Perhaps I should start by clarifying. I am not talking about your plasma television. I am talking about your blood. Okay, technically the yellow liquid part of your blood that suspends blood cells.
I used to sell my plasma back in college. At the time, I sold my plasma for purely selfish reasons – pizza, beer and text books. If you live in a town near a college, the chances are probably pretty good that you have a plasma donation center near you.
The process is actually quite simple (if you are not squeamish about needles, that is). You start with a brief physical including a health history questionnaire, blood work, and a general health screening. If you pass the physical, you will be able to give your first donation. If you’ve ever donated blood, the process is quite similar.
The amount you donate per session is dependent upon your weight. When my husband and I donated plasma in college, I was typically in and out within an hour, while it took him nearly two hours. It also speeds up the process if you drink plenty of fluids ahead of time.
Despite the large needle in my arm, I rather enjoyed the donation process. It was one of the few times that I could lay back and read, jot down my “to-do” lists, or just think for awhile. Our local center also provides free childcare during the donation process. Quite honestly, I am anxious for a one hour break from my preschoolers too.
While your compensation is dependent upon the center in your area, it seems that most centers pay anywhere between twenty and thirty-five dollars per session. Personally, I earned about $25.00 for one hour of my time. Not bad, huh?
This Monday I am headed back to the plasma center to start donating again. This time, my reasons are slightly less selfish. While I am no longer needing beer money, pizza money or money for text books, I would like a little extra “fun-money”.
It seems like whenever we have a little extra cash in my pocket, I am buying toys for the kids, groceries, clothing, or other essentials. I consider my plasma money to be quite literally blood money and therefore it belongs to me and me alone!
While I am obviously excited about my “fun-money”, I am also excited about how my donation will be used. Plasma is used to create life saving medicines for burn victims, transplant patients, and hemophiliacs. In fact, my best friend’s son had a horrific allergic reaction to a medication he was using and his skin was quite literally burned. He used a tremendous amount of plasma in the healing process.
Could you use a little “fun-money”? Wouldn’t it feel great to know that your plasma could be used to save a life? Check out your local yellow pages and see if there is a plasma donation center near you.