It took me a while to find a job this semester. Right now I'm happily employed as a high school math tutor (something which I would have found hard to believe when I was actually in high school), but at the start of the semester I was turning in applications without success, and had way too much time on my hands and not quite enough savings to survive the semester.
So then I decided to try that donating plasma thing that all the other college students are doing.
Now, I've donated blood to the American Red Cross numerous times (despite my feelings about needles. You see, while many people have irrational fears, I only have rational fears of things that can actually hurt you, like needles, heights, fiber pills, and street performers who pretend to be statues.), so I figured donating plasma would be a pretty easy way to make a buck. The pre-screening went well enough--apparently I had perfect iron levels, perfect blood pressure, ect--except for one tiny concern. My veins are really hard to find.
The chick who was running the tests poked my arms with her fingers until she found a vein on my left arm that she decided was "good enough", and told me to have them do that arm.
So (after about two hours of paperwork, and twiddling my thumbs in a waiting room with a showing of Kangeroo Jack, which may now be one of my least favorite films in the world), they let me in and put me in a chair--and I will say this, whatever else you say about the plasma donation center, those chairs you sit in while they collect the plasma are COMFY. I could take a nap in one, easy--and started looking for my vein. Which took them a few minutes, and they kept complaining--"who screened you? Who let you in with these veins?" But, finally they found it and got me hooked up.
And everything went fine--for about ten minutes, when suddenly my arm began to hurt. A lot.
I once (and this is once out of about 20 blood donations, mind you, so it's hardly a common experience) had a needle slip out of my vein while I was donating blood, and this felt about the same--just this sharp pain pulsing through my forearm--so I called over one of the phlebotomists to take a look. Well, she couldn't figure it out, so she asked someone else to come look, who asked another guy to come look--soon I'm a little celebrity.
Apparently the vein they had found was too narrow, and had sort of clogged up from too much blood going through it at once. As a result, the needle was sticking out weird and a lot of blood was pooling at the site. They pulled the needle out, then asked me if I wanted to just go home or have them try my other arm.
I figured that if I was going to this much trouble, I freaking wanted my $25, so I asked them to try the other arm.
Well, upon examining my other arm, they found two veins--one that was shallow but thin, and one that was really deep that they weren't sure how thick it was. One of the more experienced phlebotomists recommended they go with the shallow vein, so they stuck the needle in there--and missed. This is followed by five minutes of rooting around, trying to find the vein--and let me tell you, having someone look for your vein with a needle is no fun at all.
They were about ready to give up and just send me home, when a passing staff member announces--"Wait! I can do this!" Apparently she also has hard to find veins, giving her sympathy for my plight. So she takes the needle, and goes for the deep vein.
And, well, third time's the charm, and she manages to get everything working and my blood plasma pumping again.
The rest of my visit was uneventful, except for one point where the machine stopped pumping for ten seconds and I got a ring of people staring at my elbow again, but in the end I made the full donation and got paid. And then had a nasty collection of bruises for my trouble.
And everything went fine--for about ten minutes, when suddenly my arm began to hurt. A lot.
I once (and this is once out of about 20 blood donations, mind you, so it's hardly a common experience) had a needle slip out of my vein while I was donating blood, and this felt about the same--just this sharp pain pulsing through my forearm--so I called over one of the phlebotomists to take a look. Well, she couldn't figure it out, so she asked someone else to come look, who asked another guy to come look--soon I'm a little celebrity.
Apparently the vein they had found was too narrow, and had sort of clogged up from too much blood going through it at once. As a result, the needle was sticking out weird and a lot of blood was pooling at the site. They pulled the needle out, then asked me if I wanted to just go home or have them try my other arm.
I figured that if I was going to this much trouble, I freaking wanted my $25, so I asked them to try the other arm.
Well, upon examining my other arm, they found two veins--one that was shallow but thin, and one that was really deep that they weren't sure how thick it was. One of the more experienced phlebotomists recommended they go with the shallow vein, so they stuck the needle in there--and missed. This is followed by five minutes of rooting around, trying to find the vein--and let me tell you, having someone look for your vein with a needle is no fun at all.
They were about ready to give up and just send me home, when a passing staff member announces--"Wait! I can do this!" Apparently she also has hard to find veins, giving her sympathy for my plight. So she takes the needle, and goes for the deep vein.
And, well, third time's the charm, and she manages to get everything working and my blood plasma pumping again.
The rest of my visit was uneventful, except for one point where the machine stopped pumping for ten seconds and I got a ring of people staring at my elbow again, but in the end I made the full donation and got paid. And then had a nasty collection of bruises for my trouble.
It wasn't the worst thing I've had to do for money (comparison: working retail), but afterwards I was exhausted and in pain. Still, I was pretty much broke so I decided to go back and give a second donation. (not to mention, they need two donations to actually use your plasma). Well, the same thing happened! Missed the vein, talked about sending me home, the same employee stepped in and got it working.
After all that--I decided not to go back. I still intend to donate blood, and donating plasma is still an honorable way to make money. But for taking less from my body than a whole blood donation, donating plasma takes twice as long and leaves me four times as exhausted afterward, so I came out of there saying--"I need a better job."
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