I Bleed This Weekend

I have a blood platelet donation tomorrow morning at 7:30 AM. The whole process takes about two hours with most of that time spent in the chair with both arms attached to an apheresis machine. They suck the blood out, filter the platelets, then pump it back in. I watch a movie while they hunt for platelets.

If I chose, I could donate platelets every 3 days; I do it about 6 times a year. Seems worthwhile. They give me Famous Amos cookies when I'm done. Here are some fun facts about blood platelets:

• Platelets are tiny cells that initiate the formation of blood clots and reduce blood loss from wounds.
• Donated platelets must be used within five days of collection.
• Patients undergoing bone marrow transplants need platelets donations from about 120 people.
• Severe burn victims can need 20 units of platelets during their treatment.
• Leukemia, chemotherapy, transplant, and trauma patients and patients undergoing open-heart surgery require platelet transfusions to survive.
• Yasser Arafat was initially moved to Paris because he had a platelet deficiency. I guess they should have called me sooner.

Phlebotomists tell me I have "really good veins."
K-