I used to give blood but a long time ago a friend needed platelets and so about twenty years ago I made my first donation.
What are platelets? They are small cells in the blood that work to stop bleeding. They aid in clotting and help prevent excessive bleeding--internally and from wounds or surgery.
Platelets only keep for a few days and there is a continuous need for them. Accidents, transplants, surgery, leukemia, chemotherapy and more will require platelets. It takes over a dozen regular blood transfusions to gain the same number of platelets as from one platelet donation.
Back in the early days it was a long process--they put a needle in each elbow and from one arm they took the blood and scooped out the platelets and returned the blood through the other. It took over two hours and you couldn't move or scratch or anything!
I promise it has gotten better since then!
Though it is still about two hours in the chair, it is only one needle in one arm now. So you can read or watch tv or play games or scratch an itch if you want. The only thing you can't do is go to sleep!
So if you can spare about three hours (from intake to cookies and juice!) , and you aren't a needed blood type (do donate blood if you are O+ and O-), then check out platelet options at your local blood services clinic.
Here in New York visit www.NYBloodcenter.org
or www.RedCrossBlood.org for more areas across the country.
Give blood--help save a life....