Plasma Donation

Oh my goodness, what did I just go through? I have donated plasma several times in the past, usually for a tshirt or a bright red drawstring bag, which I probably never used again. But this was the first time I had ever donated it for money. I expected a 2 hour procedure, well, little did I know how long it would take and how much I would be going through.

I arrived at the office in the Denbigh section of northern Newport News right around 8:40 in the morning and there were probably already 15 people sitting in the waiting room. I waited 40 minutes because the staff can only see one new patient every 20 minutes and two people were ahead of me in line. As requested, I submitted my driver's license and social security card, and waited to be called. Well, around 9:10, they gave me a binder of written material about the donation process to read, maybe 15 pages, but nothing radically different from what I've seen in previous donation centers. Then there was a video on a tablet that took nine minutes to watch

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From there, I was called over to a side booth where a nurse began the procedure. After I stated my name and the last 4 numbers of my SSN, they took my temperature and then checked my blood pressure, and even took a fingerprint from both my index fingers. If that wasn't enough, they pricked my middle finger and checked it for protein levels and another factor I can't remember. Thankfully, I tested within the required levels, was asked again to state my name and the last 4 numbers of my SSN, and I then moved on to the next step.

The donating room was located in the back of the building, behind a locked door. It seemed like the goal was just to get into the room and each test I took was just one more step towards everything that room. But back to the screening. I then had to answer 65 questions on a kiosk about my lifestyle and medical history, none of which were going to be a problem on my end. Can't say I have heart issues, spent a decade in Europe, gotten a tattoo or piercing, or exchanged money for sex. I answered the questions and then had to give my fingerprint verification to enter my answers. Back to the chairs for waiting.

Five minutes later, it was onto the urine test. Yes, I had to piss in a cup in order to donate blood. I did my business, the result got examined, and I passed again. Onto the exam office, where I verified my name and my full SSN, this time.

The nurse then read out loud nine pages about the donation process that I had already gone through in the written binder at the beginning of my time in the office.  There was even a section about me risking death by donating. That was reassuring.

Then came the written test. Yes, that's right, a freaking written test just to have a needle stuck in my arm for an hour. 10 questions, I had two chances to get 80% correct. Well, I aced that sucker on my first attempt. Time to donate? Not quite. Onto the physical. Yep, a real physical. They aimed the flashlight into my eyes, ears, and nose. They hammered my knees, made sure I could move my neck up and down and then side to side,  examined my heart and lungs, and had me stick my tongue out and say "Ahh". Basically everything but making me turn my head and cough. I swear, I was waiting for a criminal background investigation and credit score check.

Before and after the physical, they checked my arms and elbows, I guess for track marks or scarring. I'm not sure why two checks instead of just one were needed, but whatever.

And finally, since I passed the physical, it was time for the donation room. Well, I had to sit another five minutes before actually getting called. I got hooked up to the machine, and was asked AGAIN to state my name and the last 4 numbers of my SSN. I swear they wanted me to fail. Despite not having a ton of water in my system, it probably took me 4 cycles of drawing the blood and returning the red blood back into me to complete the process.

Timewise, the donation procedure took a little over an hour. But the whole process took about 3 and a half hours, pretty ridiculous. I have to return again within a week to make another donation because without the second donation, nothing can be done with my first round of plasma.

I got paid $50 on a reloadable debit card. Basically every donation pays between 25 and 50 bucks depending on what number the file is making that month. When I told Mom about it, she said it made her sick. I asked her if it was over the needle, since that's what turns most people off from donating their blood. But that wasn't the reason she gave me. She said that she thinks I'm just hurting for money and I'm scrambling to get by. I had to explain to her that it wasn't the point. I'm not on welfare, thank you Jesus. Here's the deal. I have made the decision to pay off this student loan and get out of debt within this year. I am not above hustling and coming up with creative ways to make money in order to make that happen. It's a whole lot better then being bored and not having anything to do.

And here's the comparison that puts it in perspective. Later that night, I had three tables in my section at the restaurant and only made $41. That's 6 hours of work on my feet and I made the equivalent of freaking minimum wage.