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Freak369 and fake indignation (Reply to this comment)
by money_guy
I started donating plasma way back in the '90s, took a break then recently started up again. I can't remember much of the screening process, but I can tell you the people working there were professional and friendly. Did I get paid? Yes, about $250/month which went a long way to helping to pay for school. I recently started up again as a way to help pay for graduate school and now the payment is closer to $400/month.
The initial screening process was very thorough and they sample/screen before each donation to ensure I'm healthy enough to donate.
As for the pessimism exhibited by Freak369, I'd like to ask where exactly she thought all those machines came from? Who paid the salaries & the rent on the office? Are they concerned that you are healthy or concerned you are healthy enough to donate? While you seem to live in your own little world (I did like the zombie comment btw and I, myself, live in MY own little world), the truth is that all this costs money and guess what?
If you're making $100K a year, you're probably not going to donate your plasma. For everyone else, four hundred bucks a month is a car payment, groceries, or in my case tuition. Big Pharma is a huge business and the "donation" goes toward all kinds of research, treatments and the like. It all costs money. So get over your fake indignation, "donate" some plasma and then take the money they pay you to a homeless shelter or some other cause near to your bleeding heart.
I'm sure the company who processes my plasma makes money on it. More power to 'em. The more plasma they take in, the more they make. Good for them. Meanwhile, I'm thankful I'm healthy enough to donate, thankful for the tuition money, and happy to contribute to the economy and more importantly my wallet.
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May 04 '12
10:21 pm PDT
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Re: I am an employee of a plasma center.... (Reply to this comment)
by watchntv
HI
I weigh 220lbs
when I donate plasma at Biolife, they tell me they pay me for my time, Yet I the time it takes to donate 880ml is twice the time I see others donate
I want to donate less, but they claim for my safety they have to take 880ml
I know why they lie, its greed
Are all centers like this?
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Feb 27 '12
12:16 pm PST
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Re: hmmm....again (Reply to this comment)
by budblueeyez
Wow..ok Jen. You have a super negative attitude. I san a donor at a very well established and clean plasma center. I would definitely NOT want to be a donor of yours. The people that work here where I'm donating (im actually donating right now ), are very considerate if peoples feelings. You are a real b word for saying what you said. Sorry you dont have a heart and dont care if my dog died, or if ive had a crappy day. I care how your day.is going. you shouldn't even be privileged to work with people if thats tge attitude you put forth. Not all about you.
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Nov 23 '11
3:52 pm PST
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hmmm....again (Reply to this comment)
by jenroberts
Sorry, here's an addendum. The people who do the physical are Physician Substitutes (P.Subs). But they are rarely nurses. One of the ones we have right now is an LVN, but the other is just an EMT-Basic. Which requires 3 months of training.
And another thing, being a phlebotmist is very, very, VERY simple. I would honestly let YOU stick me with a needle. If you can draw a straight line, you can perform a phlebotomy. It takes experience to become skilled, but a trainee will not do anything bad to you. Worst case scenario-you get restuck. No biggie.
And to the person talking about the "pain-free" diabetes lancets- do you REALLY believe everything you read on TV? Also, we have to get at least 10 times the amount of blood needed for a blood-glucose reading.
I'm sorry that we all seem a little caustic-if you had to deal with some of the people that I deal with every day, you would be a little callused as well. I've seen people fake reactions so they could leave early without getting their pay docked. People complain about how long it takes, but you want me to have a pleasant conversation with you while you're being processed? I will be polite, but I don't care about your dog or school, and I DON'T CARE IF THE NEEDLE HURTS YOU. You know it's going to hurt when you come in. I am not trying to hurt you. I will do whatever I can to reduce the pain, but it will almost never be PAINLESS. Especially the finger stick. There's nothing we can do about that. Those lancets are cheap little spring-loaded needles. I can't control the prussure that's asserted with those things. Ok. I think I'm done now. Oh yeah- WE DON'T CHANGE OUR GLOVES BETWEEN DONORS BECAUSE IT IS UNNECESSARY. We know if we get blood on our gloves. We take them off if we get blood on them. Having soiled gloves on our hands puts us at as much risk as it does the donors. Do you wash every shirt you try on in a fitting room? Didn't think so.
