My dh and I are looking into donating our plasma to help us finacially.

[A home for their hearts]

My dh told me about this about a month ago and we thought we might give it a try. Money is so tight we really need a way to bring in some extra income. We do have some concerns about in however. I always fear my DNA being used for some kind of strange scientific purposes. I always worried about what effect it might have on our health as well. This also may help us provide our dc with some presents this christmas.

 

Has anyone ever done this? What are you thoughts?

[Shelly in IL]

just curious

[wagnfun]

My dh told me about this about a month ago and we thought we might give it a try. Money is so tight we really need a way to bring in some extra income. We do have some concerns about in however. I always fear my DNA being used for some kind of strange scientific purposes. I always worried about what effect it might have on our health as well. This also may help us provide our dc with some presents this christmas.

 

Has anyone ever done this? What are you thoughts?

 

The only thing I know about getting $$ and donating is if you are RH neg. and unable to have children (either by age or surgery). It takes abou 2+ hrs and I believe the going rate is $50 per donation.

[HollyinNNV]

My dh told me about this about a month ago and we thought we might give it a try. Money is so tight we really need a way to bring in some extra income. We do have some concerns about in however. I always fear my DNA being used for some kind of strange scientific purposes. I always worried about what effect it might have on our health as well. This also may help us provide our dc with some presents this christmas.

 

Has anyone ever done this? What are you thoughts?

 

DH worked at a plasma center during residency. I quizzed him to get the scoop.

OK-A few things you might want to know ahead:

 

Your blood is spun down in a centrifuge and the cells are given back to you while the plasma (the a-cellular part of your blood) is kept. So do not worry about your DNA. In order to do this, plasma centers use a big needle enabling them to both take your blood and give it back at the same time.

 

When they give you back your blood it has been mixed with sodium citrate. This is to keep your blood from clotting in the machine. Some people have a reaction to the citrate from pain to convulsions to worse. It is pretty uncommon but you should know the risks. Women more commonly have reactions than men. DH does not remember very many instances of this happening. The common reaction is feeling sick from low blood pressure and sometimes passing out.

 

Before donating, they will test to make sure you don't have Hepatitis, Aids and have a good liver function.

 

 

Where DH worked (C. TX) they only paid $15 for the first visit. It took several visits to make much money. If you had to drive far, I'm not sure it would be worth it with gas prices the way they are. DH suggested that you donate eggs because it is more lucrative :001_huh: but I said judging from your blog and curriculum that I doubted you'd be interested. I mention it for others reading this post that might be interested.

 

HTH,

Holly

[chaik76]

I've donated plasma...I could make up to $200/mo. I enjoyed it (we got to watch movies or read while we donated), and even though I was paid, I felt like I was giving something to the community. I'm really, really overprotective of my DNA...and I never felt like they would be doing anything that would compromise my beliefs, morals, or values in this regard.

Right now we are too far away from a center for this to work for us, but if I could do it again, I would.

[Kelli in TN]

Holly,

I am interested in this but I wonder if I would be a good candidate. I tend to be anemic and I have the craziest rolling veins. I am not sure they could even get that needle into my vein.

 

But I would love the money!

[HollyinNNV]

Holly,

I am interested in this but I wonder if I would be a good candidate. I tend to be anemic and I have the craziest rolling veins. I am not sure they could even get that needle into my vein.

 

But I would love the money!

 

DH says that he guesses if your hemoglobin is less than 12 (woman) (or maybe 14 (man)-he can't remember) they will reject you. Then he said, maybe it was 15 for everyone. Suffice it to say, if you are truly anemic, you will probably be refused.

 

OH-now he says that anyone with a tattoo 1 year old or less will be automatically denied. He thinks it is not an issue for people on this board, but I disagree. Wasn't there a tattoo thread not too long ago?

 

As far as your veins go, he first stated that "rolling veins" is an excuse used for those who can't find your vein. He said unless you are 90 years old, they should be able to find your vein. (For his specialty, he does challenging sticks a lot. Maybe he is biased?;)) Chronic steroid use, which causes subcutaneous fat atrophy also creates rolling veins. Morbid obesity also creates a challenge because you can't find/feel the veins rather than the veins actually rolling around.

 

The folks that work at a plasma center find veins all the time. They should be the best at hard sticks.

 

HTH,

Holly

[A home for their hearts]

DH worked at a plasma center during residency. I quizzed him to get the scoop.

OK-A few things you might want to know ahead:

 

Your blood is spun down in a centrifuge and the cells are given back to you while the plasma (the a-cellular part of your blood) is kept. So do not worry about your DNA. In order to do this, plasma centers use a big needle enabling them to both take your blood and give it back at the same time.

