anyone given platelets?

[sassenacch]

i know someone asked about blood donors earlier, which i have no problem with, & i just got a call from the red cross because i got my pre-platelet blood drawn last week & they called to tell me my platelet count is through the roof! i have a rare blood type so to find out i've got crazy amounts of platelets toowas interesting.


so i have an appointment thursday, i was just curious if anyone else has done this before, i figured it was a slim chance but thought i'd ask

[phobos]

I feel silly asking this, but what are platelets?[img]smileys/smilies_09.gif[/img]

[sassenacch]

tee hee, i had to ask too, when i first heard about them. they one of the things in your blood that help it to clot & seal up an open wound so you don't bleed too much.


i guess you can donate platelets up to every 48 hours (but they reccommend waiting a little longer at least)

[phobos]

Ahh! I remember now! I learned about those from the Magic School Bus when I was a kid[img]smileys/smilies_09.gif[/img]

[sassenacch]

YAY! for Miss Frizzle & the magic schoolbus!!

[honeybee]

i have a blood clotting disorder called factor 5 laiden mutation. it means my blood clots easier than anyone elses. it also means i must have anti coagulents when flying or having an anasetic

[sassenacch]

wow that's crazy, i've never heard of that before

[honeybee]

its really rare, all of my family have it (on my dads side) its passed down through generations

[thegooddr]

Bethany,



Yup I have given platelets when I lived in Oxford (UK) and it was
totally painless and quite relaxing procedure. They hook you up
to a machine and draw out a pint of blood, this then gets spun really
fast in the machine so the platelets separate out from the red blood
cells and the platelets are then drawn off into a bag. You then
get the red cells pumped back into you. they do this three or
four times until they have enough platelets.



I only ever found one draw back. They have to also hook you up to
a bag of anticoagulant solution so that the red cells dont clot when
they give them back and it means you get a lot of extra volume given
back to you and the process takes about 60 - 90 minutes and usually I
was busting for a pee by the end of it. I advise you don't go in
there with a full bladder or you will not make it. Make sure you
are totally empty is my advice.



My platelets were always for a particular patient as I lacked a certain
platelet protein and could be given to patients who had made antibodies
to that protein. You can also go as often as every 2 weeks to
give platelets if a particular patient has a lot of need for them.



Let us know how you get on.



Iain

[sassenacch]

thanks! i'm going tomorrow, i'm not really nervous about it, because the woman who called said most likely i'd be done in under an hour, due to my count. BUT it is an excellent idea to make sure i've peed before i go in hahahahaha cause i would be the one who was crying by the end becasue i had to go so badly :P





thanks guys =)