Earlier this week I donated plasma. This was a first for me. I've donated whole blood many times but never plasma. I knew blood was removed and I knew some parts of the blood were returned to me but I didn't know how. Turns out they use only one needle. The blood they take goes into a machine that spins the plasma out. The red and white blood cells are returned after each cycle. Giving plasma takes 7 or 8 cycles. When you give blood you squeeze your hand. When they return blood to you, you stop squeezing. As they return the blood to you, they add an anti-coagulant. After the second cycle, I had a strong taste appear suddenly in my mouth. I tasted soap. Yuck. The attendant gave me a caramel viactive chew and that got rid of the soapy taste. When I was finished, I had produced a large bag of yellowish fluid; AB+ fluid. Then they gave me a dose of saline to replenish my fluids. I felt like a patient instead of a volunteer. I think I prefer to give whole blood. I don't like to feel like a patient, I don't like to be given drugs and saline, and I didn't like that the process took an extra 45 minutes.
2 comments:
You could sell it for research purposes instead? Would it be worth doing for $40?
I had to sign a waiver saying they could use some of it for research. Mainly it is used to help someone. This was through Memorial Blood Bank - it's at the Well's Fargo building near Riverdale. The money doesn't matter to me.
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