1) What is the bump on your arm after you donate plasma?
ANSWER: Don't worry about it. It just means your lab coat person messed up, and punctured your vein and you're bleeding internally... NO BIG DEAL! (it sounds bad, but really, don't worry about it.) In the following real life story you'll learn of MY experience with having the bump on my arm, so you'll know what to expect.
So I went to sell my sweet sweet plasma the other day… I don’t know WHAT it is… but those doctors just drink that stuff up…To start the process, they pulled me into a little tiny room that could barely fit 2 people, and just eyed my luscious veins down, feeling it with his gloved hand. I’m not sure at ALL if this dude actually knows what he’s doing, but the white lab coat definitely gets my respect.
This guy could be just another shmo off the street, he looks about my age, but when he’s wearing the jacket… My life is in his hands… I don’t know what strenuous process he had to go thru to get to lab coat rank, but I’m pretty sure that anyone could get to lab coat status by the results of what happened to me… who is HE to judge my veins, when he walks imperfectly?
If any of you don’t know what donating plasma is, it’s kind of like prostitution… you sell part of your body for money. They suck your blood, take the plasma out, and then give it back to you for a price…
This idea intrigued me, partly because of the money, but mostly because of the name. PLASMA! That definitely seems like something you don’t want to miss. Sounds like something from a sci fi movie. Til now, I figured plasma was some radioactive orange goo that they extract out of my body for purposes of fueling a top secret government spaceship that would fly to Jupiter, but it turns out it just looks like apple cider. Someone must just really like the taste or something…
Now if you’re a first time pusher of plasma, they make you go thru this long difficult process of walking in little rooms, answering questions and getting tests done until FINALLY you get to the physical.
Physicals always scare me, cuz I never know what to expect…
“so… are you going to do the whole drop your pants thing or not… Just tell me now, so we can get the awkwardness out of the way…”
I definitely think that these doctors need better senses of humor. During my plasma physical, he got me all laid out on the mini bed, and told me to lift my shirt. And I was half way thru saying, “… I don’t think I should be lifting my shirt for another guy in this part of town,” when he started feeling my bare stomach. I was just staring into his eyes. His head was bent over, getting pretty close to mine… it all seemed too romantic for me… so… I LAUGHED! And he abruptly stopped feeling me, and said in a dry tone,
“I sense that you’re a bit ticklish?”
AWW common! That’s all you’ve got? You’re pressing into my stomach! We both know that it’s awkward, so… you can laugh too! I give you permission! Let’s just rejoice together, and I’ll even share with you those crackers you gave me at the beginning…
Anyway…
To conclude my story:
I got into the plasma room. It looked like a wounded soldier clinic or something. There’s just a bunch of guys laid out on these beds, next to these radio looking machines, squeezing this ball. So they hook me up… and I’m thinking… "OW!"
I tell the lab coat girl… “OW!” And she’s like, “OW?” so she tries moving the needle around to get rid of the ow… and she stops, and does that undercover code language whisper thing that doctors and nurses do… and some other nurse shows up, and unhooks me… then they do some more hush hush talk, and I get a DUDE finally.
How can he be so CALM I’m DYING!!! SAVE ME!
So they unhook me, and still don’t tell me anything, then give me 20 bucks and told me to leave…
And while I was walking out, I was thinking, huh… I just went in, waited a couple hours, and got paid for getting hurt! Next time, I should just request the baseball bat to the head to save time. Don’t worry about the needle thing… just injure me right here and now! They should just have a bunch of bats at the receptionists desk, so I don’t even have to get past there… walk in, get injured, take my money and leave… seems a LOT more efficient…
I’ve attached pictures of what my arm looked like
Initial bump that formed after I took off the bandage
The BUMP (My bicep isn't supposed to be that big...)
2 days after
5 days later (it's a lot darker in person)
49 comments:
physicals aren't fun.... but after you've had 2 hernias you get kind of used to random men in white coats feeling you up... i'm pretty sure i've had that done on 7 different occasions... but only 5 different doctors.... gross...
5 guys? wow. at least some of them are starting to get familiar with the works.
I tried to donate plasma but they didn't let me cuz I supposedly my brain and head were too sensitive because I got in a car accident the summer before. So it sucks I couldn't get paid. Either way, this made me laugh. good job.
