I Donated Blood Today

[jono]

i'll freely admit that i could do that swee.
i want to donate blood! its frustrating that i cant

[tragic]

Can't?

[jono]

yeah, i cant get my head around the idea of it.
i'm not disqualified from making a donation. if thats what you were getting at tragic

[tragic]

There's a difference between "can't" and "won't"
It's really not that bad, and I hate needles. If they had a way of somehow beaming the blood out without breaking skin, it would be a great improvement.
You can get a kitkat at the end of it (although I'd prefer the (mythological?) Irish reward).

[jono]

i hope i can do it eventually.

[tragic]

I'm sure you will

[Darren]

I gave platelets a couple times (and have given blood heaps of times) - the last time I gave platelets as they were pumping back in whats left after they take the platelets out, the needle slipped out of the vein and the ingoing stuff was just pumping in under the skin as oppossed to my blood stream. The ingoing goop caused my skin to raise about an inch above where it was generally meant to be - it tickled. lots.

[jono]

see. that kinda story puts me off donating blood...

[tragic]

Thanks, Coach

That happened to a mate of mine once as well. Supposedly can't happen these days as the outflow and intake (if those are the words) are done with the same needle.

[laura]

Plasma. They don't seperate platelets, that's too hard.

Jono, how can you be so terrified of donating blood but so willing to get a tattoo??

[Darren]

No, platelets - it was a donation for a family member in need ...

[laura]

Are you serious?
My dad donates plasma; where they take out blood, centrifuge it, keep the white (plasma) part and put the red part (RBCs & Buffy coat) back into you when they are done. Plasma is part of the rbc/buffy coat part and incredibly difficult to seperate.

[Darren]

well I was sure - but not anymore, it was a while ago ....

[GIGS20]

I'm pretty sure Josiah received platelets at times....you must be able to get them out somehow.

I remember one time he had stem cells harvested, surely they're harder to do than platelets!

[laura]

OK, so I never thought I'd have to use human biol again but here goes...

From what I remember (and looked up in my notes): Platelets are also known as Thrombocytes, they are cell fragments and there are between 150,000 and 400,000 per microlitre of blood. They are involved in the clotting of the blood. They are part of the white blood cells, so if platelets were given it would have been as WBC's not as individual platelets (WBC's are also involved with immunity and fighting infection as well as some blood related diseases).
If the centrifuge part was done at the Red Cross donation place then it will have been plasma but if it was done at hospital then it is possible it was platelets.

I'm no doctor though so feel free to correct me.