Who here donates Plasma?

[TheMightyFavog]

I do. Makes for quick and easy cash for gasoline, gaming books, and alcohol! (I'm a college student, so sue me.)

Not to mention there are burn victims and hemophiliacs out there who need it.

[NightWatcher]

1. I cant give blood

the needles hurt and I'm a wuss

[TheMightyFavog]

5. It only hurts for a few seconds.

Once the needle's in, it doesn't hurt at all.

[Radio_Lady]

24. I would like to, but even blood tests are anxiety producing for me.

However, I have indicated that I want to be an organ donor on my driver's license. They can take all of me if they can use it for anybody else.

[SPKrazy]

2. for televisions?

:rofl:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. Good for you!

I donate my platelets!

There is a huge, and mostly unfillable demand for them...

:hi:

[TheMightyFavog]

6. Does it pay well?

I can make 60 bucks a week with plasma.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

10. The only pay.....

Is the good feeling you get from supplying something that cannot be gotten any other way...

I do think it's terrific that you can make money giving your plasma!

[Xipe Totec]

4. Whole blood only

I'm past the 10 gallon mark. Lost count.

[LeftyMom]

7. I do whole blood.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

8. I can't donate.

I'm on some high-powered arthritis medication that messes up my blood. I'll never be able to donate anything- not blood nor body parts.

Wish it were different.

[seemunkee]

9. I'll have to look into that

Where do you go to donate. I donate whole blood when I can but I'm on a one year ban due to travel. If I can donate plasma I'll do that until I'm cleared again for whole blood

[TheMightyFavog]

12. Ususally if you can't do whole bood, you can't do plasma

End of Line.

[KitchenWitch]

11. Former lymphoma patients cannot donate any blood products

Therefore I cannot.

[Roon]

13. I can't give plasma

But my sister and her husband have scars from donating while they were in college!

[TheMightyFavog]

14. The first time I went...

I had a rookie stick me. She botched the job and I had a big bruise on my arm fro a couple of weeks.

[ComerPerro]

17. ow, painful

[Roon]

36. Yikes!!

Did you donate again after that?

[TheMightyFavog]

37. Yes.

I use my right arm now.

[Roon]

38. I would too...LOL

eom

[TommyO]

15. I wish I could donate, but they don't like my blood.

I've had sex with men, and even though I'm HIV- and currently sexually inactive, my blood still isn't acceptable.

[Skittles]

22. isn't that strange

I, as a straight woman, am NEVER asked if I practice safe sex

[querelle]

30. Same Here

I too am HIV- and have had the sex life of a monk for the last two years. Go figure. If I had lied about my sexual activities in the past, would my blood be more acceptable?

Q

[ganeshji]

16. I used to.

The last time I donated they left me unable to move my right arm for nearly two weeks. I'm scared to go back.

[ComerPerro]

18. I have, do when I can. extra cash helps with bills, too

[ghostsofgiants]

19. I'll accept any plasma (TV) donations you guys might be willing to make.

[mduffy31]

20. I can't either

I am a totally pussy when it comes to needles, ironic though because I am a nurse and I can give a shot like no-one's business. I'm serious when it comes flu shot time, all my coworkers want me to do it because I have the nickname, "painless."

[Skittles]

21. I donate platelets every two weeks

double doses - between 90 and 110 minutes on a machine - and no I am not paid for it

[Omphaloskepsis]

23. They will not allow me to...

I lived in the UK for a few months and ate a cheeseburger.

[Maineiac]

25. I do a double red if they have a chair open

when I go in. I don't get money. I do it because it's the right thing to do.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

33. same here

strange machine, and it takes a while. As long as I remember to bring my ipod, the double-red process is ok.

[texanwitch]

26. I give plasma.

I started giving plasma for a friend who's cousin was a burn victim.

Now I give once a month.

[SKKY]

27. Shit, that's basically how I got drinking money while in college...

...I donated 3 times a week, and got $35.00 each time.

[alphafemale]

28. I have and may again

I think of it that they are paying you for the time you have to spend with a spike up your arm.

No way around it. It's a SPIKE-As big around as a pencil lead. Stuck up your arm.

In the same damn spot...every time.

It honestly doesn't hurt much though.

Company I work for has recently pretty much allowed as many overtime hours as you care to have though.

