What I will sell for money

Here is the deal....I'm broke. I'm still waiting for my interviews in early February, so in order to make some money, I decided to donate plasma. (how else will we pay the rent? haha)
This is my review of the whole deal.

Since this was my first time donating, I had to be there for a loooong time. 3 hours total. They ask all kinds of medical questions....millions of times too. Also, there were several times when they actually made me read aloud what I was signing. All very unsettling. First they make you go into the screening room, which apparently you have to do every time you donate. You have to say your name and your "donor number" when you sit down. Then, one of the workers checks your blood pressure, temp, weight....you have to have specific numbers in order to be able to donate. My blood pressure was a little high, but I think that was because I was nervous. The amount of plasma they take from you is based on your weight. I was the lowest weight for the middle amount, so the lady suggested that I wear "less clothes" in order to drop a pound and therefore be able to give less plasma, and then be less light headed. Sketchy, no?

Anyways, then they prick your finger and test your blood to make sure the protein levels are okay to donate. After these tests, they started the million questions. After this, they make you go and have a physical from one of their.....doctors....?...ha ha ha. Okay, not really a doctor, but somebody who worked there who looked official. Again, right when I sat down with her she said, "say your name and your donor number for me" I had to pee in a cup and even had to take off my shirt so the lady could feel me up. Eyes, ears, reflexes, everything was checked. Then the questions started again. Every medication, every surgery (I might have forgotten my last one), everything you could think of, they ask. She even looked up Pleva to see what it was. Finally, after all the questions, and checking me out, she said it was okay to go back to the "donor room"

Okay, let me paint a picture for you....Have you seen the previews for that new vampire movie, where they farm humans for blood? It was like that. Tons of bed chair things with people hooked up to them lined the walls of the room. It was kind of scary, I won't lie. Plus, they ask all kinds of questions about piercings and tattoos like it's a terrible thing, but there were some sketchy sketch people in there with all of the above.

So they call me over, I lay down and it starts. One more time "say your name and your donor number" I'm thinking, "who is listening to this? Why do I have to keep saying it?" Anyways, I've never even donated blood before. Basically, they stick a needle in your arm and start to draw out the blood. The blood is centrifuged in this machine thing that you're hooked up to and the plasma goes into a plastic tube. Then, every so often, your red blood cells are pumped back into your arm. By the end, they had taken a full tube of plasma. It was actually freaky to see how much they removed from MY BODY. I couldn't help but feel violated. :) I was hooked up to the machines for about an hour total. The whole time I just watched the tv where they had a movie playing. By the end, I walked out with 30 Bucks. I can go twice in a 7 day period. The first time they pay 30, the second is 35.

Overall, the whole first day process was not very fun at all. Plasma donation centers are a money making machine and I felt a little bit like a robot to them. It took forever and was not that enjoyable. However, once I actually got into the donation room, (blood sucking factory), I enjoyed it a lot more. The next time will be much better I think, and i'll get paid more money. Oh, also, I drank a lot of water before I went there and I had to pee the whole time, so that was driving me nuts too. :)

Conclusion.....if you need extra money (or money at all like me), this is a good way to get it. The first time was long, but I think it will get much better once I become a "regular". Ha ha ha