I donated plasma today

[Beat]

For the first time. I got $20 for it and get $30 next time (incentive to give at least one more time because they can't use that first donation without at least 1 more donation). I think after that it's $20 everytime. I think they run a bonus once a month or something where they give $30 or $35. The process takes about 45 minutes. Here we can donate twice a week. Not too bad really. Beer money.

Anyone donate regularly/ever?

[Wandering]

Originally Posted by TheBeatGoesOn

Anyone donate regularly/ever?

I used to donate regularly (every two weeks) for a couple of years, before I started using medicine that were incompatible with donating.

And I actually DONATED I did it for FREE, unlike you who are actually SELLING your plasma

[Beat]

This is true. haha. I was definitely selling it. I'm not a fan of blood and hospital environments in general.

You are a better man/woman than I. Was there really no incentive for your donation?

[Wandering]

Originally Posted by TheBeatGoesOn

You are a better man/woman than I.

Not at all! They just don't pay for it in France

Would I have taken the money if offered? Hmmm... I'm not sure I wouldn't have Hey, I *was* still a student, back then, after all

[scantilyclad]

I've donated, but i've never been paid.

[cafe]

A dozen years or so ago Don donated a few times when we were truly desperate for cash. They wouldn't let me because of my weight. I'm not sure Don would have let me anyway. I hated that he had to do it.

[FineLine]

I donated plasma a couple times for pay when I was in college. I think they gave us 10 or 15 bucks each time.

I didn't actually need the money. I was really just giving a friend a ride to the donation center (he needed the money), and I went ahead and donated too as long as I was there. I liked the fact that they gave me my red blood cells back. It made plasma donation seem a lot less invasive than giving blood.

Also, I was under the impression that the plasma was going for commercial uses (supposedly it was being used by the pharmaceutical companies as a medium for testing or producing drugs), so it made sense that plasma donation was a commercial transaction as opposed to charitable donation of blood. But that's just what I heard, and that was also back in the early 80s--things might have changed.

[Wandering]

Originally Posted by FineLine

I liked the fact that they gave me my red blood cells back. It made plasma donation seem a lot less invasive than giving blood.

It's much easier on the system, for sure. The limits on how many times per year we can give, in France, are much higher for plasma than for blood (and I'm speaking a 10-fold increase or something like that). I never had troubles when I gave plasma, but I once passed out after giving blood.

The one thing I didn't like about giving plasma, though, was the size of the needle. I was used to those tiny needles when giving blood, so when they brought that big huge thing, I was like "You are NOT going to put THAT thing into MY arm! It's just not gonna FIT!!" But it always did Unless the nurse was not good at inserting needles, in which case she would explode my good vein and she would have to go looking for another one, and I would sport that huge bruise for an entire week or so

Also, I was under the impression that the plasma was going for commercial uses (supposedly it was being used by the pharmaceutical companies as a medium for testing or producing drugs), so it made sense that plasma donation was a commercial transaction as opposed to charitable donation of blood. But that's just what I heard, and that was also back in the early 80s--things might have changed.

Some plasma might be used for commercial uses, but some of it goes to hospitals, for sick people. That's the only authorised use for it in France (since it is donated, it can't be sold), and they collect A LOT of it, so I guess hospitals must have a high need for it.

[Beat]

I assume plasma is in high demand somewhere if they're paying $20 a pop here and allowing a donation every 2 days.

[Edahn]

New job?