Donate today, people need you! It's rewarding, meaningful, and enjoyable for me to donate platelets, something that I've done for many years. The American Red Cross Summit County Chapter is the forth location in the US at which I have donated platelets. For many years I donated platelets at The Blood Connection in Greenville, SC, and then I donated at two locations in and near Seattle, Washington. My review of this Red Cross location is given based on my first donation here this past Saturday at 7:15am and in comparison to my experience at The Blood Connection and donation centers in Seattle.
Much of the experience at this location is similar to the locations I have donated at. The boarding process is the same, you sit in a similar chair, and the staff use similar equipment and process to collect your platelets. And it took me about the same time to go through the whole process: under three hours. The donation process actually takes less time than the average movie. At all of the locations I've been the staff have been very nice.
This location is different from the other places in several ways. This location offered me a heating pad!! When you donate platelets your body becomes cold and the other other places offered me only warm blankets to stay warm. The Red Cross offered me a heating pad for my torso, in addition to the typical blanket(s), and I was toasty warm! The Red Cross now uses both of your arms for donation. "This is because blood is drawn from one arm then the platelets are extracted using a machine, and the remaining blood components are returned to you through the other arm." I was told this aids in recovery, but I wasn't quite convinced of that. The other locations only used one arm, which made using my phone or tablet possible. If you have good veins in your forearm, like I do, then they can put an IV in your forearm to free your arm for use. Otherwise, you have to keep your arms still.
If you're wondering how to keep yourself occupied during the donation time donation sites provide televisions for entertainment. Each bed has a television monitor attached to it. Cable tv on each monitor. Headphones are provided.
Like Seattle, this Red Cross location feels, and looks, like what you might expect from a blood donation center. (See my picture). The Blood Connection, though, makes you feel comfortable and relaxed. The colors and decor in The Blood Connection are relaxing and blend with the environment around the building. And as if it couldn't get better, rather than sitting in a dry, sterile environment like at the Red Cross or in Seattle, the beds in which your donate are in a semi-circle formation and look out through a wall of glass at a beautiful fountain in a pool of water surrounded by lovely plants, trees, and flowers.
Tips for donating platelets. 1) Drink plenty of water two days before you donate. This helps speed up donation. 2) Reading material might not be the best form of entertainment. I find it challenging to digest dense reading material during donation. 3) Tums take away the tingly feeling in your lips.
Hope to see you at the Red Cross donating platelets!! read more