 

When they give you back your blood it has been mixed with sodium citrate. This is to keep your blood from clotting in the machine. Some people have a reaction to the citrate from pain to convulsions to worse. It is pretty uncommon but you should know the risks. Women more commonly have reactions than men. DH does not remember very many instances of this happening. The common reaction is feeling sick from low blood pressure and sometimes passing out.

 

Before donating, they will test to make sure you don't have Hepatitis, Aids and have a good liver function.

 

 

Where DH worked (C. TX) they only paid $15 for the first visit. It took several visits to make much money. If you had to drive far, I'm not sure it would be worth it with gas prices the way they are. DH suggested that you donate eggs because it is more lucrative :001_huh: but I said judging from your blog and curriculum that I doubted you'd be interested. I mention it for others reading this post that might be interested.

 

HTH,

Holly

 

Thanks for all the info.! It has been very helpful. I was still wondering, can you not get DNA out of the a-cellular part of your blood?

 

The donation center we would be going to offers $40 for your first donation of the week and then $30 dollars for your second donation of the week for two weeks, after that it's $30 for every donation.

 

Hmm donate my eggs, never even crossed my mind, but yes you are right I'm not interested...I would never be able to live knowing I may have dc out there I never even knew!

[Kelli in TN]

 

As far as your veins go, he first stated that "rolling veins" is an excuse used for those who can't find your vein. He said unless you are 90 years old, they should be able to find your vein. (For his specialty, he does challenging sticks a lot. Maybe he is biased?;)) Chronic steroid use, which causes subcutaneous fat atrophy also creates rolling veins. Morbid obesity also creates a challenge because you can't find/feel the veins rather than the veins actually rolling around.

 

The folks that work at a plasma center find veins all the time. They should be the best at hard sticks.

 

HTH,

Holly

 

 

Well, I am pretty plump. But even in my thinner days I was a hard stick. Even going back to when I had my first baby at 20 (and I was a normal, healthy size) it was just torture to get an IV started. I was bruised up and down my arms and on my hands and had become acquainted with several nurses before I finally had my IV going. On the other hand when I had surgery a couple of years ago (and being a normal healthy size was only a vague memory kept alive by occassionally looking at old photographs) the OR nurse got the IV in on the first stick. So....:confused:....maybe it would be worth a try.

[HollyinNNV]

Thanks for all the info.! It has been very helpful. I was still wondering, can you not get DNA out of the a-cellular part of your blood?

DNA is found within the nuclei of the cell. If you are donating the non-cell portion of your blood, then it does not have the nuclei or DNA. And sometimes red blood cells are obtained in the plasma, but interestingly red blood cells are one of the few cells in your body that do not contain DNA.

 

The white blood cells which are bigger and heavier are more easily centrifuged out.

 

I would suspect that if this is still bugging you though, maybe it is not the procedure for you.:)

 

 

Hmm donate my eggs, never even crossed my mind, but yes you are right I'm not interested...I would never be able to live knowing I may have dc out there I never even knew!

 

I feel the exact same way! Too weird for me!

Holly

[HollyinNNV]

Well, I am pretty plump. But even in my thinner days I was a hard stick. Even going back to when I had my first baby at 20 (and I was a normal, healthy size) it was just torture to get an IV started. I was bruised up and down my arms and on my hands and had become acquainted with several nurses before I finally had my IV going. On the other hand when I had surgery a couple of years ago (and being a normal healthy size was only a vague memory kept alive by occassionally looking at old photographs) the OR nurse got the IV in on the first stick. So....:confused:....maybe it would be worth a try.

 

Most people have an anticubital vein (ac vein). You can see it where your arm bends. If you are having a baby, most nurses will not stick you there because the IV will quit running every time you bend your arm. However, that isn't an issue during plasma donation. 99% of the time they will go for the ac vein because it is the easiest and one of the largest veins in the peripheral part of your body. DH also says that if they can't find the AC vein, they may just turn you away, too. (OK-now he's betting money that they would turn you away for that:glare:) It is a 15 gauge needle (he says its ginormous).

 

And I didn't know this, but you should be well-hydrated because that will also help with finding a vein and keep you from getting sick afterwards (now dh is laughing saying preferably with non-alcoholic beverages-so funny!) You know, you could have been dehydrated when you had your baby. Who knows?

 

Hope this helps Kelli,

Holly

[Kris]

I wondered the same thing -- how much can you really make? But even at $200 a month, I can see spending that on gas just to get there. Oh well. :-)

[Pam "SFSOM" in TN]

My dh told me about this about a month ago and we thought we might give it a try. Money is so tight we really need a way to bring in some extra income. We do have some concerns about in however. I always fear my DNA being used for some kind of strange scientific purposes. I always worried about what effect it might have on our health as well. This also may help us provide our dc with some presents this christmas.

