My wife just got this letter in her e-mail inbox:
Your blood thinks it's time to see other people.
We need to talk. It's been several days since we were separated and to be honest...I've met someone who needs me more than you did. Sure, we had some great times together...but you'll generate more blood (in fact, in just a few more weeks, you will have totally replaced me!)
I know it might not seem like it right now...but its better this way. Every two seconds, a person just like you needs blood just like me. And within a few days, I'm about to do a lot of good for one of those people.
While we can never be together again, I know we will always have a place in each other's heart. (Well, actually I'll be in someone else's. Literally. But you know what I mean.)
Love,
Your ex-Pint of Blood
That's awful. Awful but funny!
What?
That's not awful at all - it's great! We should all donate whenever possible! Its a great way to do something really helpful for others!!
What?
They are welcome to about all of my other bodily fluids, just not blood. That stuff is near and dear to my heart.
Gave up a pint once. Passed out while it was leaving me. Tried to recover a bit while munching dry cookies and sipping the most acidic orange juice-like drink imaginable. Then passed out and puked all over a hallway. Let's just say that neither I nor my 10 pound stack of textbooks ever really fully recovered from that mess.
What?
:good: :hi5:
They've sucked 5 gallons out of me so far.
I am a regular Platelet donor. I am almost up to 7 gallons trying to catch up to my wife who has over 10.
Every two weeks, 2 hours in the chair, read a book or watch a movie. They always seem to want my platelets. Every 8 weeks they take platelets, plasma and red blood cells which amounts to a whole blood donation only the machine separates it as it comes out of me.
I've only donated whole blood. They don't have the ability to take platelets here. It has taken me 10 years to reach the 5-gallon mark.
"A single platelet donation can provide enough platelets for a full therapeutic dose for a patient in need. In fact, some platelet donations yield enough platelets for two or three therapeutic doses. By contrast, it takes four to six whole blood donations to produce a single therapeutic dose.
Many patients who need platelets are undergoing chemotherapy or organ transplant and have weakened immune systems. A platelet dose from a single donor reduces the patient’s exposure to multiple donors and is therefore preferred by many physicians."
six whole-blood donations for a single therapeutic dose, @ one donation/every 8 weeks it takes almost a year to donate the equivalent one platelet donation.
It sounds like platelets are the way to go to get more help to more people. Also, if you're AB Blood type your blood or platelets can be used by any other blood type. Of course the whole-blood donation doesn't take 2 hours in a chair and it's easier for them to collect in a mobile bloodmobile.
Just some thoughts. You don't make any money donating blood.
Talking about making money giving blood.......my oldest son was born prematurely and we did not have health insurance. He had to stay in the hospital until he got up to 5 pounds and we had a big hospital bill. We paid off most of it in blood, I donated and several relatives also donated at $25 a pint.
Of course, back in 1960, the hospital bills were nothing like now!
