Unlike most not-for-profit corporations, the New York Blood Center has a computerized call center, and they know how to use it. I have mixed feelings about this. After giving platelets two weeks ago, I got another call — I was eligible to give again! (Unlike whole blood donation, you can give platelets every 48 hours, up to a maximum of 24 times a year.) I tried once again to get them to demote me to giving whole blood, trotting out my O negative blood type that I used to be so proud of, but they weren’t having any of that — they wanted platelets. So I made an appointment for 7:30 AM this morning — when I made the appointment on Monday, I thought that I might be out of a job at the end of the week, and would need something to get me out of the house.

The apharesis process was a lot easier this time, mostly because the science-fiction novelty of the two-arm donation machine had worn off and I wanted to have a hand free to read a book, scratch my nose, and talk on the phone. So they hooked me up to the brand-spanking new “Amicus 2000 Plateletpheresis processor”, which takes and returns blood through a single needle plugged into a twining sheaf of tubes and bags. I was having a good time when the needle went in, but then the small collection bags just upstream of the needle in my arm started filling up. One rested on my upturned forearm, and I was startled to feel that it was hot, from the warmth of my fresh blood filling the bag, fresh blood that had just been inside of me! EEEEEwwww!

So all in all, I feel that the donation was worth it, for that story. I have been Gross-Out King for A Day at work. I can’t wait to go back again. Even if I wanted to.