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Apr 2019
12:01pm, 12 Apr 2019
106 posts
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Wozzer256
I've just been asked to take a test at my next blood donation to potentially be a platelet donor. Does anyone have any advice about this?
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Apr 2019
12:06pm, 12 Apr 2019
17,469 posts
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Dvorak
Do you mean exercises which you are meant to do whilst donating, Wozzer? Is buttock clenching meant to enhance donation?
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Apr 2019
12:07pm, 12 Apr 2019
1,519 posts
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Oranj
They take a small sample of blood to determine if you've got enough platelets to be a donor. (I've done the test twice as I'm low in Hb but 'I've got nice veins' and it would be an alternate way to donate. I'm quite close to the donation centre in Oxford.)
If you pass, I don't think you're under any obligation, and the way my work is at the moment I'd never have time now. It's a monthly thing, I think, because they only take platelets and not the rest of the red cells etc.
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Apr 2019
12:07pm, 12 Apr 2019
17,470 posts
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Dvorak
*not Wozzer - Furry
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Apr 2019
12:08pm, 12 Apr 2019
41,252 posts
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Velociraptor
I can confirm that the buttock clenching is an effective tactic in a donation race 
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Apr 2019
12:09pm, 12 Apr 2019
1,520 posts
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Oranj
(Oh, and I failed the platelet count test both times. Not much useful stuff floating around in my plasma apparently!)
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Apr 2019
12:19pm, 12 Apr 2019
107 posts
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Wozzer256
Thanks, Oranj, that's helpful. I'm also wondering about how long the donation lasts, and how much it takes out of you, physically. I find that I can bounce back fairly quickly from blood donations.
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Apr 2019
12:22pm, 12 Apr 2019
31,187 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
Presumably it's contraction of as many large muscles as you can? So clenching and releasing *everything* presumably? I'm fastest donor in the west me. Big veins.
Wozzer, I just asked when giving blood how to give platelets and they said it's just a tick in a box to use some of your donation to test for suitability for platelets (or maybe it was a small, additional sample, can't remember.)
Unfortunately, I'm not suitable. Not a problem with my health, just not enough platelets there to be worth their bother. I'm told it's not a problem for me though. G
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Apr 2019
1:04pm, 12 Apr 2019
1,521 posts
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Oranj
I go to a local donation centre to give blood, and there are people donating platelets there They seem to be hanging about waiting for their blood to be filtered for quite a bit longer than a standard donation.
I don't think there are any after effects, in contrast to giving whole blood.
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Apr 2019
1:10pm, 12 Apr 2019
509 posts
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Paul N
October, 6 months ago (October was 6 months ago!!).
New twins and new job to blame (mostly).
Will make a point to call into HQ next week.
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