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Aug 12 '11
9:50 pm PDT
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Hmmm... (Reply to this comment)
by jenroberts
I have been working as a phlebotomist at a plasma donation center for almost 4 years now, and some of the comments you made really perplexed me. Firstly, the plasma donations that we take are sold strictly for manufacturing use. It's called Source Plasma. It's used to make vaccinations and medications. It's also used for testing purposes, such as trying out different ways to test for different diseases. While some of the points you make are legit, some of them are a little ill-informed and shallow. Without mass plasma donations, many live-saving medications would never be made. But leave it to consumerism to commericalize on donationg body fluids. Which is fine with me because someone has to do it, and it costs a lot of money to run the labs that are producing these medications. And I can tell that this post was made a few years ago (we no longer ask any questions about SARS), so some of the things you mentioned could have changed in the time since your post. And you complain about all of the questions you had to answer, but you also complained about the quality of the people donating. Should we not allow people to donate because they "look like crackheads"? How exactly do we tell a donor that they can't donate because they don't properly fit into a certain socio-economic category? We are very strict in our screening processes, and don't allow anyone to donate that even have a remote possibility of having any kind of dangerous BBP. Why would we expose ourselves to unsafe bodily fluids? And the FDA certainly doesn't turn a blind eye to anything that we do. We spend months preparing for those audits, scrutinizing every procdure to make sure we are taking all precautions to be as safe as possible. To become a donor, you have to have a VALID state-issued ID, SS card (NOT a copy), and proof of current local address(something mailed to you in the last 30 days.) And the names have to match EXACTLY. And we test EVERY SINGLE UNIT that we get for HIV, syphillis, and MANY others. If we have even a remote idea that someone could have a BB disease, they get Permenantly Rejected, and every one of their units that they have ever donated gets quarantined and disposed of. A few months ago, we found out that a young college student had gotten breast implants a few months before, but didn't tell us. She was PR'd, and every unit she had ever donated was quarantined because she had a surgery in the past 12 months, and we didn't have documentation proving that she hadn't received a blood transfusion. We take many precautions against spreading dangerous diseases. I will be the first to tell you that some of the donors are quite unsavory. I've had to turn people away because they stink so bad. (Unsanitary! and gross...) People use donating as their part time jobs. But I guarantee you that the medications made with their plasma isn't any less effective because they live with their mothers or do drugs or don't have jobs. (There are hardly any drugs or meds that bond to plasma, they are all contained in the RBCs) If we turned away people because they lived below a certain poverty level, we would hardly have any donors. You do make some good points, but spending a few months as a donor hardly makes you a well informed authority on the subject.
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Aug 12 '11
9:33 pm PDT
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Confused. (Reply to this comment)
by shelle1011
I'm just going to go on a small rant about this article for a second. My first point is; you said that you weren't sure if the physical screening for the plasma donation is done by an actual doctor or if it was a nurse. The people who are required to do the physicals are what are called physician substitutes. They are essentially the closest thing you can get to an actual doctor. My second point; I am very sorry that you had such bad experiences with your donation center. But I am here to tell you that they are not all like that and centers that are like the one that you have described here are NOT a good representation of the majority of the centers. I work at a plasma donation center. The plasma that is taken from donors is used to create medications for people with illnesses such as hemophilia. These drugs help to manage their diseases, and without them, many of these people would die. Yes, many of the people that donate are not in the best condition, and they live off of the money they get from donating. It may be a way to get people to donate their plasma, but think about if you knew and loved someone that had a disease that could be cured by these donations. You would do everything in your power to make sure that they had a way to survive. I am not saying that you are wrong, and maybe you did have a bad experience with your plasma donation center. But to be honest with you, it is a small price to pay if it means that you can save a few lives don't you think?
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Nov 26 '10
11:34 pm PST
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Freak is correct (Reply to this comment)
by barb1970
I have done this before.
I think donating plasma for cash is a good thing to save lives, but the whole process is primitive.
They ask you questions as they do not want homosexuals due to the AIDS factor, let alone, no prostitutes or people involved with bisexuals, or if you go to a country like Africa where AIDS is high.
But, there has got to be a better way.
They prick your finger every time, don't understand why it HURTS! Even on TV there are lancets for Diabetics that are relatively quick and painless.
Some very unclean people come through there, and they make it! Getting that cash for there 12 pack or whatever, some look stoned or drunk, unbathed.
I was turned down because my protein or Iron levels were low. I do not drink, smoke or do drugs and maintain hygiene.
So how do they make it and I get turned away?
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Nov 12 '10
11:02 am PST
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I am an employee of a plasma center.... (Reply to this comment)
by earth2amanda
I have to admit, you are so right about everything you said. I am an employee at a plasma donation center. I have been there close to a year. Its a job that I truly hate, for many of the reasons you talk about plus many more you could never know about. But I also love the job because of the people that donate. There are many people who do it to help "between paychecks". (myself included) Working there has been the most humbling experience of my life. I would like to add that at the center that I work at there are many educated employees that work there right out of college. (again, myself included) Although, you are right, the qualifications to work there are not very high, but at the center I work at the employees take pride in their job and have a real concern for the customers (or donors). But this is a recent change at my center because a few years ago all the employees were on work release and that was the only was you could get a job there. Luckily the company got wise and stopped doing that.