 

Has anyone ever done this? What are you thoughts?

 

I've donated plasma before, but am ineligible now that we lived in Europe during the Mad Cow days. :glare:

 

I could taste the tubing -- like chewing on a rubber glove -- when they put the blood products back in, but other than that, it was not a very big deal. And they have much more important uses for your plasma than using it for DNA research. If they need blood or blood products for that, it's easy enough to find donors on any college campus in the US who will be happy to allow it with full disclosure.

[Pam "SFSOM" in TN]

Holly,

I am interested in this but I wonder if I would be a good candidate. I tend to be anemic and I have the craziest rolling veins. I am not sure they could even get that needle into my vein.

 

But I would love the money!

 

Go out and walk for about 20 minutes a day and your veins'll be easier to find. :001_smile:

[MJN]

plasma can you? Dh used to do it and he made good money doing it. He has great veins. He's thinking he can't do it now though because of the blood pressure meds. Anybody know?

 

Thanks!

[brehon]

As far as your veins go, he first stated that "rolling veins" is an excuse used for those who can't find your vein. He said unless you are 90 years old, they should be able to find your vein. (For his specialty, he does challenging sticks a lot. Maybe he is biased?;)) Chronic steroid use, which causes subcutaneous fat atrophy also creates rolling veins. Morbid obesity also creates a challenge because you can't find/feel the veins rather than the veins actually rolling around.

 

The folks that work at a plasma center find veins all the time. They should be the best at hard sticks.

 

 

 

I beg to differ, the best folks for getting hard sticks are the ones who have to get IV's bouncing around in the back of an ambulance whilst simultaneously bracing themselves with their legs between the stretcher and the wall of the unit. :D

 

"The veined rolled on me" is a common excuse in the medical field for missing a stick. Not that I've ever used it, you understand. ;) And, yes, 15ga is ginormous. We carry 14ga catheters on the ambulance and in 10 1/2 years, I've used it maybe 3 times.

[DSAcademy]

I clearly have issues, because when I read the title of this thread I thought to myself...

 

Wow, how incredibly generous of you...no matter how wonderful my family is, I just don't think they could give away our TV...even if it would be loved by a deserving family while allowing us to save money and use our satellite TV budget on something more pressing, and ultimately meaningful...

 

Must lay off the diet coke...

 

PS - Hugs. My thoughts are with you...a TV I could do...a needle...not so much!

[HollyinNNV]

I beg to differ, the best folks for getting hard sticks are the ones who have to get IV's bouncing around in the back of an ambulance whilst simultaneously bracing themselves with their legs between the stretcher and the wall of the unit. :D

 

Very good point!

Holly:D

[HollyinNNV]

plasma can you? Dh used to do it and he made good money doing it. He has great veins. He's thinking he can't do it now though because of the blood pressure meds. Anybody know?

 

Thanks!

 

High blood pressure can disqualify you. However dh can't remember if the medication would disqualify you. It has been a long time since he worked at the plasma center. If your dh plans on trying, he might just call ahead and see.

Holly

[5kidsforME]

My dh told me about this about a month ago and we thought we might give it a try. Money is so tight we really need a way to bring in some extra income. We do have some concerns about in however. I always fear my DNA being used for some kind of strange scientific purposes. I always worried about what effect it might have on our health as well. This also may help us provide our dc with some presents this christmas.

 

Has anyone ever done this? What are you thoughts?

 

From the title of your post I thought you were talking about a TV!!!! :smilielol5:

 

 

 

 

Back to your regularly scheduled thread..................:lol:

[5kidsforME]

I clearly have issues, because when I read the title of this thread I thought to myself...

 

Wow, how incredibly generous of you...no matter how wonderful my family is, I just don't think they could give away our TV...even if it would be loved by a deserving family while allowing us to save money and use our satellite TV budget on something more pressing, and ultimately meaningful...

 

Must lay off the diet coke...

 

PS - Hugs. My thoughts are with you...a TV I could do...a needle...not so much!

 

 

That was me too! :smilielol5::smilielol5::smilielol5:

[ereks mom]

The only thing I know about getting $$ and donating is if you are RH neg. and unable to have children (either by age or surgery).

 

Not sure I understand... Are you saying that being Rh negative & being unable to have children is a requirement for donating & being paid for it?