I don't know what you're going on about. It is very normal that every once and a while the needle breaks through a vein (it's called an infiltration and usually happens when you move your arm with a needle in it). The reason the guy wasn't freaking out is because it is NOT a serious problem. You have a bruise and some swelling for a while--then it goes away. I just had this happen to me about a week ago, and I am perfectly fine and have given plasma twice since. What happened to you really is not a big deal.
So you're saying I'm going to live? whew, that's a good way to start the day. CANCEL THE HEARSE!
TALECRIS CARES NOTHING ABOUT THE DONOR---THEY JUST WANT YOUR PLASMA
TALECRIS TELLS DONORS TO EAT 2 HRS BEFORE DONATING, BUT THEY MAKE YOU WAIT AS LONG AS 6-8 BEFORE THEY SEE YOU
At least they gave you a 20, they did this to me twice: one on each arm. and then sent me away with 5 bucks! Bastards
donating plasma sucks. but more money cannot be argued with.
had three of those painful incidents with the jupiter-sized bruises after. very uncool. but unfortunately not worth never going back...that's my do-whatever-i-want-with not-for-bills cash.
Yeah, I'm to scared to go back now. You're a brave soul. Thanks for following.
Wow! That looks painful. Man, if I had had that sort of experience, I probably would've run crying like a small child from the room. I will remember to only donate for free and not get paid for it because otherwise it will hurt. Haha.
Crap now I don't want to go in and do this if I'm just going to get stabbed and possibly not get paid.
Time is money.
I've donated many times and have never had a bad experience. It sounds like yours was a bad sticking but sometimes it's that the donor isn't hydrated enough... and from what I understand females are twice as hydrated because we tend to retain water. Also, fat in the blood makes it thick and difficult to return. When I was there today there were about 4 people around me who were having malfunctions.... which was a first for me to witness. The good news is that when things are working and the blood is replaced it is replaced with hydration (and that little bag of saline can really make you feel cold!) so I've never felt dehydrated after whatsoever. In fact I've gone IN with a headache sometimes and come out without one. The reason I am researching here tonight is that if it takes 48 hours to replace, and you give 2x a week, how bad is it for the body to be low on plasma for 4 out of 7 days of the week?? Everything I have found tonight says it's actually very safe. I am so sorry for your poor experience! That does look very painful!
Oh my God I feel your pain I just tried to donate today but had the same thing happen. Went through the rest of the day sore and here when it's wwwaaayyyy past my bedtime I am currently searching online to make sure I won't die in my sleep for this. Thank god I found these post maybe I can sleep now
I had the same thing happen to me and your right they hire anyone off the streets Ill be sure to request a vetran next time fuck that my arm is killing me!
I have given numerous times with no problem until last week at the end of the last cycle my vein blew and is now infected with thrombitis. The center said too bad and now I have medical bills. Not worth it
Your vein BLEW! That sounds horrific.
I've had that experience. I donated for almost 6 months and never had problems with this. Then one day it just happened. I sorta freaked out.)) And then they tried to restuck my other arm and moved needle around quite a bit, 'cuz they couldn't find it. I was espesially reasured when my nurse person made a cross over herself before sticking my other arm. I'm sure they could hear my scream "Oh for the love of God" from the reseptionist office. I love your idea with the bat. I would definetely go with it.) Cool story, by the way. Very well written. Made me smile.))
The same thing happened to me today! I tried to be cool about it and let them stick the other arm and damn it the same thing happened again! I was about to start yelling at people. They pumped my blood out into my right arm and then when it happened to my left arm they told me I needed the saline pumped in before I left and pumped it outside of my vein into my left arm. Right arm is hurting pretty bad and my left is freezing cold. This was my second time and my last. Still got paid but that was a good thing. I'm a pretty level headed person but the pure lack of care and empathy these people showed after messing me up had me to the point I wanted to throw things and act really stupid.
Oh and further more people are saying it can happen if you move but that so wasn't the case. I was completely still other then the normal hand pumping your supposed to do. Pure and simple they messed up and the lady that did it even admitted it before I left.
I was donating plasma when my blood preasure bottomed out and my pulse dropped to 20..it was fucked up.
I was donating plasma when my blood preasure bottomed out and my pulse dropped to 20..it was fucked up.
