Friday update

I waited three hours for my platelets today. My pre-transfusion count was actually a little better, meaning I might be holding on to them better or maybe making some of my own. On Monday I was as low as 2, (thousand), Wednesday I was 6 and today I was 12. Woo hoo! Obviously far from normal, but up is good.

While I waited in the clinic for my platelets to show up, Diane was among the good samaritans over at the Kraft Family Blood Donor Center donating platelets. Not all the platelet donors are giving directly to someone as Diane is to me. One woman was celebrating her 100th donation and was presented with a cake, which the others shared. Diane said it was a little tricky to eat, because the arm that is attached to the machine is immovable.

Diane got a travel mug today marking her 10th donation (she's been going every week). For her fifth donation she had received a pack of cards.

She says she can see why people become committed to donating. There's a sense of comaraderie, a satisfaction in doing something that really helps other people. Sometimes when the regular infusion room is full, I get my transfusion in the Kraft Center. The donors sit on one side of the room, the "receivers" on the other. They always seem to be having such a good time on the other side, laughing and chatting with the nurses. Of course the nurses laugh and chat with the patients too, but it's a different feeling.

An elderly relative wondered if when Diane donates, the two of us lie on a bed together and the platelets pass by tubing from her to me. It felt like an odd question, but on second thought, why expect anyone to know the process?

There is one needle in the donor to which three tubes are attached. One takes the blood out and a machine extracts the platelets from it. The other is giving the blood back. The other contains an anticoagulant. The platelets are bagged and held for about three days while they are checked for impurities. Then the recipient receives them though an IV drip.

The platelets build back quickly, so it doesn't harm the donor at all.

Today I wished we could just be connected by that magical tube. Finally, though, my platelets did appear. They pre-medicate me with Benadryl to keep me from breaking out in hives, which has happened many times. When I got back to Diane's, I konked out.

Follow-up to white blood count obsession mentioned in previous post: I got a shot of Neupogen Monday, pushing my WBC to 8 (high normal) on Wednesday. I loved looking at that number. Today it was back down to 3.5, which is OK too. Also I got my last chimerism results. I'm 100 percent donor!

Someone asked this question in the comments, so I'm adding the answer here. To find a place to donate platelets, contact the Red Cross or your local hospital.