Just want to you to know I appreciate your article!
Thanks
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Nov 07 '10
4:29 pm PST
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Been There (Reply to this comment)
by patthebrat
I have been donating for 6 months an have had a lot of the same experiences.I have went to only two places the first the place was filthy an they did not change there gloves between donors an the people were rude.They treated you as if you were a low life even if you weren't an yes they all complain about where they work but I guess they need the money the same as the rest of us.I have heard people talk about how they ether got high the night before or were going to go get high with the money they were getting. When I went to the new place it was clean they wipe down the beds an change there gloves (well all but once I did see one dump trash an then proceed to stick a man but that was only once)As far as the people that work there not one person other then the nurse that gives you your physical an it has
always been a nurse not a doctor that has been to school to learn what they do.I ask what training they have had to get the job an they all said none before they got the job.Only a day or two of someone watching over them till they get it right
is all the training they get after they start working.
You never want to be there Ginny Pig.I think that they should use phlebotomists but they don't.From what they have told me that is standard practice.
But as you an others have said in this economy you do what you have to do to get by.
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Sep 14 '10
11:17 am PDT
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I will never forget those who need plasma (Reply to this comment)
by justmebabs
Dont worry honey I will never forget the people in need. I have RA and I am considered ''the special donor'' I have been donating for the past 4 years and will not stop do to company greed. everyone dont loose focus of the people in need out there. my plasma goes to research and to make test kits. god bless to our fellow donors. we help pets in need as well as people in need. we feel like we have earned our wings. when you give a gift of yourself to others who need something you have enough of is the best feeling ever. keep up the good work out there may god bless you where your giving or thinking about it..
Barb
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Dec 28 '09
1:38 pm PST
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New to Plasma Donation.. (Reply to this comment)
by mssmarty
Your essay was very informative and thourough. I have a family member who in shame went sneaking around donating plasma because of the social stigma. I always pictured crack-heads rolling up their sleeves, re-used needles, tubing etc. My ideas about Plasma donations were all wrong.
I work full time in public service, and the extra $55.00 per week [75.00] the first week made sense. Not only am I getting an extra $200.00 per month, but I am helping others.
For the first time in my life I do have Health Insurance, but it is High Deductible and only for use in emergencies. The Plasma center gave me the best "wellness" physical exam I have had since being a child (over 40 years ago).
[My present wellness exam from my Paid Physician was a couple of questions, blood tests and a subscription for Plavix, because my blood pressure was a little high.]
The physical exam took about an hour, yes there were tons of questions, and because I had taken a MMR Vaccination; I was deferred from being a donor for 2 weeks.
Yes, the waiting room has a city Police Officer stationed to keep the peace, and a lot of those living in poverty donate weekly and there are some deferred more than not for not passing the screening.
I really got to the place where I am not ashamed to donate, and felt good about my twice weekly donations, and the extra cash. I really looked forward to donating.
I am very healthy, and donating plasma has made me maintain an even higher standard of health. My blood pressure is better, and I am no longer freaked out by the Blood Pressure cuff.
The negative things for me are; 1). It only takes me 35 minutes to give 880 ml of plasma, I have never spent LESS than 3.5 hours at the Plasma center. It is always 3 hours waiting no matter what time I go, I cannot afford to miss that much work during the week, so I am only eligible for the $20.00 1X per week.
2). The people who work the front counter act like they could care less if you drop dead in front of them. And, the screener although have all been nice, they really don't seem happy to be there, and when they poke your finger for the sample it is "easier" for them to make a large slash instead of a pin prick. Sore fingers all the time...
3). The "alien" chair area where you get stuck is a mad house.
4). The majority of those sticking are so automatic with what they are doing, they act like they are grocery store clerks talking, making plans, arguing, showing how angry they are at the company or management by taking it out on donors.
Out of the 8 Stickers, there are only 2 I want anywhere near me.
During my hours and hours of waiting, I have met interesting people, seen individuals deferred for life for acting rowdy or loud. There are college students, parents, teachers, as well as laborers and the homeless. There is a common bonding that happens.
Today was probably my last donation. One of the persons who "blew my vein" on a previous visit; isn't allowed to stick me, but she removed my needle today, and didn't wrap my arm correctly. I brought my college text book to read, it is heavy and I had it curled in my bandaged arm.
