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Donating plasmaFollow

#1 Sep 13 2014 at 4:11 PM Rating: Good
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Years ago, I believe it was Tailmon who first suggested I should find a plasma donation center for some extra cash. Living in Texas at the time, the idea seemed scary, as for some reason I imagined the donation center to be some run down back alley type place filled with junkies looking to score a few bucks to buy drugs with.

Recently, some mutual friends of my wife and I referred us to a place called BioTest here in Florida. It turned out to be quite unlike the filthy nightmare scenario we talked about way back when. The plasma center was very clean and professional, and the staff were all very friendly and helpful. It took a few hours for the first visit to fill out the paper work and complete a physical exam. They seemed very happy that I didn't have tattoos or piercings, smoke, do any drugs, or have **** with hookers or **** men.

The process of extracting the plasma was very straightforward. You sit in a comfy chair hooked to a machine through a needle in arm for about one hour while your blood enters a centrifuge to separate the plasma part from all the platelets and such. The amount they take seems to be based on your weight. Once that's done, they actually mix what's leftover with a saline solution and reverse the flow back into your arm. Because they do this, we're able to donate up to twice a week, as opposed to once every 8 weeks or so as with donating whole blood.

Compensation isn't a whole lot, but it's not too shabby. For some reason they alternate $60 and $40 per visit, amounting to $100 a week if you go twice a week. You get bonuses for referring people. Between my wife and myself, $200 extra a week is fairly helpful. After the first visit, it only takes about an hour a day, twice a week. I really wish I had listened to Tailmon and started doing this years ago.

Edit:

"Sex" and "gay" are censored Smiley: lol

Edited, Sep 13th 2014 10:13pm by Kuwoobie
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#2 Sep 13 2014 at 4:22 PM Rating: Good
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I've never donated... I probably should since I'm relatively healthy.

I heard that the room temperature plasma-free stuff entering your veins again feels odd since it's cold relative to your 98 degree body.
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#3 Sep 13 2014 at 4:27 PM Rating: Good
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TirithRR wrote:
I've never donated... I probably should since I'm relatively healthy.

I heard that the room temperature plasma-free stuff entering your veins again feels odd since it's cold relative to your 98 degree body.


Yes. Definitely. Dress warmly even if it's the middle of summer. It's cold as bejezus in there even before that happens.
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#4 Sep 13 2014 at 6:08 PM Rating: Excellent
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There's a place across the street and down two blocks from me. The only reason I even noticed it was because one day I was driving past and noticed about 20 people waiting to catch a bus. "Huh," I pondered, "Why are twenty males, ages 20-40, shabbily dressed, waiting for the same bus on a Tuesday afternoon at 6:00?"

I ran a Google search on the place they were standing outside of and sure enough: plasma donation center.

I'll admit, I'm tempted to go myself. There's a new donor deal that gives you additional money, but I was made a bit... hesitant... by researching their website. There's no information on the screening process, donation amounts, or even hours of operation. I'm halfway convinced that if I go there, I'll lose a kidney Smiley: nod
#5 Sep 13 2014 at 9:07 PM Rating: Good
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You guys get paid for donating blood?

No wonder you guys are rolling around in money.
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#6 Sep 13 2014 at 9:13 PM Rating: Good
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Mazra wrote:
You guys get paid for donating blood?

No wonder you guys are rolling around in money.


I don't think every place pays. I don't recall the Red Cross blood drives paying anything (except a cookie and juice, if I remember right.).
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#7 Sep 13 2014 at 10:38 PM Rating: Good
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I used to go, but it seems like I have a 50/50 chance of something going wrong when I go. Usually it's just an issue with someone finding a vein, but the last straw was when my blood clotted inside the machine and it would have taken them an extra hour to unclot it and get it back in me. At that point, I told them to keep it and left.
#8 Sep 14 2014 at 7:48 AM Rating: Excellent
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They get paid for donating plasma, which is different than what most people do when they donate blood.
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#9 Sep 14 2014 at 5:04 PM Rating: Good
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Sir Xsarus wrote:
They get paid for donating plasma, which is different than what most people do when they donate blood.


Don't get paid for apheresis here. Only thing you get, according to the website, is 'the joy of helping others'.

Communist, socialist, hippie country. If health care wasn't free, I'd refuse it!
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#10 Sep 15 2014 at 7:26 AM Rating: Good
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I give blood and plasma like once a year. I do it because I've deluded myself into believing that it'll be there ready for me when and if I need it.
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#11 Sep 15 2014 at 9:06 AM Rating: Good
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You'll find that most centers are clean and professional; the last thing collectors want is to pollute the supply. Some centers do extra bonuses where if you donate 6-8 times a month they give you extra cash, so talk to the staff to see if they have a program like that.

If you're a healthy, regular donor they're going to do what they can to keep you happy. It's much cheaper to keep good donors happy than to go out and try to constantly find and qualify new ones.

I work in that industry so if you have any questions you can PM me.
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#12 Sep 15 2014 at 9:33 AM Rating: Good
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Iamadam wrote:
I work in that industry so if you have any questions you can PM me.

Are you really just a front for a secret society of vampires looking to safely harvest humans without raising alarm?
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#13 Sep 15 2014 at 9:37 AM Rating: Good
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TirithRR wrote:
Iamadam wrote:
I work in that industry so if you have any questions you can PM me.

Are you really just a front for a secret society of vampires looking to safely harvest humans without raising alarm?


No. Us vampires need whole blood to survive. The plasma is for powering our warp drives.
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#14 Sep 15 2014 at 9:55 AM Rating: Excellent
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#15 Sep 16 2014 at 10:24 PM Rating: Excellent
I donate platelets once a month to the Red Cross.

I do not get cash in exchange for my precious bodily fluids. Just cookies, all the free T shirts I could ever wear, and an excuse to eat at the Mexican restaurant next door.
#16 Sep 17 2014 at 6:49 AM Rating: Excellent
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Catwho wrote:
I donate platelets once a month to the Red Cross.

I do not get cash in exchange for my precious bodily fluids. Just cookies, all the free T shirts I could ever wear, and an excuse to eat at the Mexican restaurant next door.

I donate blood a few times a year (usually on my lunch break; I work at a college campus and "Blood Mobiles" are around all the time), and I always feel bad when I have to reject their request for platelets. Just don't have the time do so...
#17 Sep 26 2014 at 10:38 AM Rating: Decent
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I used to work near one of those facilities when I was a teenager at a Burger King. It was quite common for people to donate plasma and then come over and pass out in our dining room. Was a lot of dubious characters that would come out of that place.
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