Give for life! Give for hope! by Faemike55
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Description
What you are looking at is the machine that sucked out 2 pints of blood out of me, separated out the red blood cells and pumped the plasma back in (plus a little saline solution).
It's done like this: after the interview where you are asked some very personal questions, including who and what and very importantly where and when. you are led to a large bench where they check which arm is best to do the draw and pump. in this case, my left arm has the better vessels. they attach a auto-blood pressure cuff to the upper arm and after inserting the needle, they start the machine.
Stage one: draw the first pint of blood and collect it in the centrifuge inside the device. This will spin the blood so the red blood cells are filtered out. the left over plaasma, which is straw coloured, is then pumped into the first bag while the Red Blood Cells are pumped into the bag located behind.
Stage two: After the chamber is emptied, the machine reverses itself and pumps the plasma plus some saline solution back into my arm.
Stage three: repeat Stage One
Stage four: repeat Stage Two
This whole procedure should and does take 35 to 40 minutes. it is machine dependant. there is no deviation in the time.
This shot was taken on the last stage (4) where the machine was pumping my plasma back into me. the foam on top is the air bubbles that occur because of the machine.
When someone does this procedure, known as the Double Red Cell Donation, they cannot give blood for 112 days. With a regular donation, which I can do in 5 minutes, I can give blood again in 56 days. I give blood because I have undergone a lot of surgeries in my youth and I feel that I should give back.
this was the image that I wanted to post Friday but decided that I let Admin check it out and give the okay or nay. As you can see, they said I could.
If you get a chance and you are able, please give blood. when you do, you give life, you give hope.
Thank you for all your wonderful comments and faves. I greatly appreciate it.
Have a great week.
Mike
ps just so you know, you are weak as a kitten when you are down 2 pints of RBCs. but I'm doing great now.
Comments (77)
necrophage
cool thing to donate blood - but still looks like frankenstein's lab to me :) - i'm afraid of needles ... - yet a fascinating capture.
flaviok
Parabéns por ser esta pessoa maravilhosa e generosa que você é meu amigo. Aplausos mil
drifterlee
Congrats, MIke, on being so nice!!!!!
scifibabe
Interesting info. Great photo and nice message.
Rainastorm
Yeah but to someone it was all worth it right? :-)
cvrad
glad to hear that yo truly give of yourself. I tried donating blood twice but I have a very deep physcosis of a fear on needles and will begin to pass out if they are left in me to long. When I was at home I asked my mom about it because it is rather embaraasing a 42 year old man passing out after getting an injection or blood drawn. But she told me that when I was very little there was a ver cruel nurse in the newborns section that would just grab the little babies and jab the needles in with out any type of care (one of those babies being me). I guess eventually enough people and parents complained that they moved her to a diffrent section of the hospital or released her alotgether i don't know.. But to this day when I have to get a shot or have blood drawn I'm ok while they are doing it it's the 5 minutes afterwards that I get light headed and cold and clammy skin and begin to pass out. so my hats off to you Mike because that is something I'm not able to do although I did try twice.
junge1
Hey Mike great picture and a fantastic, eye opening description of the procedure. I have never heard of it before and I would feel kind of funny to have blood pumped back into me. A few years ago I was going to give blood, but I had been in the UK during the period when they had Mad Cow Disease over there and they wouldn't let me give blood. I guess I am OK now.
traceyjane
well done you! I must admit I haven't given blood for years, something I keep meaning to get back into but for some lame reason or another keep putting off, I really MUST make the effort. I haven't heard about this type of donation, I've always done the regular donate a pint in exchange for a cup of tea and a jammie dodger!
Pierrot_Lunaire
Nice message and capture!
clbsmiley
Excellent Mike!!! Everyone NEEDS blood!!!
bimm3d
wonderful photo!! i know what you feel!! :)
MagikUnicorn
Gorgeous information nice picture
bmac62
A most impressive procedure. And a noble thing you are doing. That is some device indeed.
Minda
Great message and nice shot mike..
RodS
Wow - I had no idea.. I've not given blood before, but your example here is quite moving. I must give it a go. In addition to being a wonderful artist, you are a generous, giving person - top notch all the way!! We need more folks like you.
three_grrr
Thankfully I've never needed blood, and thankfully I've enough to give. I've only whole blood donations, never just RBCs. Something to think about, smiles. You're a good guy .. and this is a terrific way to remind folks that those that can, should.
amirapsp
Well I know the feeling and agree you do amazing sweety