corneas from kind people who’d arranged to donate. It’s a profound and amazing thing to be carrying living bits of people who are no longer living. I try to take a mental photo of something every day for all 5 of us to appreciate. (I include the donors of corneas that had to be replaced.) I started with sunsets and full moons, but I long ago switched to a sink full of suds or a galaxy of broken glass on the pavement. I’m grateful beyond measure.

The most incredible organ donation story I know came from a horrible tragedy. I don’t think I’ve told this before. Skim if I have. One of my students in my last class had a bad headache, so I let him keep his head on his desk all class period. He stayed after to talk. It sounded like a sinus infection (It was.), and he was going to the doctor that day. I told him I hope he felt better soon, and he smiled his quiet smile. That was Wednesday.

By Saturday, the infection had become meningitis, and he was life-flighted to a city 400 miles away. It was too late. He was 16. By some miracle, a boy about the same age was brought in and was in very bad shape, as he’d needed a heart transplant for a very long time. He and my student were a match, so they did a rare direct transplant. Knowing this sort of illuminated the crushing grief and made the administration’s f*ck-ups that followed bearable.

I have not heard from Max’s person this morning. I texted her to see if she was OK and to ask if she wants me to walk him but haven’t heard back. I’m hoping she’s sleeping in. If I don’t hear from her soon, I’ll go over.

I had a nice thing happen yesterday. A former student DM’d me a photo of a Notice of Probation he’d gotten and kept all these years (30!). He was a colorful character who thought he could dip during a water break. I wrote him up, and as this was not his first infraction, he was put on probation. He later had a profound experience in my class that made him decide to become an English teacher, which he did. We had fun reminiscing. He said he misses me, so I guess I made an impression on a few kids, anyway.

My daughter found out she’ll be getting unemployment for 6 more weeks. The reprieve is a huge relief.

Oh, FCM, I’m also donating my body to science. I was told we can’t donate organs because of the time lapse.

I can’t donate blood because of my auto-immune crap. My daughter donated frequently while in high school. Did you know that teen donations make up about 20% of the national supply? Something to think about when we’re brandishing canes at the young whippersnappers.

Taters, finishing your hub’s unfinished projects sounds enormously frustrating. It’s not like you don’t have plenty of your own tasks and projects to complete.

CatGlove, I admire your humble gratitude, and I’m so glad your husband survived his long ordeal.

Molly, a friend told me something that proved to be true: When your kids leave for college, it’s hard to adjust to the quiet. When they return, it’s hard to adjust to the noise. When they leave again, it’s hard again.