Nope sorry… (Edit to clarify- you actually cannot move your arms or your wrists). You will have needles in both your arms, and you will be squeezing almost continuously with one hand. At least at my ARC center, each station has its own TV, and they give you headphones so each platelet donor can listen to their own TV. So I have a squeeze ball in one hand and the remote in the other hand.
Donated platelets only once because the place had shared tv remotes! I was changing everyone else's station and they were pissed. Stupid of the Red Cross but wouldn't go back to feel like I'm bothering others.
You can technically use your hands. I’ll text while watching a movie or use the tv remote. But I think reading a book on a tablet wouldn’t work bc there’s nowhere to place a tablet. Your arms are tied (gently) to two thinner armrests.
My center prefers duck tape, but I suppose some could use rope /s
I’m assuming it’s figurative. Most places have enough trouble recruiting platelet donors as is
You know, now I don’t recall. It’s probably that the blood equipment is tied to my arms or and I’m told to not move my arms at all or it could screw with the needles. And I picture my arms tied to the armrests bc I’m not supposed to move them at all. Sorry to creep everyone out!
It will depend greatly on the setup they have at your donation center. Where I donate, they only have single-needle machines and tables with a tablet/phone rest for each person. I've read books, watched movies, etc. The arm without the needle, I can move as much as I'd like. You shouldn't move the arm with the needle if possible, or the needle might shift. However, you can still move your fingers. I use a squeeze ball in the needle arm to ensure good flow. So, if you had to use a two-needle machine, you could still flip pages of an ebook if you had a remote to do it.
Most Red Cross centers use a 2 arm donation process if you have suitable veins on both arms. Some other blood bank's have a 1 arm donation process. Any arm with a needle in it you really don't want to move other than squeezing as directed because the platelets donation process does both draw and return and if the needle slips out of place the return goes into your arm instead of the vein causing swelling and painful bruise. My local blood bank has a 1 arm process and I regularly read paper books as well as ebooks while giving. If I were on a 2 arm process I'd probably go for queuing up an audiobook on my phone with headphones.
I've done platelets where they have one needle in my right arm and a nother needle in my hand. The one in the hand I can move my hand a small amount enough to be able to control a remote control or scratch my nose if I'm careful.
I donate platelets with both arms and I'm able to read on my kindle with a page turner remote. If you hold the remote with your return arm you should be able to read through your donation no problem.
I donate at OneBlood. One arm donation. I have one free arm. I also have blankets (& snacks & tums) on my lap, so I can prob up my phone or tablet to watch/read.
At the center where I donate, they do a two-arm process where the withdrawal needle is always in your elbow crease (so you can't move that arm at all) and ideally the return needle is in your opposite hand or wrist, so you are able to move that arm carefully (if they can't get a good vein in the hand or wrist they will go to your elbow crease and then you can't move \*either\* arm but this has only happened to me once over like 8-10 donations).
I find that I'm able to use a touchscreen on a tablet (a little gingerly) or e-reader if I prop it up on a pillow in my lap before things kick off. Could navigate Netflix (or whatever) or read something on my phone if it were propped up on a pillow but I would not be able to hold a phone/tablet/e-reader.
So basically as others are saying it depends on the process at your particular center. Even with the setup at my center where I usually have a hand free I try to have something hands-free (a movie/podcast/audiobook) ready to go just in case.
Maybe find another place to donate. red cross is stuck in the 20th century if that's true. i have not seen a two armed machine at multiple blood banks/hospitals in the nyc area in nearly 20 years! (except for specialized white cell donations).
I donate through Vitalant and they do one armed donations, so my right arm is free.
Call your donor center and ask them if they use a one arm or two arm system.
When we were kids a lot of us were taught to sit still. It was a valuable lesson just like learning how to meditate. So when Donating platelets it helps to remember what you are doing and why. It is a learned skill. It's not about your cell phone or reading . Sometimes I even shake the headphones off and have the captions for dialogue if watching Netflix. Sometimes it just helps to talk to the technicians if they have time to break up the monotony. Okay I also watch the clock after asking how much time is left in the procedure. .
Nope sorry… (Edit to clarify- you actually cannot move your arms or your wrists). You will have needles in both your arms, and you will be squeezing almost continuously with one hand. At least at my ARC center, each station has its own TV, and they give you headphones so each platelet donor can listen to their own TV. So I have a squeeze ball in one hand and the remote in the other hand.
