Platelets

As long as I've been a regular donor, Carter Bloodcare has been asking me to do platelets. The process for the donor isn't too different: still just one needle stick.

1. Blood flows out thru the tube.

2. Blood spins thru centrifuge to separate red cells from plasma.

3. Plasma/platelets are routed to the bag while the red cells are routed back up the tube into the arm.

Pretty straight forward. But it's that last part that makes it a WHOLE OTHER THING.

People, I've donated gallons of whole blood in my life. And I'm used to that feeling of blood going out of my arm. But "back up the tube into the arm"...

I wouldn't describe it as painful. Rather, it's just very weird feeling as the machine oscillates back and forth between DRAW (out) and PUMP (in). The pressure I felt all the way up my arm during PUMP as it's pushing the stuff back into the vein... WOAH 😰

I'll do it again if they really ask nicely, but, well, this is not my favorite thing.