Donating platelets?
If you're clean and have 0 blood, they could always really use them, as we are the universal donor.
That said, if you're thinking about a single or double platelet donation...DRINK ALL OF THE WATER. I don't mean lots of water, I mean ALL OF THE WATER. Apparently, diet Coke won't do.
Also, spend about three days drinking ALL OF THE WATER. Gives your blood time to plump up the liquid volume or something. BUT NO BLOOD THINNERS like aspirin or ibuprophen. If you do not DRINK ALL OF THE WATER, you are subject to:
A. Not being able to donate at all like the poor bastard in the next chair, who couldn't even get started; or
B. Spending 26 of your allotted 46 minutes humming along, bruising up the inside of your arm because you forgot to warn the lady with the ENORMOUS SEWER MAIN passing as a needle, then finding out it was not infact an ENORMOUS SEWER MAIN because your itty bitty platelets are still clotting up in there.
So, in summary:
NO BLOOD THINNERS
DRINK ALL OF THE WATER
WARN THE NEEDLE LADY you're a delicate fuck'n flower who will bruise and shriek if they're not rilly, rilly careful.
Also something about hemoglobin and a rare steak, but mine was okay so I had no blood-related rationalization for the amazing ribeye I later devoured.
Maybe just the whole blood thing next time because even a half ration of platelets put me to sleep for the rest of the day.
That said, if you're thinking about a single or double platelet donation...DRINK ALL OF THE WATER. I don't mean lots of water, I mean ALL OF THE WATER. Apparently, diet Coke won't do.
Also, spend about three days drinking ALL OF THE WATER. Gives your blood time to plump up the liquid volume or something. BUT NO BLOOD THINNERS like aspirin or ibuprophen. If you do not DRINK ALL OF THE WATER, you are subject to:
A. Not being able to donate at all like the poor bastard in the next chair, who couldn't even get started; or
B. Spending 26 of your allotted 46 minutes humming along, bruising up the inside of your arm because you forgot to warn the lady with the ENORMOUS SEWER MAIN passing as a needle, then finding out it was not infact an ENORMOUS SEWER MAIN because your itty bitty platelets are still clotting up in there.
So, in summary:
NO BLOOD THINNERS
DRINK ALL OF THE WATER
WARN THE NEEDLE LADY you're a delicate fuck'n flower who will bruise and shriek if they're not rilly, rilly careful.
Also something about hemoglobin and a rare steak, but mine was okay so I had no blood-related rationalization for the amazing ribeye I later devoured.
Maybe just the whole blood thing next time because even a half ration of platelets put me to sleep for the rest of the day.