[Brindee]

My veins are small. I've tried to give blood three separate times, and they could NEVER get it going much, if any! NEVER! And each time they stuck both arms! At least they TRIED, but they don't want me coming back and wasting their time and equipment anymore! ;) They said, if they can't get your veins for donating blood, then don't even THINK of the other! The needle is bigger and it takes longer.

 

So, I can't give blood. I'm actually very sad about it, because it doesn't bother me. All the poking and moving the needle around just doesn't phase me, so I THOUGHT I'd be a good candidate! But Nooooooo! :(

 

Holly, does your dh think he could stick me and keep the flow going? If they CAN find the vein and get the needle in, it collapses after awhile--too soon to even get nearly enough to fill the bag! But once, even with 3 different people trying, they couldn't get the needle in a vein on either arm.

 

And yeah, the hydration is very important! I drank a LOT of water beforehand both the last two times, just in case that would help.... The last time I tried was just a few months ago.

[HollyinNNV]

My veins are small. I've tried to give blood three separate times, and they could NEVER get it going much, if any! NEVER! And each time they stuck both arms! At least they TRIED, but they don't want me coming back and wasting their time and equipment anymore! ;) They said, if they can't get your veins for donating blood, then don't even THINK of the other! The needle is bigger and it takes longer.

 

So, I can't give blood. I'm actually very sad about it, because it doesn't bother me. All the poking and moving the needle around just doesn't phase me, so I THOUGHT I'd be a good candidate! But Nooooooo! :(

 

Holly, does your dh think he could stick me and keep the flow going? If they CAN find the vein and get the needle in, it collapses after awhile--too soon to even get nearly enough to fill the bag! But once, even with 3 different people trying, they couldn't get the needle in a vein on either arm.

 

 

 

DH said he really doesn't know. He said that it is a really big vein so he's not sure why the blood bank had problems. But, he said he was sorry that he couldn't be more help. It might just be the luck of the draw depending upon who is working in the plasma center/blood bank that day.

 

I (the ignorant one) said, well what if she had to have surgery? He said that it is different and they have "other ways" of hooking you up like a central line. So, at least that is the good news.

Holly

[Julie in CA]

I beg to differ, the best folks for getting hard sticks are the ones who have to get IV's bouncing around in the back of an ambulance whilst simultaneously bracing themselves with their legs between the stretcher and the wall of the unit. :D

 

 

 

I totally agree with this one! When my 5th dc was 8 weeks old, we had to take her to the ER because she was unconscious, blue, and I couldn't tell if she was breathing correctly. In the ER, they tried to get an I.V. started. Here are the folks that tried:

ER nurse

ER doc

Neonatal Dept. head nurse

Is it a phlebotomist? The one who draws blood routinely?

 

None of those folks could get it (even on a baby that didn't move a muscle the whole time). The one who finally did get it was a paramedic who was wandering through and decided to give it a try. He's my hero :001_wub:

 

p.s. Just in case you're wondering about the outcome, it turned out that after the IV was in they did a lumbar puncture, found that she had meningitis, quarantined the ER and all the folks in it, medicated about 25 members of our immediate and extended family with heavy antibiotics, as well as hospital personnel in the emergency rooms of the two hospitals we'd been in (original hospital transferred her to a 2nd via ambulance). She was hospitalized for a week, and then started suffering seizures that an ultrasound tech attributed to an abscess in her brain. She was transferred by life flight to a larger teaching hospital to be treated by a pediatric infectious disease specialist, where she contracted Rotavirus via a 3rd lumbar puncture done by an infected doc. All told, she was in the hospital for about 3 weeks, and we were told that appx. 60% of babies who contracted this particular strain of meningitis came out of it with severe and profound disabilities, and that roughly 70% of those who ended up without severe disability were found later on to have learning deficiencies.

 

While I realize this part of my post is pretty much *completely* off-topic, I like to tell the story every year or two, just so that I can marvel anew at how *good* God has been to me. DD is now 10 years old, and is *just fine*. :001_smile:

An equally marvelous thing is that throughout the whole thing(including not seeing my other 4 dc who were 2,4,5 1/2, and 7--they woke up in the morning and mommy and baby were gone for almost a month!), God truly gave me a "peace that passes understanding." People usually ask me at this point, "so you knew she'd be ok?" My answer always is, "no, but I knew that whatever happened, I could be at peace with it." Some people have never experienced that peace--I'm here to tell you, it really exists!

 

Anywhoo, I haven't told the story about Amy in a few years--thanks for letting me satisfy the urge to tell it once more. ;)

[Brindee]

DH said he really doesn't know. He said that it is a really big vein so he's not sure why the blood bank had problems. But, he said he was sorry that he couldn't be more help. It might just be the luck of the draw depending upon who is working in the plasma center/blood bank that day.

