Do good (and make a little cash!)

Have you ever heard of plasma donation?
The first time someone ever mentioned plasma donation to me, I thought for sure it was a joke. It was about 5 years ago, and the word "plasma" brought up images of old school sci-fi characters pulling out their plasma rays to take down the bad guys.

As it turns out, plasma is a substance found in the blood- it's made of mostly water, protein, and antibodies. These substances are used to make different life-saving medicines for people with a variety of health concerns.

So, if it's so important, why don't we hear about it like we do with blood donation?

Well, the simplest answer is that plasma donation is not exactly speedy, or terribly pleasant, which is why you get paid to donate! The donation process itself takes anywhere from 40 min to an hour. As someone who gets lightheaded from simple blood draws, I was very hesitant the first time I went to donate. I had no idea what to expect, aside from the fact that they told me to set aside 3 or 4 hours for the initial donation process.

Exactly how does it work?
Well, for your first trip, you'll be given some medical history paperwork to fill out, along with some documentation to read over in regards to the process. The medical history and evaluation is rather extensive, and takes up more time than the actual donation. This is because they need to make sure they are receiving healthy plasma that can be used for medicines.

Once they've gotten the paperwork out of the way, you'll pee in a cup for them (they test for specific proteins), get your vitals taken, and they'll do a finger poke to test your hydration, iron, and protein levels. If you pass, which for the average person shouldn't be a problem, they'll have a nurse evaluate you. Your evaluation will consist of a questionnaire, checking your eyes, ears, nose, and reflexes, listening to your heart and lungs, and pushing on your abdomen to check your organs. Once this is finished, you'll be all set for donating!

The donation itself is a truly interesting process. Much like a blood donation, they sit you down in a comfy chair and get everything set up to begin the process. They'll draw two vials of blood on your first visit, and then you'll have a blood pressure cuff put on your donating arm. They set up the IV, and tell you to begin pumping.
When the cuff is tightened, you're supposed to pump your hand, and when the cuff is lax you relax your arm.

The machine will begin to draw out blood, where it will be sent to a centrifuge to spin the plasma out of the blood. When the cuff relaxes, it signals that the machine is returning the blood to your body. Depending on how much you are donating (calculated based on your height/weight), it will repeat this process about 4 times. After the donation is finished, a bag of saline will be given through the IV.

In Orange County at BioMat (also called Grifols), you will be compensated $50 for your first time, $75 for your second and third, and after that it changes to a regular rate of $25 for the first appointment of the week and $30 for the second.

You'll be given a special debit card attached to a CitiBank account which they will use to deposit your compensation. With Grifols, your money will be available within 15 to 20 minutes after donation.

Since our bodies generate plasma quickly, you can donate up to 2 times in a 7 day period, with 48 hours between donation. Just make sure to drink plenty of water to help your body regenerate the plasma more efficiently.

I highly recommend donating plasma- not just because it makes you extra cash, but because it does something good for people who desperately need it.

If you do want to donate, you can google "plasma donation centers near me" and something will pop up. The location I use is the closest one to me, but takes about 20 to 30 min on the freeway depending on traffic.

If you end up making an appointment, let me give you a couple of tips for your first time!

• Bring a blanket! They keep the centers cold to avoid anyone overheating, and the saline solution at the end will chill you to your soul. I brought a down blanket with me today and it was perfectly warm.

• If something hurts, Say Something! Donating plasma should be relatively painless, save for when they insert/take out the needle. Any soreness or tenderness during the donation process is your body's way of telling you something is wrong. The attendants are incredibly helpful and will adjust the needle if needs must.

• Don't plan on taking a nap, sleeping is not allowed. Bring a book, your phone, your ipad and some downloaded videos, whatever it is you need to keep you awake and engaged. The process will make you sleepy, so you'll need help fighting the sandman!

• Drink LOTS of water the day before, and eat plenty of iron rich foods for the several days before you donate. If your iron and hydration levels are too low, they have to turn you away as it can be dangerous to you at that point.

• Make your second appointment within a week and a half of the first one; they MUST DESTROY any single plasma donation if a second one from the same donor is not given within two weeks. It takes about 6 to 10 donations to make a dose of medicine., so if you can stand it, go at least twice.

• Talk to the regulars! Chances are, there are folks there who have been donating on the regular for years. They will help assuage your fears or nervousness, and will give you plenty of insight in to the process, as well as some helpful tips.

• Bring a snack! You'll probably be starving after donation, so please bring a substantial snack for yourself to munch on during the drive home.

• You might (probably will) bruise, but that's normal.

And that's it! Your donation will help not only your wallet, but people all over the world who need medicines to survive.

Tell me about your donation experience!