Plasma-less
Do you want to earn some extra money? Do you want to help people? Well… I'm not here to sell you anything. I just wanted to let you in on one of my habitual activities. I go and give plasma twice a week, every single week. I've been doing this for the last three or four months. I go to BioMat, the plasma collection agency in Kennewick WA. If you’re looking for them there located 101 N. Union St. I really enjoy donating there. I know all the employees, and have a lot of fun with them. Its fun, one of them, Rachael always "sticks" me. Rachael will race and even fight to be able to stick me.
I'll tell you the process, so that you know what donating plasma is all about. First of all, plasma is used to help people such as burn victims. Plasma is a part of your blood, and made mostly of water. Donating plasma is also not “type specific.” Meaning it is universal, and can be used for anyone. So you are doing a good deed by donating.
I show up every Wednesday and Friday. The first stop is the front desk to sign in and pick up an “Aids Bulletin.” The sign says to read every time you donate, and keep it in your hand until you’re screened. I don’t read it every time (out of boredom I’ve read it several times and can tell you what’s all on it though). I go and sit down, hopefully there is a chair, but sometimes they’re really busy and there are no open seats. There’s always a movie playing, but this is hit or miss. They have limited movies and some are played constantly. Also sometimes they play movies that are just… not so good. For example, “Young Frankenstein” a Mel Brooks movie from 1974 is one that I would not care to ever see again. I usually wait about 45 minutes to an hour to be screened.
My name gets called, and I go through a quick interview process. They ask me if I’ve participated in any of the activities talked about in the Aids Bullitin, and ask me a bunch of other questions. They poked with something that’s related to a push pin to get a small amount of blood to test. I get weigh me and told to sit back down. I wait, for only a short time, and get called to the back room. It’s here that Rachael comes with my folder and asks me what arm I want to be stuck in. I alternate arms, so hopefully the scaring won’t be bad. When I first started donating I would put Neosporin stuff on my wounds every day to help the tiny holes heal better, but I’ve grown out of that.
Rachael sits me down, and rubs Iodine over the intended puncture spot. There are previous posts, pictures I found on Google, of people being stuck with a needle. I tried to add pictures inside this post, but I couldn’t figure it out. Rachael then sticks the needle into my arm, almost at the elbow joint. This is not as bad as could be thought. I’ve had times when it’s hurt, but not usually, and not really painful. What’s really freaky is to specifically watch and anticipate the puncture. It’s weird… but not bad. This needle is then connected to tubes which connect it to the Plasma Machine. This machine sucks the blood out of my body, takes it to an internal compartment which spins at 7,000 (?) rpms extracting the plasma. The plasma is dripped into a bottle that is being weighed, waiting for it to be filled according to my donation amount. When a certain amount of blood has been taken into this machine, it then cycles the blood back into my body. This cycle of drawing and returning blood is just repeated, about 5-7 times.
One time Jody, a worker there, “Hemoed” me. She was fixing my line, and moved the needle, obstructing its flow back into my vein. The machine later started trying to return the blood, and a large bulge started forming. I cried out “JODY!!” It hurt, and didn’t look right. She came and turned off my machine. I had to be re-stuck in the other arm, and I got a bruise where the blood had tried to blow up my skin like a miniature balloon. I guess that Rachael, who wasn’t there at the time, had talked about fighting Jody for Hemoing me.
It takes me an hour to give all of my required plasma, but some people do it in less than half that time. That means the whole process is about two hours for me. I get compensated for my time, not the plasma. I was told once that they can’t pay me for my plasma, because in essence it would be considered prostitution. It’s illegal to sell any part of your body for money. The amount that I get paid goes back and forth between $15 and $20 plus there are bonuses for different things and special promotions always going on.