 

I (the ignorant one) said, well what if she had to have surgery? He said that it is different and they have "other ways" of hooking you up like a central line. So, at least that is the good news.

Holly

Thing is, it was 3 different places with a total of about 10-12 different people poking and prodding and pushing and slapping---it just didn't work!

 

I DID have surgery---well, just day surgery, but they had to put me out. An RN came in to poke the IV line in and it slipped or whatever and caused a huge bubble under my skin. She called another one to try it on my other hand/arm while she worked with what she did. This lady did something and the blood started spurting out and dripping! So there you have it. I guess I'm one tough cookie to deal with in those situations!:tongue_smilie:

[Slartibartfast]

I had a blood transfusion when my ds was born. I can't donate for a year.

 

It says on website thingie that one cannot donate while breastfeeding. Is this true?

 

A plebotimist took blood from my ds' arm and he wasn't even two weeks old. I guess he has my veins cause even the winner of the drunken village idiot contest could draw blood from me. My veins are easy.

[fivetails]

It seems so strange to me, the idea of being paid for donating blood...I'd never heard of that until, oh I don't know - sometime last year I think... it's not done here, donations are *donations*, ie not paid for....

 

I don't know about other stuff - like the donating of eggs to wherever those go or donating of sperm to a sperm bank...that stuff might be, I'm not sure. I just know that blood donations aren't paid -- well, you do get free juice and toast. ;)

[Pam "SFSOM" in TN]

It seems so strange to me, the idea of being paid for donating blood...I'd never heard of that until, oh I don't know - sometime last year I think... it's not done here, donations are *donations*, ie not paid for....

 

I don't know about other stuff - like the donating of eggs to wherever those go or donating of sperm to a sperm bank...that stuff might be, I'm not sure. I just know that blood donations aren't paid -- well, you do get free juice and toast. ;)

 

We don't get paid for donating blood, either, but plasma is a bit different. It does involve a bit of risk since they put blood products back into your body, and it's rather time-intensive.

[unsinkable]

I totally agree with this one! When my 5th dc was 8 weeks old, we had to take her to the ER because she was unconscious, blue, and I couldn't tell if she was breathing correctly. In the ER, they tried to get an I.V. started. Here are the folks that tried:

ER nurse

ER doc

Neonatal Dept. head nurse

Is it a phlebotomist? The one who draws blood routinely?

 

None of those folks could get it (even on a baby that didn't move a muscle the whole time). The one who finally did get it was a paramedic who was wandering through and decided to give it a try. He's my hero :001_wub:

 

p.s. Just in case you're wondering about the outcome, it turned out that after the IV was in they did a lumbar puncture, found that she had meningitis, quarantined the ER and all the folks in it, medicated about 25 members of our immediate and extended family with heavy antibiotics, as well as hospital personnel in the emergency rooms of the two hospitals we'd been in (original hospital transferred her to a 2nd via ambulance). She was hospitalized for a week, and then started suffering seizures that an ultrasound tech attributed to an abscess in her brain. She was transferred by life flight to a larger teaching hospital to be treated by a pediatric infectious disease specialist, where she contracted Rotavirus via a 3rd lumbar puncture done by an infected doc. All told, she was in the hospital for about 3 weeks, and we were told that appx. 60% of babies who contracted this particular strain of meningitis came out of it with severe and profound disabilities, and that roughly 70% of those who ended up without severe disability were found later on to have learning deficiencies.

 

While I realize this part of my post is pretty much *completely* off-topic, I like to tell the story every year or two, just so that I can marvel anew at how *good* God has been to me. DD is now 10 years old, and is *just fine*. :001_smile:

An equally marvelous thing is that throughout the whole thing(including not seeing my other 4 dc who were 2,4,5 1/2, and 7--they woke up in the morning and mommy and baby were gone for almost a month!), God truly gave me a "peace that passes understanding." People usually ask me at this point, "so you knew she'd be ok?" My answer always is, "no, but I knew that whatever happened, I could be at peace with it." Some people have never experienced that peace--I'm here to tell you, it really exists!

 

Anywhoo, I haven't told the story about Amy in a few years--thanks for letting me satisfy the urge to tell it once more. ;)

 

This is a wonderful story to read on a Sunday morning! That paramedic would be my hero, too.

[unsinkable]

It seems so strange to me, the idea of being paid for donating blood...I'd never heard of that until, oh I don't know - sometime last year I think... it's not done here, donations are *donations*, ie not paid for....