I had the same thing happened in my right arm on my first time donating and the next time I went in to donate they said I couldn't donate "that would've been nice to know when they did it I couldn't donate until the bruise was gone." they need to give you a pamphlet or something of when you can't donate and why. otherwise it's not that bad. I find it kind of amusing cuz you see some interesting people in there. you have the high class people , the casual people, hardasses and those people you think "are they on drugs." 1 guy I ran into was very nice and talkative then I got noticing how much he was moving it wasn't normal moving it was fast like twitching, and he was scratching his self all over. I swear he was tweaking or something. he couldn't hold still for one second and talking a hundred miles an hour.
Jessica same thing happens to me, every single time. I'm doing fine, doing fine, utoh.... tingling loss of vision and I'm out. They wake me up, put me on a return make me wait until my blood pressure goes back up to over 100/60. I get my cash and go home. It's gotten to the point they kind of know me and know I'm going out. My doc said no biggy so long as I'm not going to fall out of my chair and hit my head. She said it's from over active vagus nerve.
My arm hurt bad....what to do besides going to the er at the moment....
My arm hurt bad....what to do besides going to the er at the moment....
I'm not going to attempt to give medical advice. Good luck tho.
I go to CSL plasma donation center. I have been going pretty steady. Then one day I had my first Infiltrate. I knew something was wrong from the start. When they went to stick my left arm, they infiltrate that one too. My left arm hurt so freakin bad. I still got my donation money. But they "56" me. which they say means I can't come back for 56 days, they said because I did not get all my red blood cells back. I just want to say it may not be a huge deal, but the pain was awful.....
It's crazy that some people can think "oh it's not a big deal" that a medical procedure is so commonly screwed up. Did you know that with the wrong gauge needle (which is a commonly made mistake) intrusion can lead to severed veins. Internal bleeding is the farthest it can be from not a big deal. On top of that the donation center makes approx $800 per donation that you make so as a buisness you can't beat hireing rift raft to put in needless in arm's for $800 a go around. The procedure, if done in a healthy way to the donor, should have one a small miniscule amount of pain associated with just the needle prick. If it is more than that then you were a lab rat for practice by that guy who couldn't keep his job at Taco Bell... They offer money to those who desperately need it to subject you to possible medical damage. Be wary when donating for money, if you have a good experience make sure you use the same person every time, there are good employees at these places like everywhere, unfortunately they are overcrowded with ones not so great. Too bad you signed a waiver stating you can't charge them for your hospital bills if you need to seek help from a true professional... They make $1 per ml of plasma donated... It hurts knowing you make less than a penny of that...
Actually you can get an infection and that can get very serious very fast.
At least no one rudely stabbed your arm like octapharma did to me :/ .. There was a nurse that just did not like me since day one and was always mean and avoided me ( didn't mind since I didn't care too much... Until) then one day they had issues with my blood n the needle was burning so they tried to fix it then they call HER to fix it. I looked up to smile but stopped when I saw her glare of death and she yanked the needle out and then jabbed it back in as quick as she could then immediately shuffled off as I lean to my side in extreme pain I could barely talk but someone noticed me .. And that the needle was stick straight up on a huge bump .-. Made me soo mad .. But that was about 2 years ago and I successfully donated at a different center :3 everyone is polite and nice
I've donated for a month now, and they all know what they are doing at CSL Plasma; at least where I go. I have a a small bump around my vein, but im donating twice a week so it makes sense. no swelling though for sure, the needle goes where its supposed to each time.
Hey I know this has been quite a few years ago (the money sucked back then) If I could post some pictures of what my arm looks like from a wrongly inserted needle during plasma donation you would freak. Called infiltration when the needle is pushed into the tissue surrounding the vein (that's why the bump); mine was huge. Seven days later my arm from right below my shoulder to my wrist all the way around is black (not much blue). Feels like someone just snapped my arm in half. I am still contemplating law suit but I have to see my doctor first. I used to donate all the time but this time and the following time I passed out... no more from me. The first two donations were $75 each; out of a job it helped me out but for me was not worth it .
I have donated plasma 5 times within the period of December 31st and January 25th (yesterday). I donated at the Grifols Biomat company in Penn Hills, PA.
Anyway, the first donation is the longest. It takes about 3 to 4 hours. They check your veins, identify you with your license and social security card, ask you all kinds of questions, make you watch a 5 minute video, give you a physical, and finally the weigh you. After getting weighed, they also take your temperature, blood pressure, and a small sample of blood to teat for protein levels and such. Yes...the first time is a long drawn out process and not everyone meets their criteria as a healthy donor unfortunately. I have had friends turned away for silly things like ear infections and such.