It wasn't until I walked into a resturant I noticed blood pumping out where the bandage was misapplied. This means I had an open vein in public...
Out of 12 donations, I have had 5 bad experiences from a blow out, to unnessesary brusing. It is a shame, because I know this helps me; but my good health can help others who have no other means of remedy.
I hear the plasma center receives 1700.00 per 660 ml donation. Perhaps they can spring for some help that can at least concentrate on the human being under their care.
If they have anger issues with their place of employment it is probably a good idea to find something where they don't deal with humans.
Hopefully, some of the pharmacutical companies that are making a killing can spend a little bit more on overtime and/or hiring qualified individuals.
Thanks,
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May 30 '09
5:51 pm PDT
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IVIG (Reply to this comment)
by lemi205
The gentleman talking about the expense and need for IVIG is right. I am a male nursing student, and I was doing a clinical rotation at the VA hospital in this area. The patient had a disease called CIPD: Chronic Inflammatory Demylienating Polyneuropathy (similar to Gullian-Barre [sp?]). He required IVIG's. I was working with a nurse who handed me the IV bag and asked me to guess how much it costs. I guessed 500$.The nurse said 20K!!! I asked this nurse how they knew and the nurse blushed. Apparently the nurse had dropped a bag the day before, and had gotten really chewed out by their bosses.
The Patient I was treating would not have been able to afford one of those treatments as it was. Dotations may be shady, but they do help. Here are some pointers:
-Make sure they are opening new tubes, needles etc. No reusing
-Make sure they are wearing gloves, and change them between patients
-If you dont think they washed their hands, TELL THEM!!
-Do not try to cheat the system. This is you health too, and insufficient fluid volume is dangerous!!!
-Blood suger is especially importiant. If you are already having BS problems, and you concentrate the sugar by removing volume, guess what direction your sugar is going?
-If you already are dizzy, having breathing problems, tingling in your limbs, or any other pulmonary or cardiac problems, be very cautious before donating
-TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR!!! Even if you don't trust them, you are their buisness. Obviously Less patients = Less money and if you going into the hospital More time spent with you = less time with other patients = less money. So they are in the buisness of keeping you healthy.
Be careful, and if you still feel uneasy, dont do it. As much good as it can do, it is still your health on the line. I, however, will be going tody for my first donation. God Bless.
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Apr 18 '09
10:21 am PDT
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Interesting review... (Reply to this comment)
by Danae2OOO
As someone who has both sold my plasma and worked in the industry, I think you have a mostly accurate picture of the process. I can only speak from what I know based on my own company, but we do test EVERY unit of plasma that is produced. Every. Single. Time. That's one thing that factors into the cost per unit: the cost of shipping and testing the plasma (along with paying donor fees, overhead, supplies, etc).
The "some of these people look like junkies" thing is a common complaint. Yes, some of the people don't have the greatest hygiene. These same people often rely on their plasma money as a source of income - they use it to buy groceries, pay child support, power bills, whatever. (These same people can become very upset if they are turned away for any reason, like their blood pressure or protein levels.) These people are trusted that their answers to their questions are accurate, but because they are paid, there's always that chance they are lying. That's where the testing comes in. Also, if it is discovered they are lying, they are permanently banned from giving plasma. Also, some places will bar people who have too many tattoos/piercings, or they do background checks on potential donors to make sure they haven't been in jail.
I guess in the end, people have a lot of judgments and misconceptions about typical plasma donors (or sellers, if you prefer). The way the economy is going, though, a lot of people are finding that the stereotypes are wrong, and that they themselves are not "above" selling their bodily fluids for a little extra tax-free cash. (Of course, some people have the exact opposite attitude: "I'm the only person here who's doing this for the RIGHT reason; all these other people are money-grubbing drug-addicted scum" - kind of the "my abortion is the only moral abortion" mentality.)
Anyway, liked your essay. :)
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Mar 10 '09
10:59 am PDT
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I agree (Reply to this comment)
by voodoomagikal
I donate plasma cause I am a broke college kid. I agree with there being people in there that shouldn't be. Sometimes I see people I know from when I used to work at a bar, or just other people in general and I KNOW what those people do so when I'm having one of those days I feel like a scum bag. So what they do with the plasma is a lot of testing with drugs and vaccines and such. Some of the plasma is actually used for the vaccines themselves. The people that get paid extra are those that have certain antibodies in their plasma. The really rare ones. A lot of times if a company finds out that you have these (even just by a simple doctors visit) they will call you up to recruit you and pay you top dollar because reagents that are used in the labs for testing for blood compatibility when someone needs units of blood are made with these. One 2 oz vial costs around 300 dollars for certain antibodies because they are very very rare. And anything that is used for other humans is tested again and again and again and then purified. Although this doesn't make me feel better about the other people being in there, it does make me feel better knowing whats happening on the medical end of my plasma. Doesn't justify being a plasma pimp for drugies money, but is justified in the fact that it IS helping people if even indirectly.
