Platelet Donation Adventure

I was going to take a couple pictures of this adventure today but I was so grossed out by my inner liquids being swirled around in tubes and centrifuges that I couldn't bear it.

It all started because the New York Blood Center sent me an email and promised me free baseball tickets in exchange for my little platelets this month. I've donated blood since junior year of high school when they started doing blood drives at Panas. This would be a cinch.

But then I started reading. This is when you really are better off just NOT knowing. The whole procedure can take anywhere from 30 minutes to TWO WHOLE HOURS! Not only this; A machine draws your blood out, separates the platelets out, AND THEN puts the rest of your blood back in you. In my mind, this would happen in a nice little circle pattern: One needle out and one needle in. I was mistaken. It would be one needle that would constantly go from drawing and returning blood in ~one minute intervals. Thee absolute worst part: I had to watch, because I was told to squeeze a ball (one of those "stress relief" balls.. HAH!) when blood was drawing and to relax when the machine was returning my goods.
Needless to say, I was throwing around dozens of horrified facial expressions (For those who know me well, you know what I"m talking about). The nurse kept asking if I was okay because I'd bug out every time I FELT the blood "returning."
An hour and twenty-nine minutes later, I was finally done. I'd never felt so relieved.

Despite all of the trauma, I'm glad I donated (and get my baseball tickets in the mail). Maybe it seems silly, but I have this karmic happiness every time I donate. I really encourage everyone to try it out, at least once. Or at least a whole blood donation! Despite my description, the whole process wasn't as excruciating as I had imagined. And I got the cutest wrap afterwards!

The United States has the lowest track record for blood donation in all of the developed countries. Despite the millions of people who are eligible, only about 5% actually donate every year. Although it's disputed how long the shelf life of blood is, one thing is certain: It's short. So hospitals and critically ill people are in need of supplies in a consistent flow, especially during the holiday seasons. The Blood Centers throughout America give regular donors "advantage points" that accumulate and can be exchanged for gifts. They also have seasonal prizes for certain donations, such as iPods and baseball tickets. NYU gives free movie tickets!