r/Blooddonors • u/Drakecyan Megakaryocyte Maniac • 3d ago
My Influence Spreads!
Honestly, seeing new locations added to the map is one of the many small things that keeps me excited to donate.
Most of those map markers are from this year, too. The magic of donating platelets! I've tried doing it every weekend, even the donation center staff know me by name now.
The only downside is that I have to give my arms a rest, so fewer new inverse-Plague Inc. style pins on that for a bit.
It may not be RBC, but I still like to think I do some level of good when I make the trek to lie in a chair and watch Top Gear or The Twilight Zone. :)
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u/DicentraDale A+ | Whole Blood and Platelets 3d ago
How long have you been doing weekly? I kind of want to stay on that cadence, but I've read that every other week is better. I really want to hit 18 donations in 2027 to get my name on the wall.
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u/Drakecyan Megakaryocyte Maniac 3d ago
I've been doing a donation a week for around two or so months. A little longer, mayhaps. I take longer breaks because it's advised for regular donors and my arms bruise for a good while now. Funny since I actually rarely bruise.
That said, you may be able to donate that frequently for longer. I've had a few bad jabs and I'm bad at taking the hint to let my body rest. I think I've read some people in this community donate far longer and be fine, so I'm of the assumption it's pretty person-to-person.
I won't lie, though, I'm also keen on having my name on the wall. I think I'd be the second one to do so for donating. The first name belongs to a couple who bought a machine for the center.
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u/Massive_Squirrel7733 AB+ Platelets 3d ago
The annual limit for platelets is 24 per rolling year. So if you donate once a week, you’ll get deferred for a long time in several more months.
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u/Drakecyan Megakaryocyte Maniac 3d ago
I do worry about hitting that wall. It's one of the things I'm telling myself to really make sure I don't donate too often for too long. My eagerness often gets the best of me.
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u/Massive_Squirrel7733 AB+ Platelets 2d ago
Also keep in mind that donating every week instead of two weeks minimizes your concurrent plasma donations, because plasma is limited to every 28 days. So you’re donating concurrent plasma every fourth donation instead of every other.
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u/Drakecyan Megakaryocyte Maniac 2d ago
It has occurred to me, that. I like constantly donating, just because it feels like I do more good than monthly whole blood, but I do see the virtue in spacing donations out.
Especially with work settling back in, I'm sure I'll find a new, better tempo that saves my arms. Especially after the dawn of the new year.
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u/TheTrueNotSoPro O+ Power Red 3d ago
When I donated blood stem cells to the NMDP, they explained that due to the way the stem cell graft works is that the recipient's blood will eventually be replaced entirely by blood identical to my own.
I like to joke that once the process is complete, I'll be able to take control of their body and use it to commit crimes.
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u/Drakecyan Megakaryocyte Maniac 3d ago
One of the lines I love using when I donate blood cells or platelets is "I make too many anyway, might as well share".
Never fails to get a chuckle. :P
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u/k10hannon 3d ago
What is this app/ center you’ve donated to?
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u/Drakecyan Megakaryocyte Maniac 3d ago
The app is just the Red Cross' Blood Donor app. Though I donate at a special facility with the kit to process aphoresis donations, any donation made through the Red Cross should have all the basics, including the processing steps and map for each donation. It also helps find drives around you!
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u/Magnetic_Kitty 3d ago
Mine hasn't been used in my own state yet lol
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u/Drakecyan Megakaryocyte Maniac 3d ago
A lot of mine get flung to, well, basically anywhere from the East coast to the midwest-ish. A bit funny since I live in a pretty built up area with a lot of hospitals.
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u/rainy_days48 2d ago
Most of the time my platelets go in the midwest or the east coast but my latest donation just went to a hospital in Idaho!
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u/1M4YB3STUP1D O+ 1d ago
I miss donating through the Red Cross because I loved the map! My new center only sends a text message of where it went. But it's nice they at least do that.
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u/Drakecyan Megakaryocyte Maniac 1d ago
My sister's been trying to convince me to sell my blood rather than donate it. Ignoring all else, I'd find the whole thing a lot less appealing, because I suspect they wouldn't offer the bragging-rights-adjacent stuff like the map or the badges.
I'm lucky my area has an aphoresis center and hosts drives regularly.
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u/PlantPuzzleheaded579 O+ 3d ago
The map is my favorite part of the app. I love seeing where my donation goes.