 

I don't know about other stuff - like the donating of eggs to wherever those go or donating of sperm to a sperm bank...that stuff might be, I'm not sure. I just know that blood donations aren't paid -- well, you do get free juice and toast. ;)

 

 

My dh donates blood every 8 weeks, like clockwork. He works in a Level One trauma hospital and he sees first hand how much is needed. He donates at the hospital right when his shift ends. He gets a gift every time he donates: a $10 gift card to a grocery store. We give it to our parish outreach.

 

Every once in a while, the blood donation place has a raffle. You get a ticket if you give blood. Some of the prizes have been TVs. DH has never won.

 

I don't know if they only do this at the hospital b/c then they don't have to buy outside blood or if other places are giving gifts, too. I guess it costs the hospital over $100 if they buy a bag of blood.

 

Just our experience.

[obiandelismom]

There's a plasma center two blocks from my house, and I have inquired about donating there. IIRC, the going rate was $40 for the first visit (which takes 2 hours & involves some testing) and $30 for each subsequent visit (45 minutes each). I want to do it, but I'm still a bit nervous about it. Take my advice - if you decide to do it, DO NOT Google "donating plasma bad outcomes." :eek:

 

Also, when I went in to ask about the details, I asked the helpful intake nurse if there were any weight limits (like there are when you donate blood). She looked at me for a blank moment or two, and then replied, "Naw, it's first come first served." :001_huh: Didn't do a lot to help my confidence in the operation...

[wagnfun]

Not sure I understand... Are you saying that being Rh negative & being unable to have children is a requirement for donating & being paid for it?

 

 

What I was saying was that I was unaware that you could donate plasma for cash. The only cash I knew that could be earned, aside of egg donation, by giving blood was giving RH Neg. blood.

 

In order to donate your rh neg, you have to be rh neg (obviously) and not able to bear children.

 

The plasma spoke on with the rest of this thread is different.

 

Clear as mud right? :tongue_smilie:

[Merry]

where they hang you up by your ankles and tap your feet lightly with a stick. At first it doesn't seem like a big deal but when it's done over and over, it gets to be torture. Same with me when it comes to donating plasma. The first few times didn't seem too bad but the more often I went, the more I dreaded it and the worse it seemed. Then I snapped when the nurse couldn't find the vein and put the needle in wrong and sucked air instead of plasma. I walked out feeling upset and never went back since. It might not happen to you but I suggest that if you do go, to go maybe once a week or every other week and slowly increase the frequency if it feels comfortable to you. It just is not a good feeling to have to depend on giving plasma in order to have money. I suggest finding a part time job instead and using the money from the plasma for the extras that you want and not need.

[fivetails]

It seems so strange to me, the idea of being paid for donating blood...I'd never heard of that until, oh I don't know - sometime last year I think... it's not done here, donations are *donations*, ie not paid for....

 

I don't know about other stuff - like the donating of eggs to wherever those go or donating of sperm to a sperm bank...that stuff might be, I'm not sure. I just know that blood donations aren't paid -- well, you do get free juice and toast. ;)

We don't get paid for donating blood, either, but plasma is a bit different. It does involve a bit of risk since they put blood products back into your body, and it's rather time-intensive.

 

 

K, I did a little googling and it appears that there's no payment for plasma either here. Interestingly enough though, I found this:

 

Canadian plasma for fractionation into plasma products comes from two sources:

• recovered plasma (This is the plasma contained in the donations of whole blood.)

• source plasma. (This is the plasma collected through plasmapharesis. At the moment Canadian Blood Services and Héma-Quebec collect very little plasma through plasmapharesis.)

As a result, Canada does not have all the plasma it needs to make the plasma products needed by Canadians. In fact, Canada is about 40% self-sufficient. This means Canada's blood services must buy the other 60% from outside the country. This plasma comes from paid, volunteer donors, most of whom are American. Research in the past has shown that, all other factors being equal, blood from paid donors carries a higher risk of infection than blood from unpaid donors.

 

 

The Commission of Inquiry on the Blood System in Canada recommended that "... significant efforts be made to ensure that blood components and blood products used in Canada are made from the blood and plasma collected from unpaid donors."

 

We don't get paid for ours, but it seems that they have to buy some of the plasma from Americans who did get paid.

 

info source

[CLHCO]

I clearly have issues, because when I read the title of this thread I thought to myself...

 

Wow, how incredibly generous of you...no matter how wonderful my family is, I just don't think they could give away our TV...even if it would be loved by a deserving family while allowing us to save money and use our satellite TV budget on something more pressing, and ultimately meaningful...

 

Must lay off the diet coke...

 

PS - Hugs. My thoughts are with you...a TV I could do...a needle...not so much!

:lol: :lol: I admit that was my first thought!