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Feb 26 '09
4:19 pm PST
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Very Helpful (Reply to this comment)
by jbls_da_bomb
This was a humorous yet informative piece of writing. I was thinking of donating, and I'm still going to but there are some downsides to it. But the Red Cross is pretty good where I am at so I don't expect too many disappointments.
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Dec 29 '08
11:52 am PST
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Re: Notice (Reply to this comment)
by jurnyforever
Hi Freak369,
I'm going tomorrow to give my first plasma donation. I've been very nervous about it--I've really been trying to eat the right foods today, (I passed on a big bowl of ice cream because of fat content!) I want to give quality plasma and try to really help someone. Yes, the $20 is going to come in handy in a big way, too.
I can't thank you enough for writing your article--you have put my fears to rest and given me a no-nonsense reality check. I have some good information to lean on now....
Blessings!
Jurny
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Jun 12 '08
10:03 pm PDT
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Please don't forget those of us that need Plasma (Reply to this comment)
by bdank07
I suffer from a rare disease called scleromyxedema. To stay healthy I have to go get IVIG treatments monthly. The treatments last three days, and are made up of the plasma from thousands of donors. Not to sound dramatic, but I'd probably be very sick or even dead without plasma donations. Yes, IVIG is VERY expensive, but my insurance pays for all of it. I'm sure there is a lot of pimping going on with plasma, but that doesn't change the fact that there are those of us who need it. There would probably be less money whoring involved if plasma weren't so scarce. This is why they are able to charge so much for it. It also makes Doctors hesitant to try it out as a new treatment or give as much as is really needed. In February, I was in the ICU for 15 days because my doctors had pushed my treatment too far apart. I ended up having 4 seizures and fell into a coma. My family was scared they were losing me. My treatment plan was every six weeks, but the doctors then spread them out to every 3 months (because IVIG is a precious commodity). The gap in treatments caused my Scleromyxedema to flare and landed me in the hospital. So please don't stop giving because there are greedy companies out there that are making money from this. When you give, you are still helping people like me. And I'm getting something no amount of money can buy, quality of life, and more time with my family. (I'm married, in my forties, with 3 sons). Thank you to those who donate regularly, you are my heroes.
http://www.Scleromyxedema.net
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Mar 15 '08
2:11 pm PDT
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Great Review (Reply to this comment)
by bethers_1
This was a great review and dead on about the 'screening' process. :) I have been donating with BioMat for almost a year now. My opinion one of the better places to go to. With the outragious gas prices and little increase of income that $220/month extra really makes a difference. There is a great mix of people from the 'junkies' to your Average Joe so I have never had to feel like I needed to walk in and out of there covered from head to toe. Scout out your donation sites research them call them to make sure you have everything you will need. If you feel uneasy about it or things don't look all that 'steril' remember you can get up and walk out at anytime. :)
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Oct 14 '05
12:35 pm PDT
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The best info out there! (Reply to this comment)
by moonlight369
This was the best info I could find on the subject. Thanks!
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Aug 08 '05
12:31 am PDT
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I used to...... (Reply to this comment)
by LisaDo
do this when I was married to my ex. We needed it for gas money. Between the two of us donating, it kept us going since he wouldn't hold a real job.
I was embarrassed to be seen there. Like I was sort of trash or something. It was in a busy area, and people would give you "that" look when you walked in the door. Sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do. :(
Great review on the process! :)
Lisa
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Jun 11 '05
10:41 pm PDT
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Interesting process (Reply to this comment)
by bonniesayers
I never knew about this. I just signed up at donatelifecalifornia.org and am registered to donate brain tissue, but that is after I am dead, so never thought about what I could do while still living.
I am not sure I could handle the process though, might check into it further.
Bonnie
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May 08 '05
3:30 pm PDT
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nailed it (Reply to this comment)
by drdevience
I did this once or twice many years ago too.. my problem was the whole weight thang. I got sick of getting turned away for being too light. This one chick the times I did get taken would let me wear this big heavy coat and hold my heavy purse while I was being weighed.
I sure wouldn't have that problem now!
Doc
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May 07 '05
8:23 am PDT
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Notice (Reply to this comment)
by Freak369
© 2005 Freak369
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May 06 '05
10:12 am PDT
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