I Vant To Suck Your Blood!

Normally, I don't do this voluntarily....but this time I did. Because I think it is a good idea, but Mostly to show all the pansies it wasn't as big a deal as they were acting it was. And it doesn't actually hurt. The finger prick to test for iron levels is worse than the big 'ol needle they use, because (unless you are odd and constructed funky) you have a lot more nerve endings in the finger than the arm.

Poor guy, he asked me to squeeze the thing a few times so he could find a vein, and had an awful time deciding which of the three or four good ones to use. I wasn't surprised but he was.
The needle almost came out at first, and he had to readjust it to maximise flow. I am not sure if I scared them or not with the fast pace at which the bag filled, but they kept making exclamations...it was a little unnerving. I half expected them to start running around, waving their arms and screaming "We got a gusher! I think we hit an artery!" Well, maybe not, but they certainly weren't as used to it as MOTN and I are. I thought it was fast when they took it before, but that was nothing to the speed the larger needle enabled.
Cool...

Then they are all like "Are you dizzy? Don't get up till you are strong enough, now." I wanted to roll my eyes but I was too polite. I've been drinking a lot of Gatorade to make up for the loss of fluid, but the "aftereffects" or such are MIA. Guess I have lost more then that with my various injuries. (No, T2 might have, but I have never bled that much. I am too smart. Complete control over blood flow and heart rate. It's a gift, what can I say?)
My dear and caring Friend who shall remain unnamed, made the snide, but humorous comment that I was drinking Gatorade to make up for the Gatorade they took out. Ha Ha. Very funny. (It's actually more likely to be Dr. Pepper anyway.)

Here is some cool Facts:
"Each blood donation is assigned a unique computer barcode number, which will identify it throughout its path from the donor to a hospital patient. Immediately after the blood donation, the blood is placed in transport containers designed to keep it at a safe temperature until it reaches a Red Cross component laboratory. Samples of the blood donation are simultaneously sent to one of nine Red Cross National Testing Laboratories to be tested for transmissible diseases. In the component lab, the blood is separated into its components: red blood cells, platelets and plasma. The products are then placed in quarantined, temperature-controlled refrigeration units until the test results are received (usually 12-16 hours later) and the blood can be released for distribution or destroyed. From local distribution centers, the blood is transported to hospitals based on patient need. Hospital personnel then transfuse the blood or blood products to a patient in need. "
-http://www.givelife2.org/donor/faq.asp

"Donation
The donor lies supine on a cushioned bench and extends an arm. The inner elbow is disinfected, and a cannula is inserted into the median cubital vein. A large bore needle is used to prevent hemolysis. The donor often has a tourniquet wrapped around his or her arm, or may be prompted to squeeze a ball repeatedly, to help speed the process. Blood flows from the vein, through the needle and a tube, and into a special collection bag which is placed on a small scale to measure the amount of blood withdrawn. After the bag is sufficiently filled, several test tubes are drawn from the same needle to be used for disease detection. Typically, around 450 millilitres, about a U.S. pint, is drawn during the blood donation process. The blood is stored in a blood bag which contains acid citrate dextrose, an anticoagulant which prevents blood clotting and preserves the blood for long periods of time.

Apheresis
Rather than donating whole blood, a donor sometimes has the option to donate only some blood components while retaining others. This process is known as apheresis, and is more involved, time consuming, and requires more specialized equipment. The benefit is that more of the desired components can be concentrated and removed, and the donor is usually able to donate significantly more frequently than if whole blood had been removed. In some cases, the usefulness of the removed components is not as sensitive to blood type considerations. Additionally, donors with high platelet counts can be divided in what is referred to as a "split" or "double" and a single donation can be used for two future transfusions. A "triple" donation is possible, but requires a very high platelet count in the donor and specific equipment and setup.
The typical method of apheresis is to draw whole blood from the donor, then centrifuge the blood to separate its components (see apheresis for more information). The desired components (e.g. platelets, plasma) are removed and then the remaining components are returned to the donor.

"Double red"
A recent innovation in apheresis is the "double red" donation, which extracts two units of red blood cells instead of the single unit of an ordinary whole-blood donation. This provides several benefits to both the donor and the blood bank. The donor can make the same red-cell contribution with half the visits, and the return of plasma to the body leaves the donor better hydrated. The process takes somewhat longer than a standard donation (about 35-45 minutes), but is much shorter than a regular apheresis visit. The blood bank receives twice the usual red-cell donation in each visit. Patients who require the blood will then not be as susceptible to rejection, as there will be fewer sources and less mixture. Because more red cells are removed from the circulatory system, donors must meet some additional health requirements for a double-red donation.

Storage
Cryopreservation of red blood cells is done to store special, rare red blood cells for up to 10 years. The ten year outdate is not based on any specific research; it was chosen arbitrarily.[citation needed] Some blood banks maintain truly rare red blood cells past ten years because there are no alternative sources. The cells are first incubated in a 40% glycerol solution which acts as a cryoprotectant ("antifreeze") within the cells. The units are then placed in special sterile containers in a deep freezer at less than -60 °C.


Physical trauma can occur at the needle site, generally due to poor needle placement. Serious problems can occur if the needle strikes an artery (Arterial stick) or damage the nerve, but both are extremely rare. Infections at the needle site (phlebitis) are unlikely because of the aggressive site preparation, but are theoretically possible.

Bruising of the arm (Hematoma) in the area of the needle insertion is not uncommon. It is almost always harmless and fades away after a week or two. One study found the incidence of bruising to be less than 1%;[16] anecdotally, donors have reported widely varying incidences. Donors who have had clotting problems or are on high doses of anticoagulants are typically deferred because of their higher risks for these complications.

A donor effectively burns about 650 calories by donating one pint of blood. "
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_donation


And this.....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creutzfeldt-Jakob_disease#variant_Creutzfeldt-Jakob_Disease_.28vCJD.29





LadyAnne
~~~~~~
Scully: Mulder, just keep reminding them that you were drugged.

Mulder: Shhh!

Walter Skinner: Agents...

Mulder: I was drugged!

~~~
Scully: First of all, if the family of Ronnie Strickland does indeed decide to sue the FBI for, I think the figure is $446 million, then you and I both will most certainly be co-defendants. And second of all... I don't even have a second of all, Mulder! $446 million! I'm in this as deep as you are, and I'm not even the one that overreacted! I didn't do the....with the...thing!

Mulder: I did not overreact, Ronnie Strickland was a vampire!