This is for every person who has ever donated blood
Friday March 30th 2007, 7:22 pm
Filed under: Knit,Life,Non-Knitting

I went off to the knitting group at Purlescence Thursday night; when I was there two weeks ago, one of the owners had just gone into the hospital. Last night, after she’d had a five-day stay that had involved IV antibiotics and all kinds of fun stuff, she was there at the store (yay!), back where she belonged. Thank goodness.

For those who remember the post about Noel at Stanford, I know how much you need to laugh to keep your sanity in the face of the sorts of things she’d just gone through. A few side comments from me, such as, “They flushed the IVs with saline?” was all she needed to hear to know that someone had a good idea of what it had all been like. It helped. Then, to keep things on a lighter side, I told the tale of mooning the Lifeflight chopper, and of my roommate who absolutely could not sleep unless the TV was on, which was of course on a platform well above the curtain dividing the room. I pleaded with the nurses: She’s asleep now! Can’t you turn that thing off? No, she has the right to have it on (but they did turn off the sound.) Picture a bunch of interrogators randomly flashing bright lights directly in your eyeballs all night–oh joy.

The night nurse, without turning on the lights, told me that maybe she had a solution. She went out of the room for a moment, came back, and I felt rubber bands being placed behind my ears and something soft going across my face. Okay, whatever. It’s dark, that’s all I care.

I was beyond exhausted, and slept completely through the mostly-male doctors’ rounds in the morning. And woke up to find…a feminine pad across my face.

I bet the chopper pilot put her up to it.

So we all laughed over that, a good time was had by all, and then I came home.

…And walked in the door to the accusation, “You forgot your phone.”

I did?

“Yes!”

Okay, you know if this was an issue something happened. What?

Platelets at 10. Five units in the hospital.

Our daughter with ITP got to go home that night, late, and is now much better.

I got her permission to post this thank you to every person who has ever volunteered as a blood donor. I owe you my daughter’s life.


13 Comments so far
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Oh Alison. Thank God she got to go home. And thank God she went in!

Comment by fiberfanatic 03.31.07 @ 7:31 pm

Oh my goodness! I’m so glad that everything is all right.

They’ll have to change the laws before I’m allowed to give blood. I’m forbidden from ever doing it again because of one partner that I had almost six years ago. Shame, that. I’ve tested clean for every infection that they’re concerned about, but I’m still not allowed to give blood, last I checked.

Comment by Kristine 04.01.07 @ 12:15 pm

Six years, much less forever, seems awfully silly–and yet, in general, I’m glad that the rules are as strict as they are. Platelets, the last time I checked, could have I believe as many as 20,000 donors pooled into one transfusion unit. Meaning five units translates to potentially 100,000 donors and the whole genealogy’s worth of every single one of those people and their partners.

Comment by AlisonH 04.01.07 @ 7:32 pm

Alison, glad to hear she’s home!

Kristine, if it helps any, there are researchers busy collecting information that MSM is not a significant risk factor for infections in blood products (numbers show it’s really not). So hopefully you’ll be able to donate again soon.

Of course, there’s also research on iron levels (especially in women) who donate frequently. I’m only able to donate once or twice a year anymore, at least until menopause hits. Silly need for oxygen! 🙂

Comment by Amy 04.02.07 @ 6:45 am

I needed two units of blood one time and I was truly grateful, as was my husband. It saved my life at the time.
He was told by a nurse one time, after he had altogether donated one gallon, to never come back for donating again, as his veins are the roly poly kind and cannot be found.
Me, I have become too squeamish, plus other reasons; so, my apologies.
But I am truly glad your daughter is OK.
PS putting this through a second time because I am not sure the first time worked!

Comment by Karin 04.02.07 @ 9:12 am

Karin, I would say that nurse needs better training, and I hope he doesn’t let her personal frustrations bar him from doing good. And I’m glad you’re still here! When I was in critical condition, with a lot of blown veins, I had a nurse brought in who, the other nurse who’d called for her told me, could put a line in my toe successfully if need be, she was good.

As an autoimmune patient, they of course won’t take my blood, which makes me doubly grateful to every person who takes the time and hassle to do what I cannot. For those like Amy who are limited, platelet donations take longer to do but you can do them a lot more often because they don’t take your red blood cells.

(Okay, Blogger says that isn’t posting. Shall we trust it this time and try again?)

Comment by AlisonH 04.02.07 @ 10:50 am

Karin, I would say that nurse needs better training, and I hope he doesn’t let her personal frustrations bar him from doing good. And I’m glad you’re still here! When I was in critical condition, with a lot of blown veins, I had a nurse brought in who, the other nurse who’d called for her told me, could put a line in my toe successfully if need be, she was good.

As an autoimmune patient, they of course won’t take my blood, which makes me doubly grateful to every person who takes the time and hassle to do what I cannot. For those like Amy who are limited, platelet donations take longer to do but you can do them a lot more often because they don’t take your red blood cells.

Comment by AlisonH 04.02.07 @ 10:51 am

Oh thank goodness you daughter’s home and okay.

I am one of those that can’t ever give blood and I am totally jealous of those who can. But as it happens my blood is practically worthless as the blood cells are all tiny and misshapen. That and I don’t weight enough (grin I only weigh enough to give blood when I am pregnant and of course THAT rules me out–even if I didn’t have the anemia)

So to all you that can give blood–DO IT! Give a pint for me.

Comment by Birdwell 04.02.07 @ 12:33 pm

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