draining important fluids

[juldea]

I gave plasma this morning. The place was so busy; I arrived a little before 10 and got out at 1:45. I did get to see the end of Waiting to Exhale, all of some movie starring Gwenythe Paltrow and that one guy from Friends, and the beginning of Austin Powers 2. Mostly, though, I read my book and cuddled Mr. B. Yep, I took my bunny to the plasma donation center. I got smiled at a lot. :) And I got $30! Hooray!

Therefore I have ordered myself a pair of finger cymbals from online and therefore removed the link from my wishlist. I also removed the hoodie comment since goldbug's getting me one. :) Thanks again goldbug!

I am at Karen's now. Robert and Karen are playing some game that looks a lot like Snood, only it's for the PS2 and it's two-player. I'm not sure who's winning at this point.

Oh, one thing about giving plasma. It's good if you drink a lot of water... but don't drink so much that you can't sit through the 45-60 minutes of donating. ;)

Comments

[goldbug.livejournal.com]

if it only takes 45-60 minutes to donate, why were you there so long?
what was it like? it the needle huge? did it hurt? will you do it again?

[juldea.livejournal.com]

The 45-60 minutes is for the actual time when you're giving plasma. The whole process involves more than that, especially your first time. And I went in on an unexpectedly busy day.

I went in and signed on the first-time donors sign-in sheet. I got my name called and my picture taken, kind of like a driver's license picture, for their records. I also gave them a photo ID and other information. Then I got to go give a urine sample (I actually almost spilled my little cup all over the bathroom floor because I'm clumsy, but LUCKILY I didn't. That wouldn't have been cool to explain). Then I went and sat down and waited for a while. After my name was NEXT called, they put my hands under a black light and marked my pinky with a little special marker. They do this at all plasma donation centers, on different fingers, to make sure people aren't cross-donating. Then they took my weight and I got.. dun-dun-dun... the finger-stick. It stings badly, like a piercing, but it's very quick and goes away quickly unlike a piercing. And it looks like too much blood to be taken out. Then, I waited a LOT more. I had to see the doctor to get a physical, but there basically was a line in to the doctor. I think I waited a hour for that - luckily I had brought a book. Finally I went in and answered a whole lot of personal questions about risk groups for HIV/AIDS and have I, in the last 12 months, had sex with a man who has had sex with a man since 1977? and have I ever given OR recieved money or drugs for sex? and stuff like that. Then the doctor (male) called a female staff member in to sit through my physical, where things happened like I had to lie down on my back and get my tummy poked at. Anyway, once that was done, I went back outside and waited a bit longer until my name was called, and I finally got to give plasma! The chairs/beds you sit on are very weird, your legs and back are elevated. Iodine was rubbed on my elbow, making a big purple patch. Then my vein was found and I was stuck! I don't know how big the needle was because I don't watch while the lady put it in, but that part didn't hurt very much at all, just felt really weird. Then she had to drain 2 blood samples for different things. Then I finally got hooked up to the machine and she explained how it worked. There's one of those blood pressure cuffs that goes on your upper arm, and when it inflates you're supposed to squeeze your hand repeatedly to make the blood go out. When the cuff deflates, don't squeeze your hand, because that's when the blood returns to you. I got a squeezy foam thing to use to squeeze on to make it easier. So I settled and read, and watched Austin Powers until it was all done! My lips felt tingly in the middle of it. Also, I had the foreknowledge to ask for something warm to put on and they gave me a lab coat to spread over me. Oh, and I forgot to mention, Mr. B came with me and sat with me. ;) Then came the worst part (to me). After I had given all the plasma I could, they hooked me up to a saline drip (much more than a drip, really, a flow), which they do the very first and second times you give in order to get your body to replenish your proteins. The bad part about it that made it horrid is that the saline is room temperature - 68 degrees. Inside your body, that's FREEZING COLD. So cold that my upper arm cramped up and hurt badly, and even for 15 minutes after the saline was gone I was shivering and chattering my teeth. It was very bad. :( But eventually I warmed up, and sat up slowly, and drank lots of water, and soon I was on my bike going home, with $30 in my pocket!

So, in response to the last question, yes I will do it again. :) It wasn't an overall horrid experience, and they only have to do the bad part (the saline) the first 2 times. Hopefully since I won't need a physical I won't have to wait so long the next times, too.

You should donate when you get back into town.

[ex-dervish821.livejournal.com]

wow, i hope you got a million dollars for all that discomfort!
now that you've lost so much weight, do you get cold even more easily than before? is that possible?

Re:

[juldea.livejournal.com]

I really don't know, because it's been rather hot everywhere. I do still have to bring sweatshirts to class, but that's normal.