Donation No.1 of 2009!

 Since my new year resolution this year was to donate blood and components as much as I am allowed I though I would write about two firsts for the year. Today was my 1st donation of the year, and also my first platelet donation.

 Platelet donation is great because they are able to take several 1000 times more platelets out of your blood then they would be able to get from just a single pint donation. The platelets are then used for cancer patients, accident victims, and bone marrow transplant patients to name a few. The amount I donated today is enough for two transfusions.  

  The whole process takes about two and half hours, which is a bit long but not bad it all!

The quick version of it is:

You do the mini physical/screening.

The put one needle in one arm where the blood will be taken from, and a second needle in the other arm where it will be returned to you. You blood is taken out run through a centrifuge filter machine, separating out the platelets and the plasma and returning the rest in the other arm! 

So for a bit less than two hours this is what you are doing. They have little TVs to watch which is very cool, and they gave me some nice blankets to snuggle in. (When your blood comes back in it is cooler than your body temperature so you get a bit chilly during the process. I took a nap for a bit of the time and talked to the phlebotomists who were working. 

I am going to document the process more next week when I go to do my next donation and will take some photos.  More then!