If you are determined to be a suitable donor, the doctor/nurse meet you at an electronically locked door and escort you into the big donation room. There are dozens of beds set up with several flat screen Tv's mounted from the ceilings. Surprisingly, it's a relatively comfortable environment. Anyway, an attendant has you recite your full name, last 4 digits of social security number, and sign a paper. I believe the paper is some sort of acknowledgment or waiver form. After that, a nurse escorts you to a bed, you pick which arm to get punctured, lay down, and they hook you up to a machine that separates plasma from blood and returns your red blood cells. Most people take about 40 minutes to an hour to donate their plasma. Depending on your weight, you may not donate as much plasma as the next person. Anyone who weighs 175 pounds or more donates the max amount of 880 ml. I fit that bill at a weight of 185.
Long story short, my fitst 4 donations were easy with no complications. This last one scared me a bit tho because towards the end, I got nauseous, light headed, and dizzy. In fact, the sound in the room was fading more and more at one point. I may have set myself up for a bad experience tho by not sleeping the night before, not eating a big enough meal, and drinking too much coffee. Definitely follow their guidelines for donating or else you too could have a negative experience!
As far as compensation goes, Grifols gives you a prepaid Visa Debit Card. The payment amounts can vary by month, but my payment plan was 65 bucks each time for the first 5 times. After that, it decreases to 20 bucks the first donation of the week and 40 bucks the second. You can get bonus money for referring people too which is nice.
Thus the reason I'm online searching now. First of all, it hurt more than normal when the girl stuck me (this was only my third time donating). I went through the entire process but when it started returning the saline it started hurting really bad. Normally I'm freezing at this point, but I got really hot. I called the worker over like three different times and told it was really hurting and I was getting hot. I told her it felt like someone was trying to push the entire tube back into my arm and I wasn't feeling so good. You told me I only had a few minutes left and gave me an ice pack to put on my chest. My heart started racing, I started getting dizzy, and my body temperature continued to increase. One of the workers passing by asked me I felt okay because I looked kind of pale. I called the worker back over who was helping me and asked her if enough of the saline had been returned to stop the machine. I also asked her what the side effects would be and what steps I should take next once she stopped the machine. She called two other people over to check on me. I showed them where my arm was hurting really bad in two places and already swollen. One guy said it looked like the saline was going under my skin (whatever that means). I was beginning to freak out because I literally felt like my arm was about to implode. The worker then had to call over another guy to help her get the machine to stop. They were trying to talk to me about random stuff but all I could think about or say was please get this needle out my arm because it is hurting really bad. The worker said it could have been due to my sleeve been tight around my arm from where I pushed it up instead of removing it (fine time to tell me). I got off the bed and ran to the bathroom because I had been holding it for over fifteen minutes and was about to burst. When I returned the nurse came over to check on me, gave me a Gatorade to drink, and told me to ice it when I got home to prevent it from bruising. That was six hours ago. My arm is still swollen and still hurts. My heart is still slightly fluttering and the dizzy spells and headaches come and go. I have read like five different sites searching for information, hoping I don't wake up dead lol. Pray for me. I will not be returning for the 4th donation. I have learned that all money ain't good money and that easy money isn't always so easy.
Wow that's scary I'm sorry prayers for u hope u are still alive
Tech did not set up machine correctly. After first cycle the machine blew and I lost my blood. I cannot come back for 53 days because someone screwed up.
I’ve been donating plasma for nine years I normally take a month off every 3 to 4 months. So overall I’ve only been donating a total of five years. I have only had one time when I was done donating the return for the Celine started going into my arm I immediately alerted someone because it started to burn it was stopped was given a Gatorade to drink for electrolytes I have found that lifting weights with your arms to keep your veins a little larger has always helped and being fully hydrated with water it’s very useful. And with being a continuous plasma donator anytime I use my left arm I always ask for a phlebotomist that is at least two years experienced you have that right to make sure that you have someone that is more familiar and trained I have been bruised maybe three times in a five-year period and yeah with that bruising you have to wait till it heals before you can donate again. But for me it’s just a matter of taking a month off every 3 to 4 months and I’ve been able to continue doing it. I have a little over 380 donations and I know for me yeah I save the money up for a year and I use it for miscellaneous Christmas and vacation time but knowing that I am saving people’s lives and I haven’t ran into all these bad stories that everybody else has I live in Idaho and I’ve never had major problem w our phlebotomist here
I've gone in with a hangover and came out without one. Lol
Photos of 3 days after donating plasma
Not to mention a bruise that makes the victim look like a spiraling heroine junkie.
