User-agent: Mediapartners-Google* Disallow: Things that make you go hmmm.: August 2007

Things that make you go hmmm.

Friday, August 03, 2007

Part-time job ...donating blood plasma


I just recently got a part-time job. I signed up to donate blood plasma twice a week. This is actually a pretty good gig. I get paid $25 cash for the first donation and then $30 for the second one. It only takes about an hour and a half (it could be longer if they are really busy). That is about $18 an hour. A lot better than most real part-time jobs and I can do it after work and/or on Saturdays. I looked into this after I saw an ad in the paper when looking for actual part-time jobs since we need the extra $$. It is pretty relaxing too, they have TVs set up around the room with movies playing. It is kind of a strange place with all these "bed/chairs" set up next to centrifuge machines that separate the plasma from the red blood cells which are then pumped back into your body. The only draw back is that you have to be adequately hydrated which isn't really a drawback since it is good for you to drink a lot of water except you have to go to the bathroom alot more often. I am fairly healthy and don't have any reasons that disqualify me so it was pretty easy to sign up. You see all types there, and it seems pretty safe as they use new packages of everything. Blood plasma must be worth quite a bit, because they have all these workers, all this equipment, a pretty large office, and they have to use new packages of needles, tubes, container, gloves, etc. each time. Plus they pay each donor, and there must be 30 stations in this place and each time I have been they are mostly full. Hmmm, what exactly do they use all that plasma for anyway? Maybe there is something to my son's question he asked me after the first time I donated. I told him I donated blood plasma and explained what it was and then he asked me why they use the same word for the new plasma TVs. : )