We had a fantastic day yesterday! We started out the day driving to Springfield over an hour away to have our blood syphoned out of us, cycled through an apheresis machine and separated so that they could keep our platelets and plasma and we got our red and white blood cells returned to us in an anticoagulant solution. It was super fun!
Actually it was really nice. We sat in these super comfy heated chairs and laughed a lot and raced to the finish. Brandy got up first but dang it all I only took 51 minutes and she took 56! So there! She got the fancy fast machine. Hers mixed the platelets and plasma into one bag so she actually got to donate 5.3 and Amber and I only got to do 4.0 on our old antique machines that bagged the platelets and plasma separately. Not that I know what those numbers represent but I know that 5.3 is way bigger than 4.0.
Platelets are used for many different types of patients. When you donate whole blood it takes the blood of six donors to accumulate enough platelets for the recipients tranfusion. When you donate platelets that donation can be delivered immediately to the recipient. This means they recieve the transfusion from one donor instead of six different donors. Platelets can only be stored for five days. Click here to learn more about how you can help!
I think the workers found it strange that I wanted to see my platelets and have my picture taken with them but they went with it. The most amazing woman entertained our children, 6 of them came with us! She gave them little stuffed "platelet buddies" and played hide the platelet buddy and even built a hotel a house and something else out of old cardboard boxes for the kids to use. It was great. They were having fun so it made it easier to relax and enjoy knowing that we could save so many lives in just an hour of our time. We'll be donating whole blood this week sometime and plan to donate platelets whenever we head to Springfield since it's the closest place.
Here's the pictures! 
We got our own parking spots!! 
Here we are with our platelets! 
That's me, I'm quite proud of my pastey looking bag of platelets! 
Here's Amber. 
And of course Brandy! 
This is the greatest lady ever and our 6 kids! Woohoo for her making our morning enjoyable!
And that was only the first few hours before noon! The afternoon and evening blog is next!
My Real Life Army Brats
Those are not Taytons legs, look closely! And if you can't figure it out click on the picture!
05 July 2008
Happy Fourth Of July
Posted by My Two Army Brats at 1:36 PM
Labels: Funny Stuff, medical stuff, Serious Stuff
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3 comments:
I cannot believe you wanted your photo taken with the bag. You crack me up. Good on you for donating, such a wonderful thing to do
Your friend Amber looks shockingly like my friend Emilie from high school. I mean - it's not Emilie, obviously, but it could be her twin. Anyway, I know this is random but it weirded me out.
Oh - and good for you for giving blood! Last time I tried to give blood they told me I was too anemic . . . the nurse said, "Have you had your period lately?" I thought about it "No -" I said. I took a pregnancy test - and - um - discovered I was knocked up. Heh.
I just realized that Brandy looked a little sick in the pic where she has her IV in. It was a good day and it made me feel good to help people in need. Thank you MIchelle for making me go.LOL
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