At breakfast, Russell--one of the older guys in my Reunion group--told me that his Rotary group was working a blood drive tonight at Carter Blood Center. I have been meaning to get over there for a few weeks and a free "meal" was all I needed. Well, they took for ever, but I finally got to answer the questions and get poked. Heart rate and BP were great. 122/82 is darn good. Looking at my notes, 134/79 was pretty normal a few months ago. I have not changed my meds, just my entire lifestyle. ;)
When it was time to sit in the chaise and prep for the stick, she asked me which side of the room, the whole blood side or the one with the robots. I have done 104 units of whole blood and have always wondered about the robots. They take a double dose of red blood cells and give back most of the rest with some added saline. If she had told me I was going to be 30 minutes instead of the normal 8-10 on the couch, I am not sure I would have gone ahead. She did say that it is safer for the patient to get more blood from one source, so the double dose helps in better ways. Then she started to back out. The left arm was a no-go and she was uneasy about the right. The process of giving fluids back has more pressure than just taking it out. Kevin came over to look--he was the third--and he said "No problem!" So 30 minutes later, I was done and owner of the a fancier t-shirt than normal. Oh yes, I also got a burger from the Rotary guys in the parking lot.
When it was time to sit in the chaise and prep for the stick, she asked me which side of the room, the whole blood side or the one with the robots. I have done 104 units of whole blood and have always wondered about the robots. They take a double dose of red blood cells and give back most of the rest with some added saline. If she had told me I was going to be 30 minutes instead of the normal 8-10 on the couch, I am not sure I would have gone ahead. She did say that it is safer for the patient to get more blood from one source, so the double dose helps in better ways. Then she started to back out. The left arm was a no-go and she was uneasy about the right. The process of giving fluids back has more pressure than just taking it out. Kevin came over to look--he was the third--and he said "No problem!" So 30 minutes later, I was done and owner of the a fancier t-shirt than normal. Oh yes, I also got a burger from the Rotary guys in the parking lot.
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