I guess I should have started worrying when I saw that kind of grin on my nurse's name. Now that I think of it, I never even got her name. Let's just call her Nurse Frankenstein. No, really it was not bad at all. Let's call her Nurse Ann (because in this picture, she reminds me of my friend Ann). She was very nice to me. She explained the whole process completely as she went along - none of which I remember of course.

This is before she actually hooked me up to that machine which she is getting ready. The machine accepts my blood and spins out the platelets using gravity. After the platelets are removed, the blood is returned to me. Kind of nice of the machine, don't you think? I must admit having the blood pumped back through the same hole from which it was removed was a strange feeling.
Dave Donates Platelets
Here I am all hooked up. That little cotton patch (on my right arm) is covering up where the needle is plugged into my vein. That little squeezy socker ball in my hand is there to keep my blood pressure at an optimal level. I was supposed to squeeze the ball every 5 to 10 seconds. If I didn't my the flow pressure would drop and an alarm would sound from the machine to my right. If the alarm sounded, the whole process would pause which means I would need to wait until someone came to reset the machine. Of course, I had to test whether this really happened once. Sure enough, it worked perfectly. The alarm went off and someone came and reset the machine. Once you are "plugged in" you are not supposed to move your arm. If you do, this might result in bruising. I did not test that theory.
This is the view from the other side. I removed the cotton patch. The big arm hanging over my head was holding up that little TV. Each donor got their own TV to watch. Before hooking me up, I was allowed to pick out a movie from their extensive library. I chose to watch Phenomenon. The whole process took almost two hours, so it was very nice to sit and watch a movie. I actually brought a book to read, but quickly realized that was not the best way to pass the time while donating platelets.

All those bags hanging from the machine are for me. They said that when they take platelets, they make sure to replenish your fluids so you don't get dehydrated. For example, one of those bags contains a Saline solution. Also, if need be, they provide Calcium tablets to chew to get rid of that tingling sensation in the lips and tongue.
In the end, I would have to say this experience was pretty easy. All it takes is time. It is for a great cause, and if you are thinking of donating, but have questions go back one page and click on the Carter BloodCare Logo. This will take you directly to their site where you can find out all types of good information (but you won't be able to find my nurse's real name - I already looked).
Platelets, are cell fragments, (seen in the background of this page next to the "t", which are important for proper blood clotting. Each cubic millimeter of blood should contain 250,000 to 500,000 of these.