Jenny Frazier reports what it's like to donate platelets (in her case, for a friend who has had to receive several platelet transfusions this year):
... First of all you answer A LOT (and I mean a lot) of questions. Then they get you comfortable in these insane BarkaLoungers complete with a giant heating pad and warm blankets. When you donate platelets they take your blood, separate the platelets out and put the rest back into you. What they put back in is room temperature not body temperature, so you get a little cold. ...
Also, she provides the One Thing You Must Know before you donate (sugar is involved).
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Comments
Blood
By liveinvt
Mon, 10/27/2008 - 1:28pm
I tried donating blood once, but they wanted my DOB and SSN, so I said no, and so did they.
They have lots of good reasons why they think they need your personal information when you donate, but I didn't find any of them reasonable, and the real reason is because it's required by law.
A pretty bad law if you ask me.
They don't ask your SSN at
By AllEyesOnJenny
Mon, 10/27/2008 - 2:27pm
They don't ask your SSN at the Red Cross. They do need a picture ID to get you started (address and DOB). The only other questions they ask you are health related to determine if you are eligible to donate.
SSN
By SwirlyGrrl
Mon, 10/27/2008 - 2:39pm
The SSN is really only supposed to be Social Security and Tax ID purposes only. It can't legally be required to give blood because you aren't paying taxes in blood.
That doesn't mean that the law isn't routinely ignored, it just means they can't say that giving your SSN is a legal requirement.
I was appalled that MA automatically used SSN as the driver's license number for a long time. I balked, so they gave me a different one when I switched over. In OR, they never asked for SSN until the feds said that all states had to have them on file - but not on the card.
Hedonistic & Virtuous
By slj91
Mon, 10/27/2008 - 10:12pm
I LOVE to give platelets. Like Jenny says, you sit there for two hours, chatting with the technicians, eating free snacks and beverages, watching TV-- and at the end you get to feel virtuous! A Snickers bar, some ginger ale, and a couple hours of satellite, and I have done my good deed for the week!
I highly recommend the experience.