That's much easier.

But still.

The plasma centers are a way to make ends meet and do some real good at the same time.

[Wetzelbill]

29. I used to do it, and by chance it was for alcohol money too

well, sometimes.

I would always go lift weights. Then go give plasma, and hit a fast food place on the way home with my new cash. Then maybe go see a movie. The coin comes in handy. I remember the first time I donated plasma was because a hot girl invited me to a party and I needed some beer money. I probably would chopped off a vital limb in that instance if I had to, so giving plasma was an easy choice. :)

[mikeytherat]

31. Whole blood, every eight weeks.

Anyone want a Virginia Blood Services T-shirt? I have dozens of them!

mikey_the_rat

[NewJeffCT]

32. I do try to donate blood regularly

but, I have not been as regular since my daughter was born 4 years ago. I think I've donated several gallons in my adult life, though, as I was pretty regular about every 10 weeks for several years. My old company was right near a Red Cross outlet & they gave us company time to donate.

[rurallib]

34. Platelets and white cells

Platelets once a month. White cells as needed.
The white cells can be really draining. They are used for leukemia patients and are needed RIGHT NOW. I have to get a shot to 'stimulate' white cells (make me sick). Then within 14 hours give the cells. They can take them every other day. Last summer I was donating for a small child and the receiving doctor would come down and pace while I gave waiting for the cells. That is how pressing the donation was.
I gave 4 times in 8 days and could hardly get out of bed the ninth day. I have some kind of special antigen that makes me a universal donor for white cells.
They stick me for the price of cookies and juice and a big thank you.

[Courtesy Flush]

35. I still have the scars, 30 years later.

The plasma lab was my source for beer money. They used to pay better in those days.

I went twice a week, and I still have a little pit in each arm, just over the largest vein.

[Evoman]

39. I "donate" plasma to aliens from the business end of my plasma carbine rifle, if thats what you mean

Otherwise...no.

I faint. Always. I'm a big wuss. Its embarrasing. One time, I even fainted before they even stuck me with the needle. They do that finger prick to see if you have enough iron...yeah, I stood up to fill in the questionnaire, and passed out. Lol.

[Aristus]

40. I donated blood plasma for a while. I needed some extra cash when I

was unemployed, and that was a pretty good way to earn it.

This was before I was placed on a moratorium list for being a Gulf War veteran. My blood was suspect because of possible diseases I might have been exposed to over there. And then, after I was removed from the list and thought I could give blood again, I was placed on a list for possible exposure to mad cow disease. Anyone deployed to Europe for more than six months is suspect.

So right now, no blood and no plasma donations. I no longer need the extra cash from giving plasma, but I really enjoyed giving blood, and I can't do it anymore. :(

[astral]

41. Doesn't it weaken your body

to donate on a regular basis?

I knew a gal years ago, she was 50-ish then, and scatterbrained as hell, both cognitively and emotionally. She would go from laughing to tears to laughing again all in the course of her constant verbal rambling, and I found out she gave blood regularly -- pretty much as regularly as they would allow her.

I think it made her weak minded. She was not a big woman, and didn't have a good handle on eating healthy or having any healthy habits whatsoever.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

42. My dear astral...

Nope....it does not weaken your body to give on a regular basis.

I was a whole blood nurse for the Red Cross for over 10 years...

We saw the same donors over and over that whole time...

They all thrived......

You do need to take care of yourself, donor or no......

It sounds to me as though your aquaintance didn't do that.....

But her donations had no effect on her mental status, trust me ...

[astral]

43. Yeah, I do understand about it being the same people

who donate. I guess it's okay if you know how long to wait. In my middle aged years, here, I have suffered a bit of anemia so I believe donating would weaken me, so maybe that's where I get my feeling from that it may not be healthy for other people either.

[Mojambo]

44. I do it every so often.

For the same reason, to support the hobbies I feel guilty spending earned money on.

[gemdem]

45. Volunteer only, no cash coming back

I'm a regular donor of platelets and plasma at the local blood back. My blood type is B-, not very common, so they'd rather I do apheresis. An hour-plus in the chair every couple weeks (limited to 26 donations a year) where I can rest with no one after me about anything.

Whatver payment I get comes in the form of T-shirts or movie tickets. That's good enough for me.