I wish my girlfriend was better at retaining water
Same thing happened to me at talecris she said she was gonna repoke and I said no I’m not no laborat and they finnaly paid me the full amount after fucking up both my arms leaving these marks I don’t recommend going back
This is a great resource! I'm a researcher who sold plasma for a few months, and Octapharma staff injured me 4 times with bad needle placement that resulted in infiltration (internal bleeding which causes bruising).
The first time, they were careful with me afterward: they offered an ice pack, made sure the pressure was firm. The tech was new and screwed up, so maybe that's why they were careful. The injuries and bruising got so bad on both arms just a week ago that I could no longer use them. The assistant manager--who knew about the bruising from the misplaced needle a few days before--pretended in front of staff and people on tables selling plasma that he didn't know where the bruising came from as he told me Octapharma can't pay someone for plasma when their arms are hurt. He even insinuated the bruising wasn't from the phlebotomist's putting the needle in the wrong place, but maybe from something outside the store. I recorded the interaction, notifying him before doing so. Also, a machine got stuck on "high pressure return," and the phlebotomist is flicking the machine with his FINGER trying to fix it (or pretend to). My legs are crossed, so he says it's that. I uncross. It's 3 minutes or so and the machine is just cycling but not working. It's stuck. My arm is beginning to hurt: where the end of the needle is placed my arm is starting to darken and feel stretched. The blood is backing up in my arm. I try to get someone's attention, and the phlebotomist saunters over. I show him and tell him my arm hurts and the machine seems to still be stuck. He flicks it again, looks at my arm, and I ask what it might be since my legs are uncrossed. He says it could be anything: dehydration, a greasy dinner, my arm was moving when it shouldn't have been. My arm is hurting, the machine is still stuck, so I offer: "I'm fully dehydrated as you can see from the flow, I don't eat grease (I don't), and my arm has been still while I squeezed my fist. And I've uncrossed my legs. Why isn't the machine working?" He goes back to the same list of reasons that I AM CAUSING THE MALFUNCTION IN THE MACHINE. (I have noticed that different machines draw differently. This particular machine made more noise than the rest.) I tell him I don't want to argue, but I know my body and right now my arm is in pain and the blood is infiltrating my tissues because the needle was in the wrong place and the machine is stuck." I say these words just to him without raising my voice. I am direct, but not angry. I am clearly concerned. He begins unwrapping things without telling me what he's doing. I ask, and he says he's ending the procedure. He goes very quickly, without going through the standard protocol of telling me what he's doing as he does it: no offer of an ice bag (the bruising was going to be very bad, you could already see). No making sure the pressure was good at the site, and he neglected to tell me the compensation for the procedure. I asked on the way out, as he snidely told me to "have a nice day."
PART TWO: I wrote thing on Yelp. Processed the experience so I could keep moving forward. I still needed the money. Offered suggestions. Next time I went in, I get called in a back office by the assistant manager (who is letting me refer to him as the manager without correcting me). I assume it's an apology after reading my review. Instead, he is advocating on behalf of the phlebotomist, insisting that I have to comply--not speak up, not argue, not disagree when I know that what the tech is telling me is inaccurate and when the machine is malfunctioning in front of both of us. While I'm in pain on a table with a needle in my arm selling plasma for money because I had no other option. I am also supposed to cede my right to self-advocacy, ignore my eyes and what I know to be true about my body, defer to a man (in this case) who has not performed per professional standards, and ignore the injury he incurred because he mistakenly put the needle in the wrong place (twice--he'd done it once before. He was batting a 100 with me.) Bottom line: when you sell your plasma, just shut the fuck up and take the 50. The business practice of shifting the burden of responsibility from the professional to the vulnerable human on the table through silencing and intimidation is authoritarian by definition and has no place in a democracy. Just because it's capitalism does NOT mean humans have to lay back while their power to speak, to advocate for themselves, and to protect the autonomoy and safety of their own bodies is stolen from them to empower the bottom line of a massive pharmaceutical interest. The plasma business will need to adapt its practices to better align with a democratic culture where even if you have to sell your plasma, you don't also have to sell your soul.
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