Donating Blood at Children’s Hospital in Denver
Recently, I was advised by my primary care physician that I needed to lose some blood volume. My blood is incredibly thick, and I can’t do testosterone treatments without putting myself at risk of a heart attack. So, donating blood is a quick way to thin it out a bit. Thus, I donated to Children’s Hospital.
It’s a bit of a long story, but essentially, my testosterone levels were below the minimum levels. Keep in mind that I’m also 49 this year, and things start slowing down as you age.
Since I’ve also dialed up the exercise recently, I figured it was a good idea to make sure my blood wasn’t going to contribute to a heart attack or stroke.
What’s with the Testosterone Shots?
Initially, I was hoping the testosterone shots would help me sleep at night. I joke that I haven’t slept since 1998, but in reality, my average per night ranges between five and six hours. I’m always tired and sluggish.
Anyway, after about three months of the treatment, the doctor at the men’s clinic was worried that my tests were coming back showing my blood being quite thick. So, they advised me to see a doctor or start donating blood.
The men’s clinic will not put you at risk and will refuse to give you treatments until it’s sorted.
Testosterone shots increase the volume of your blood. When it’s already thick, you run the risk of things like a stroke. If you have deposits in your system that separate and travel to your brain, the thickness of your blood can make it difficult for blood to flow through the veins and arteries.
Long story short, I didn’t really notice all that much of a change in my sleep or behaviors since being on the testosterone. So, it’s no skin off my back to stop them for now while I sort out the thickness.
And the way the doctors tell me the quickest way to thin out the blood is by getting bled on a regular basis.
Donating Blood to Children’s Hospital
We decided that the best use of my blood is to donate to the Children’s Hospital here in Denver. They’re always in need, and since I support Children’s Hospital through Extra Life, it only made sense to continue helping the kids.
I don’t have a lot of money to give, but I do have plenty of blood, and donating is giving a piece of myself to help others. It only took about five minutes once they hooked me up to the bag.
The funny part is how they explain that you may experience dizziness and whatnot after donating. I felt no different once I stepped away from the chair, aside from a slight pain in my arm. For me, it was just another Tuesday. I even told them they could take another if they’d like.
Children’s Hospital has a medallion award for those who give a certain number of gallons. The first is a bronze medal you get after donating 25 gallons of blood. That’s an awful lot, especially since they only take a pint at a time.
The downside is that you can only donate in this fashion six times per year. So, you can only give a gallon and a half of blood. At that rate, it would take a little over 16 years!
Now, you can donate platelets, which is similar to donating plasma. In that case, you can donate twice as often because you’re getting the red blood cells back after being filtered.
So, I doubt that I’ll ever get one of those medals before I die. Still, it’s good to know that I can possibly save a life or two along the way.
Not Enough, According to Doctors
Children’s Hospital will only accept donations every two months. According to my doctors, though, that’s not enough to keep me alive. Ideally, they want me to donate once every other week. That’s a bit odd, considering everything I’ve read says once every 8 weeks.
Either I am misunderstanding my PCP, or my blood is just that thick.
I’ll find out more when I visit my doctor for a check-up in April. But I am a tad worried that everyone wants me to bleed so much. As I said, though, donating that pint didn’t phase me in the slightest.
Regardless, it’s always best to fully understand what your primary care physician is saying before bleeding yourself out. Err on the side of caution.
Donating Blood to Keep Everyone Alive
It’s a strange twist of fate, really. I have to keep donating blood to stay alive without complications. The less of it I have, the less likely I’ll stroke out or have a heart attack. At the same time, the thing that could kill me could help a child stay alive.
So, it’s a win-win for all involved. Well, aside from having the needle stuck in my arm. I hate needles, and every time I think of them, my arms cringe.
Yet, it’s a small price to pay to keep myself and another human around to see another day.
It’s too bad Children’s Hospital doesn’t have a referral program. The more everyone you sign up donates, the closer you get to one of them fancy medals.
How Often Do You Donate?
I used to donate plasma all the time when living in Utah. It was an easy way to make a few bucks. It’s been a while since I was hooked up to a machine, though. Mostly because I have just been too busy to think about it much nowadays.
Unfortunately, I don’t have the luxury of putting things off. My health care providers are pushing me to donate as often as possible or face the consequences.
I knew this was coming, actually. I was told when I was a teenager that my blood is very thick and that eventually, I’ll be put on blood thinners. So, I am right on schedule. However, my PCP wants to see if just donating would do the trick before prescribing medications.
The best part is that I’m donating blood for a good cause that I fully support. I’m talking aside from keeping myself from dying. If it has anything to do with supporting children in need, I’m on board.
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