[CLHCO]

What I was saying was that I was unaware that you could donate plasma for cash. The only cash I knew that could be earned, aside of egg donation, by giving blood was giving RH Neg. blood.

 

In order to donate your rh neg, you have to be rh neg (obviously) and not able to bear children.

 

The plasma spoke on with the rest of this thread is different.

 

Clear as mud right? :tongue_smilie:

Why the not able to bear children thing on the rh neg blood? I've never given plasma but they just love my O- blood. I used to get calls but there isn't a place close to us to take donations.

[HollyinNNV]

I had a blood transfusion when my ds was born. I can't donate for a year.

 

It says on website thingie that one cannot donate while breastfeeding. Is this true?

 

 

 

DH says that this may be because many women bstfdg are anemic and/or have low albumin levels.

 

Course my question is whether the citrate would leach into the breast milk or otherwise change it?:confused:

 

Holly

[HollyinNNV]

Here's the La Leche League opinion for blood donation-although it does not cover plasma specifically:

 

 

defer while pregnant

defer 6 weeks after uncomplicated third trimester or term delivery or cesarean section

defer 12 months if delivery required a blood transfusion

accept nursing mothers

La Leche League's sources differ in their opinions on blood donation for breastfeeding mothers. Dr. Gregory White does not recommend it. Dr. Jack Newman says any otherwise eligible mother who is not anemic can donate blood. The Canadian Blood Service (a division of the Red Cross) asks breastfeeding mothers to wait six months before donating blood. LLL recommends that mothers consult their own physicians and make an informed choice.

[HollyinNNV]

OK-Here are dh's thoughts on donating plasma while brstfdg. I may have edited a wee bit :D, but he knows. (I didn't edit the medical info!)

Holly

 

 

This may seem obvious, but women who have recently given birth should remain on prenatal vitamins including iron, particularly if bstfding. Also, good nutrition is important. The RDA for pregnant women is 2400 kcal/day BUT it is even higher in lactating women. The RDA for lactating women is 2600 kcal/day (compare to 1800 kcal/day for "normal" people). This should include adequate protein intake. My concern here is that inadequate nutrition in lactating women could potentially cause hypalbuminemia, which in turn causes hypocalcemia. The citrate mixed with your blood during plasmapheresis causes a further reduction in blood calcium levels (to prevent it from clotting), making a citrate reaction more likely. Here is a scenario:

 

A woman who recently gained 40-50 pounds during her pregnancy is dieting in an attempt to lose weight while bst fding. She is eating perhaps 1200-1400 calories per day while bst fdg. She's tired all the time, doesn't feel like cooking and gets 400 kcal/day from Slimfast shakes that she drinks while brst fdg her child because she doesn't want to take the time to make a meal since her DH is at work anyway. She decides to donate plasma to make a little extra money. She goes to the plasma donor center to donate, but doesn't tell them she is bst feeding out of fear of being turned away. They hook her up. About 40 minutes into the procedure, she starts to feel kind of tingly around her mouth, but is not concerned. This quickly progresses to full on convulsions that only stop once the needle comes out of her arm when she falls on the floor. No joke. . ..I could see this happening.

 

Seriously, If you do decide to donate plasma, monitor yourself closely for signs of hypocalcemia. These include tingling of the fingertips, toes and mouth that can progress to muscle cramps or more severe complications. Notify someone immediately if you notice these symptoms so that they can slow the rate of return of your red cells (and the citrate that sequesters calcium in the machine and your body) in order to prevent the occurrence of a citrate reaction. Citrate reactions are usually relatively benign, but they can be potentially dangerous. Most women in the US should not have a problem with this. All women of childbearing age should be on a calcium supplement to prevent osteoporosis anyway. This is just food for thought (pun intended). Suffice it to say that I am probably on the more conservative side of things. The LLLI guidelines are good (see previous post), but I would add that, if you are brst fding AND concurrently dieting, I also would not recommend plasmapheresis :) Actually, I don't recommend dieting and bst fdg at all.

HTH,

Holly

[Pegasus]

I donated plasma a couple times when I was in college. The plasma center was several blocks from campus, close enough to walk, so it was a popular place for students to get enough money to go drinking. The first time took forever with all the health screening questions and a brief exam. The second time was faster but I'd still count on at least a couple hours. If I remember correctly, they did have a minimum weight limit of 110 pounds. I was 115 pounds (wow, those were the days!) so I was just over the minimum limit.

 

After the second time I donated, I passed out cold on their floor and woke up with a crowd of people around me. They had me rest and gave me some soda to drink. Even so, it was a tough walk back to campus. I kept having to stop every several feet and sit on the ground before I could stumble up and keep going.

