A Respite from Politics and Pandemic

cb7893

10-Year Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2011
Messages
3,484
Yesterday, I went to the blood bank and donated convalescent plasma, having had Covid-19. Despite, lying there for an hour while the machine pumped blood out of and back into my body (minus the plasma plus saline), it was the most relaxed and pleasant atmosphere I've enjoyed this side of the 14er we climbed in Colorado last week.

There were many ages represented. Some donated whole blood. One gentleman, who I assumed was in his 70's, donated platlets, a 2 hr. process. Everyone wore a mask for the exact same reason. The nurses were delightful. Everyone had given up a part of their day. No one got paid.

There are very few places one can go and feel, at least for a moment, that we're all singing out of the same hymnal.
 
On a lighter note. I got this text from my car repair shop this AM:

"The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, politics, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down we ALL believe that we are above average drivers."

You can't say the same about love of bacon.
 
My wife is a medical scientist and the convalescent plasma treatments’ successes have been incredible in testing so far. Thank you for taking the time to help.

I am a frequent platelet donor thanks to my blood’s makeup. I can donate a triple platelet once a week and depending on their needs they sometimes take a whole blood or plasma while I’m hooked up to the apheresis machine. Fortunately I have the time to do that because it can take up to 3 hours.

Stealth_81
 
My wife is a medical scientist and the convalescent plasma treatments’ successes have been incredible in testing so far. Thank you for taking the time to help.

I am a frequent platelet donor thanks to my blood’s makeup. I can donate a triple platelet once a week and depending on their needs they sometimes take a whole blood or platelet while I’m hooked up to the apheresis machine. Fortunately I have the time to do that because it can take up to 3 hours.

Stealth_81
Decent cookies afterwards?
 
Decent cookies afterwards?

Cookies, breads, all kinds of snacks and juices are available when I’m done. I’m usually headed straight for the coffee, though. Caffeine constricts blood vessels so I can’t have my coffee until I’m done. So, I’m desperately in need by that time of the morning.

Stealth_81
 
My wife is a medical scientist and the convalescent plasma treatments’ successes have been incredible in testing so far. Thank you for taking the time to help.

I am a frequent platelet donor thanks to my blood’s makeup. I can donate a triple platelet once a week and depending on their needs they sometimes take a whole blood or plasma while I’m hooked up to the apheresis machine. Fortunately I have the time to do that because it can take up to 3 hours.

Stealth_81
I can’t find a way to triple like your post. Platelets are something I have experience with.

I first gave blood when I was just old enough. It was a way of showing support for family friends way back in the 1970’s whose son had Aplastic Anemia. His body could not produce platelets. You can imagine that the technology was light years behind where we are now. Twice a week, his younger brother would go to the hospital to donate platelets. The tech at the time was such that the blood would be removed, platelets spun off in a separate machine and put back. It was not a continuous flow. Among other things, bone marrow transplants were in the experimentation phase and these two young men were disqualified after several months of testing on the other side of the country. This went on for years. They could not be apart. there wasn’t a happy ending.

I’m not up to speed on the technology, but I believe they have more sophisticated methods of matching donors to recipients, so platelets like yours can be used to help many people.

Very nice!
 
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