Today was my third attempt. I had an appointment about 8 months ago and 'chickened out'. I had another appointment about 6 months ago and was deferred due to an online scheduling glitch that was beyond my control. At the time of this second attempt I still wasn't sure I could go through with it so my fear rationalized that this was a sign I was not supposed to.
Why the fear? Mostly, I think, it's fear of the unknown. Oh and that the process involves taking blood out of one arm, removing platelets and a bit of plasma and returning what's left in the other arm. It's the retuning part that had me all heebie-jeebied.
In the final analysis it came down to this:
A - I am a healthy 62 year old with no history of disease or illness. B - I know (way too many) family and friends who are, or were, dealing with cancer and other situations causing them to need platelets.
A + B = I can MUST DO THIS.
If you are considering this, and have reservations, perhaps I can help. Although as with anything else everyone's experience is going to be different. Which is why my first recommendation - if you are a Facebook participant - is joining the "American Red Cross Platelet Donors Group". It was recommended to me by a friend and I am grateful for that. The group is super supportive and happy to share experiences which really helps alleviate the anxiety. Among other things I learned my anxiety wasn't just me.
I'm not gonna lie, it was not the most comfortable thing I've ever done. It wasn't horrible though and the discomfort is nothing compared to what patients who need the platelets are going through. That thought helped me power through.
The process is long. About two hours on the bed. Remember when your parents made you go to the bathroom before the long car ride even though you didn't think you need to? It's like that. Don't turn down any opportunity to pee before getting on the bed. The phlebotomist insisted on it just like your parents would. Going in, I was worried that my mind would fixate on this and cause a problem that didn't exist. Turns out there was way too much going on to even give that a second thought.
I was also worried about needing to scratch something and having to ask someone else to do it for me since both arms are in use and moving them is a BAD idea. I learned I could tolerate a lot more than I thought I could although I did need help wiping my nose after a sneezing fit. The staff were not fazed by that at all.
The sneezing was a reaction to the tinging in my nose which was a reaction to the citrate treatment used to keep the blood from clotting in the tubes of the machine. The citrate pulls calcium out of your blood to keep it, the blood, from clotting. It caused my whole body to tingle and feel kind of numb. So I need to increase my calcium intake better before the next donation. I thought I had but obviously not enough.
The citrate reaction, even though I had been warned about it, made me have a mini panic attack. They offered to stop the process but once they assured me I was fine and the feeling was normal, I calmed down and we kept going.
The other issue for me was being cold. I brought a blanket as instructed but it was not enough. If you know me, you know I am often cold even in hot weather. Air conditioning and I are not friends. This process seemed to exacerbate that for me. The return arm was especially cold. I was told that was due to the saline solution returning my blood parts to me. Next time, I will wear some layers on my torso and a glove on the hand of my return arm.
Shout out to the Red Cross workers who went out of their way to make things as comfortable as possible. Explaining everything along the way.
Ok there you have it. If you are able, please donate. Blood, Platelets or Plasma if you qualify for that. If we are able, this is a simple thing we can do to help others.
Keep Smiling Keep Moving
-Paula
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