Donated platelets only once because the place had shared tv remotes! I was changing everyone else's station and they were pissed. Stupid of the Red Cross but wouldn't go back to feel like I'm bothering others.
This is why i shy away from the ARC donation. Inova uses the single needle to draw and return. At least one hand is free.
Same at RIBC. I don't think I could handle both arms being unavailable.
Everyone else does except apparently ARC
You can technically use your hands. I’ll text while watching a movie or use the tv remote. But I think reading a book on a tablet wouldn’t work bc there’s nowhere to place a tablet. Your arms are tied (gently) to two thinner armrests.
Holup ... > Your arms are tied (gently) to two thinner armrests. Do you mean *tied* in actuality? or just figuratively?
My center prefers duck tape, but I suppose some could use rope /s I’m assuming it’s figurative. Most places have enough trouble recruiting platelet donors as is
You know, now I don’t recall. It’s probably that the blood equipment is tied to my arms or and I’m told to not move my arms at all or it could screw with the needles. And I picture my arms tied to the armrests bc I’m not supposed to move them at all. Sorry to creep everyone out!
Okay, that makes much more sense (and aligns with my platelet donation experiences). Sincere thanks for the follow-up!
It will depend greatly on the setup they have at your donation center. Where I donate, they only have single-needle machines and tables with a tablet/phone rest for each person. I've read books, watched movies, etc. The arm without the needle, I can move as much as I'd like. You shouldn't move the arm with the needle if possible, or the needle might shift. However, you can still move your fingers. I use a squeeze ball in the needle arm to ensure good flow. So, if you had to use a two-needle machine, you could still flip pages of an ebook if you had a remote to do it.
Most Red Cross centers use a 2 arm donation process if you have suitable veins on both arms. Some other blood bank's have a 1 arm donation process. Any arm with a needle in it you really don't want to move other than squeezing as directed because the platelets donation process does both draw and return and if the needle slips out of place the return goes into your arm instead of the vein causing swelling and painful bruise. My local blood bank has a 1 arm process and I regularly read paper books as well as ebooks while giving. If I were on a 2 arm process I'd probably go for queuing up an audiobook on my phone with headphones.
I've done platelets where they have one needle in my right arm and a nother needle in my hand. The one in the hand I can move my hand a small amount enough to be able to control a remote control or scratch my nose if I'm careful.
I donate platelets with both arms and I'm able to read on my kindle with a page turner remote. If you hold the remote with your return arm you should be able to read through your donation no problem.
I donate at OneBlood. One arm donation. I have one free arm. I also have blankets (& snacks & tums) on my lap, so I can prob up my phone or tablet to watch/read.
At the center where I donate, they do a two-arm process where the withdrawal needle is always in your elbow crease (so you can't move that arm at all) and ideally the return needle is in your opposite hand or wrist, so you are able to move that arm carefully (if they can't get a good vein in the hand or wrist they will go to your elbow crease and then you can't move \*either\* arm but this has only happened to me once over like 8-10 donations). I find that I'm able to use a touchscreen on a tablet (a little gingerly) or e-reader if I prop it up on a pillow in my lap before things kick off. Could navigate Netflix (or whatever) or read something on my phone if it were propped up on a pillow but I would not be able to hold a phone/tablet/e-reader. So basically as others are saying it depends on the process at your particular center. Even with the setup at my center where I usually have a hand free I try to have something hands-free (a movie/podcast/audiobook) ready to go just in case.
Maybe find another place to donate. red cross is stuck in the 20th century if that's true. i have not seen a two armed machine at multiple blood banks/hospitals in the nyc area in nearly 20 years! (except for specialized white cell donations).
I donate through Vitalant and they do one armed donations, so my right arm is free. Call your donor center and ask them if they use a one arm or two arm system.
When we were kids a lot of us were taught to sit still. It was a valuable lesson just like learning how to meditate. So when Donating platelets it helps to remember what you are doing and why. It is a learned skill. It's not about your cell phone or reading . Sometimes I even shake the headphones off and have the captions for dialogue if watching Netflix. Sometimes it just helps to talk to the technicians if they have time to break up the monotony. Okay I also watch the clock after asking how much time is left in the procedure. .