 

Needless to say, I didn't go back after that and I got a severe scolding from my Mom when she found out.

 

Pegasus

[Brindee]

I'd like to see the research done on that Canadian info.! US screens blood donors very thoroughly! I was surprised they'd say that, but maybe they have some research to back it up.

 

When I went to try to donate blood (it's volunteer/not paid here as well), their policy would not allow people to donate blood or plasma more than once every 15 days. I don't see how any place could allow people to donate once or twice a week, that seems dangerous to me!

[Pam "SFSOM" in TN]

I'd like to see the research done on that Canadian info.! US screens blood donors very thoroughly! I was surprised they'd say that, but maybe they have some research to back it up.

 

When I went to try to donate blood (it's volunteer/not paid here as well), their policy would not allow people to donate blood or plasma more than once every 15 days. I don't see how any place could allow people to donate once or twice a week, that seems dangerous to me!

 

I think some are getting blood donation and plasma donation (with compensation) mixed up. Blood donation takes whole blood. Plasma donation takes whole blood, removes the plasma, then puts back the blood products. When the plasma regenerates in a few days, one can donate again.

 

Whole blood donation has a lot more time in between because ALL the donate blood has to be then regenerated, not just the plasma.

[Brindee]

I think some are getting blood donation and plasma donation (with compensation) mixed up. Blood donation takes whole blood. Plasma donation takes whole blood, removes the plasma, then puts back the blood products. When the plasma regenerates in a few days, one can donate again.

 

Whole blood donation has a lot more time in between because ALL the donate blood has to be then regenerated, not just the plasma.

Yeah, that makes sense. But the info. card about donating plasma had that on it--15 days between donations. Maybe they have enough donors here so they can do that? (Wouldn't seem like it, it's a small town) Maybe it's just this one place, and it's easier for their records? Maybe I'm all wet and read it wrong? (that could be) Who knows? :)

[A home for their hearts]

OK-Here are dh's thoughts on donating plasma while brstfdg. I may have edited a wee bit :D, but he knows. (I didn't edit the medical info!)

Holly

 

 

This may seem obvious, but women who have recently given birth should remain on prenatal vitamins including iron, particularly if bstfding. Also, good nutrition is important. The RDA for pregnant women is 2400 kcal/day BUT it is even higher in lactating women. The RDA for lactating women is 2600 kcal/day (compare to 1800 kcal/day for "normal" people). This should include adequate protein intake. My concern here is that inadequate nutrition in lactating women could potentially cause hypalbuminemia, which in turn causes hypocalcemia. The citrate mixed with your blood during plasmapheresis causes a further reduction in blood calcium levels (to prevent it from clotting), making a citrate reaction more likely. Here is a scenario:

 

A woman who recently gained 40-50 pounds during her pregnancy is dieting in an attempt to lose weight while bst fding. She is eating perhaps 1200-1400 calories per day while bst fdg. She's tired all the time, doesn't feel like cooking and gets 400 kcal/day from Slimfast shakes that she drinks while brst fdg her child because she doesn't want to take the time to make a meal since her DH is at work anyway. She decides to donate plasma to make a little extra money. She goes to the plasma donor center to donate, but doesn't tell them she is bst feeding out of fear of being turned away. They hook her up. About 40 minutes into the procedure, she starts to feel kind of tingly around her mouth, but is not concerned. This quickly progresses to full on convulsions that only stop once the needle comes out of her arm when she falls on the floor. No joke. . ..I could see this happening.

 

Seriously, If you do decide to donate plasma, monitor yourself closely for signs of hypocalcemia. These include tingling of the fingertips, toes and mouth that can progress to muscle cramps or more severe complications. Notify someone immediately if you notice these symptoms so that they can slow the rate of return of your red cells (and the citrate that sequesters calcium in the machine and your body) in order to prevent the occurrence of a citrate reaction. Citrate reactions are usually relatively benign, but they can be potentially dangerous. Most women in the US should not have a problem with this. All women of childbearing age should be on a calcium supplement to prevent osteoporosis anyway. This is just food for thought (pun intended). Suffice it to say that I am probably on the more conservative side of things. The LLLI guidelines are good (see previous post), but I would add that, if you are brst fding AND concurrently dieting, I also would not recommend plasmapheresis :) Actually, I don't recommend dieting and bst fdg at all.

HTH,

Holly

 

 

I'm glad someone brought up bst fdg since I currently am bst fdg my 9 month old! I was wondering if I would even be allowed to since I was bst fdg, now I know. Also I'm having issues with my gallbladder so I think my dh can have at it if he likes. To be honest when people started talking about gnormous needles I changed my mind!

 

Thanks for all the info everyone!:001_smile: