Apheresis. Have You Heard?

_{papers, overlay and frame from Shabby Princess' Studio Chic. Font: Pea Alesa}

The text for this layout is from the American Red Cross. "The word "apheresis" (pronounced Ay-fur-EE-sis) comes from a Greek term meaning to take away or to separate. When you give a regular blood donation at the blood center, your blood is separated into its components -- red cells, platelets, and plasma. Each component meets a different and very important medical need of a waiting patient.

When you make a donation through the apheresis process, you give one specific component of the blood, most often platelets.

Platelets are cell fragments in the blood that enable blood to clot. Cancer and chemotherapy treatments can affect the body's ability to produce platelets. Patients with leukemia, aplastic anemia, those receiving chemotherapy or undergoing bone marrow transplants often rely on platelets donated by healthy volunteers to prevent life-threatening bleeding.

Once donated, this living gift must be transfused to a patient within five days. To assure that platelets are always available, and that each patient will receive the platelets that are the best match, platelet donations are needed every day. On occasion, donors are also needed to give plasma or infection-fighting white cells (called granulocytes) through the apheresis process.

Blood Donation vs. Platelet Donation
Although a small amount of platelets are present in a whole blood donation, it takes approximately five whole blood donations to yield as many platelets as a single apheresis donation. Enough platelets are given in one apheresis donation to help one or even two hospital patients."

This is another reason why I have so much respect for my husband. He makes every effort to go atleast once a month to do apheresis. He has been through Apheresis about 45 times and will be doing so again this Friday. We have met so many people who are in need of this help.

---Unfortunately, I can't go do apheresis with him because their best sticker took the pulse in my veins and told me I was no good. How sad is that?! I can still give whole blood, but I have always had to ask for someone who can find small veins. My husband with a smile tells people she doesn't have veins, she's just a sponge!