Give life, donate plasma

Phewph! Can you say, "welcome back?!" 

It feels like I've been gone forever from the blogging world. Actually, the people who were letting us use their internet are moving, and instead of telling us that, their internet just cut out and never returned. We eventually found out by someone else that they were moving. It wasn't their fault, we weren't mad or anything. But we were back to using our trusty little iphone..for everything. But, good news. We decided to be grown up and got our own internet! It's niiiice.

Anyway, that's not what I wanted to talk about. I wanted to talk about something else. Today is my birthday. I've also been planning on donating plasma all week. I went in Monday and because of a high temperature, I was deferred. But I went in today and while the lady was pricking my finger for an iron test, she asked me how my day was going and it went kinda like this.

"How's your day going?"
"Good. It's my birthday :)"
"Oh it is?! Well, happy birthday! Even though it's your birthday you decided to come in and donate plasma to help save lives. You are such a good person coming in to do that. Giving life. That's a great sacrifice. What a good person you are."

Oh, man.. with a simple smile I told her thank you.

And. I. Never. Felt. So. Guilty.

Honestly, that thought of saving lives hadn't even crossed my mind when I walked through those doors. All I thought about was the reward (money) I'd get in the end. A measly $20 dollars. (Now, granted, two donors in a household going twice a week for a whole month could get up to $400, which is pretty nice when you have bills to pay.) But a life isn't even worth $20. It's worth so much more. Even though the lady thought I was doing a noble cause, I felt pretty heartless inside.

So, here's a post dedicated to plasma. Yep. You read correctly. Most people, outside the medical world, don't even know what plasma is. And I'm not talking about a TV.

Blood plasma is the straw-colored liquid component of blood in which the blood cells in whole blood are normally suspended. It makes up about 55% of the total blood volume. It is mostly water (93% by volume). Plasma also serves as the protein reserve of the human body. It plays a vital role in intravascular (think blood vessel) osmotic effect that keeps electrolyte in balance form and protects the body from infection and other blood disorders. (wikipedia)

Even though that's kinda hard to understand, it sounds pretty important, eh?

Here are some uses for plasma that help save lives. 

Your plasma donation helps people live healthier, happier lives. This plasma is the key ingredient for products crucial to treating patients suffering from a host of life-threatening conditions, including hemophilia, shock or trauma, immune deficiencies, and other blood disorders.

American wounded soldier receiving blood plasma in August, 1943.
Wikipedia

• Used in the treatment of immunological disorders, such as congenital and acquired primary immune deficiency as well as many diseases that strike healthy people due to some change in the body’s defense system.
• Therapies Used in treatment of bleeding disorders, including hemophilia.
• Used in critical care settings for treatment of shock and burns, during surgery, and for fluid replacement therapy.
• Used in surgery and the treatment of wounds to facilitate healing.
• Used in the treatment of alpha₁-antitrypsin deficiency (A genetic condition resulting in liver and lung failure).     (http://www.cslplasma.com/plasma/plasma-uses.htm)
  
  Do you know anyone who has a compromised immune system? Do you know anyone with a bleeding disorder? Anyone who has ever been in shock? Or burned? Or had surgery? I'm sure you do. I know I do.

 Here is another good site for more information on how plasma saves lives.

All you have to do is be a healthy adult, sacrifice 1-2 hours of your life, and like needles (haha). It's a fairly easy process. You just pump your hand and let the blood and machines do the work. And get this. You get your blood back! They only take the plasma. It really is rewarding for anyone who receives plasma, something that can't be made in a laboratory.

I just want to encourage you to get out there and find a Plasma Donation Center near you (or even a Blood Bank to donate whole blood) so that you can help save lives, too.

Give the gift of giving...Life