Anyone ever give platelets? I'm donating platelets later in the week.

I've never done this before because the collection center was far away. Currently, there is a local canvas going on for a local teenager who needs platelets. She has a life threatening disease.
Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York City is collecting platelets in 'Maddie's' name. They also will pay for parking.

If anyone is in the NY Metro area, call Marion at the hospital and say you want to donate for Maddie.
212 639-3335

Yup. I've tried to give blood a couple of times when there's been a blood drive at a convention I was attending. The response has always been "We don't want your blood, you stinky mad cow Englishman" :(

Visiting Delhi is going to make me ineligible for a year. :(

Are there any organizations in the US that are less malaria-phobic?

Since they won't take my tainted mad cow blood in the USA, I try to give blood whenever I get home to Britain, but that's not always easy during a short family visit. There certainly won't be time during my 12/23-26 trip.

I'm overdue to donate a pint.

dh

On my next donation, I will earn my 11 gallon pin (88 donations total).

I lived in Europe during the mad-cow nonsense, so I don't think I can give blood.

58 day bump.

When was the last time you gave blood?

Hey. I have an idea just for you.

For those of you working in an office, why don't you give a call to the local hospital/blood bank; and organize a blood drive. @:-)

Simple to do, and you'll be a hero. @:-)

I am also permanently disqualified until they can determine if my five months in the UK twenty years ago is still a problem. I was up to about three gallons before I was DQ'd. :(

We just had a fellow retire from my company that was over 400 donations. He has been a super-donor for platelets for the last several years, so he can go in more often. Impressive. ^

Did you do the platelet donation? I used to be an aphersis donor when I was fresh out of university, then the AIDS epidemic hit and I was disqualified :( (no I don't have the disease but the whole gay thing still freaks them out).

I didn't mind being an aphersis donor as I have a rare blood type and at that time was a perfect match to a girl with leukemia.

If the Canadian Blood Services would let me, I would donate tomorrow.

Yes. But the platelets trickled out ever so slowly that eventually, they pulled the plug (so to speak). :(

A normal platelet donation is 3 hrs, were you longer than that?

to all who donate
 

most sincerely 'thank you'. You never know all the good that you do. One of my dear friends quite suddenly needed 10 units of blood due to an ulcer. Thanks to people like you, the blood was ready and waiting to save her life.

I just barely started donating regularly and gave for my fifth time last Wednesday. Luckily I'm only in my 20s and still have plenty of time to join the multi-gallon clubs...I hope.

After 30-45 minutes of barely a trickle, they stopped. I was told that a small percentage of folks donating, have trouble parting with their platelets.