Giving plasma is really an enjoyable process, this is counterintuitive because the culmination of it is having a needle break through your skin and it stealing your blood only to return it without the important plasma. I think the reason I like it so much is because of the staff who works there, and the relationships I’ve built. It’s like a little community. The extra money also helps, although it’s not much. That extra money becomes my weekly “blow fund.” Maybe someday I’ll see you at the Plasma Center, but until then I’ll still be going.
I'll tell you the process, so that you know what donating plasma is all about. First of all, plasma is used to help people such as burn victims. Plasma is a part of your blood, and made mostly of water. Donating plasma is also not “type specific.” Meaning it is universal, and can be used for anyone. So you are doing a good deed by donating.
I show up every Wednesday and Friday. The first stop is the front desk to sign in and pick up an “Aids Bulletin.” The sign says to read every time you donate, and keep it in your hand until you’re screened. I don’t read it every time (out of boredom I’ve read it several times and can tell you what’s all on it though). I go and sit down, hopefully there is a chair, but sometimes they’re really busy and there are no open seats. There’s always a movie playing, but this is hit or miss. They have limited movies and some are played constantly. Also sometimes they play movies that are just… not so good. For example, “Young Frankenstein” a Mel Brooks movie from 1974 is one that I would not care to ever see again. I usually wait about 45 minutes to an hour to be screened.
My name gets called, and I go through a quick interview process. They ask me if I’ve participated in any of the activities talked about in the Aids Bullitin, and ask me a bunch of other questions. They poked with something that’s related to a push pin to get a small amount of blood to test. I get weigh me and told to sit back down. I wait, for only a short time, and get called to the back room. It’s here that Rachael comes with my folder and asks me what arm I want to be stuck in. I alternate arms, so hopefully the scaring won’t be bad. When I first started donating I would put Neosporin stuff on my wounds every day to help the tiny holes heal better, but I’ve grown out of that.
Rachael sits me down, and rubs Iodine over the intended puncture spot. There are previous posts, pictures I found on Google, of people being stuck with a needle. I tried to add pictures inside this post, but I couldn’t figure it out. Rachael then sticks the needle into my arm, almost at the elbow joint. This is not as bad as could be thought. I’ve had times when it’s hurt, but not usually, and not really painful. What’s really freaky is to specifically watch and anticipate the puncture. It’s weird… but not bad. This needle is then connected to tubes which connect it to the Plasma Machine. This machine sucks the blood out of my body, takes it to an internal compartment which spins at 7,000 (?) rpms extracting the plasma. The plasma is dripped into a bottle that is being weighed, waiting for it to be filled according to my donation amount. When a certain amount of blood has been taken into this machine, it then cycles the blood back into my body. This cycle of drawing and returning blood is just repeated, about 5-7 times.
One time Jody, a worker there, “Hemoed” me. She was fixing my line, and moved the needle, obstructing its flow back into my vein. The machine later started trying to return the blood, and a large bulge started forming. I cried out “JODY!!” It hurt, and didn’t look right. She came and turned off my machine. I had to be re-stuck in the other arm, and I got a bruise where the blood had tried to blow up my skin like a miniature balloon. I guess that Rachael, who wasn’t there at the time, had talked about fighting Jody for Hemoing me.
It takes me an hour to give all of my required plasma, but some people do it in less than half that time. That means the whole process is about two hours for me. I get compensated for my time, not the plasma. I was told once that they can’t pay me for my plasma, because in essence it would be considered prostitution. It’s illegal to sell any part of your body for money. The amount that I get paid goes back and forth between $15 and $20 plus there are bonuses for different things and special promotions always going on.
Giving plasma is really an enjoyable process, this is counterintuitive because the culmination of it is having a needle break through your skin and it stealing your blood only to return it without the important plasma. I think the reason I like it so much is because of the staff who works there, and the relationships I’ve built. It’s like a little community. The extra money also helps, although it’s not much. That extra money becomes my weekly “blow fund.” Maybe someday I’ll see you at the Plasma Center, but until then I’ll still be going.
posted by Jacob at
6:01 PM
