I have never donated blood before and choosing to do this first was quite a doozy. I was already nervous before I went in, but as I was filling out the paperwork a young woman fainted. It freaked me out and just after they stuck the needle in me, I started to panic and sweat. They iced me down a bit and the movies kept me distracted. I felt fine after I left, but about forty minutes later I felt light headed and got sick. I am in no rush to do it again, but I am happy I did. Plus I got 3 movie tickets. 11 months ago
So I will be doing it this week at the UCLA Blood Donation Center. Mostly for free movie tickets, but still a great thing to do. 11 months ago
How I did it: Donating platelets involves a lot more time than donating blood. First they take the blood from you (with a large needle) then the remove the platelets and put the blood back in you. It's a little different than just donating blood. It was worthwhile but took a lot of time.
And I didn't want all that icky yellows stuff put back in me. The nurse told me it was fat in my blood. Yuck! Read how I did it… 20 months ago
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I’ve been donating since June, 2007, and as of early July 2011 I’ve donated 83 times. Yes, it takes time – as long as 2.5 hours from the arrival and interview until post-donation juice and cookies, but it is very worthwhile. Yes, it hurts a bit, but really only for the first few minutes, then it’s smooth sailing – watching a movie, relaxing under blankets. In the Baltimore, MD area where I donate, most donated platelets go to Johns Hopkins Medical Center, where they are used to treat cancer and surgery patients and for cancer research. It’s easy to schedule an appointment – I know that every other Tuesday evening I’ll be donating. I know the small amount of time I can volunteer to do this can mean so much to others in need. So…what are YOU waiting for? 22 months ago
