Quoth the Raven

Blood Bank

Well it is that time again - time to visit the Puget Sound Blood Bank.

Actually it was that time about 2 weeks ago, but I have been too busy to post about it. Lately, I have started donating platelets rather than whole blood. Whole blood donation only takes around 45-60 minutes compared to platelet donations that take me about 2 hours but the recovery time after is much shorter when donating platelets, and platelets only last between 3-5 days so the demand for platelets is obviously greater.

Plus, when you donate platelets you get to pick a movie to watch while you wait. Yes, I do own a great deal of dvd's that I could watch in the comfort of my own home...but who would that benefit apart from me?

I find it rewarding to think that my blood will be used to help save someone's life, or even just help them to recover from an operation. There is something strangely vampiric about the whole blood process. But rather than me taking blood from a willing donor, I am giving it away. It is also strange to think that my blood is coursing through many other peoples veins....I have never quite thought about it like that before.

Please dear reader don't be put off by my strange analogy of the donor process. It is really quite a simple procedure:

1. Fill in paperwork.
2. Check blood pressure and iron levels.
3. Get hooked up to the automated cell separator.
4. Pick a movie and get cosy with a blanket
5. Give blood

More information from the Puget Sound Blood Bank:

Donating Platelets

What are Platelets?
Platelets are blood cells that help control bleeding. When a blood vessel is damaged, platelets collect at the site of the injury and temporarily repair the tear. Platelets then activate substances in plasma which form a clot and allow the wound to heal.

What is Apheresis?
Apheresis (ay-fur-ee-sis) is a special kind of blood donation that allows a donor to give specific blood components, such as platelets. During the apheresis procedure, all but the needed blood component are returned to the donor.

Why is Blood Separated?
Different patients need different types of blood components, depending on their illness or injury. After you donate whole blood, the unit is separated into platelets, red cells and plasma in our laboratory. Only two tablespoons of platelets are collected from a whole blood donation. Six whole blood donations must be separated and pooled to provide a single platelet transfusion. However, one apheresis donation provides enough platelets for one complete transfusion -- that's six times the amount collected from a whole blood donation.

Who Needs Platelets?
Many lifesaving medical treatments require platelet transfusions. Cancer patients, those receiving organ or bone marrow transplants, victims of traumatic injuries, and patients undergoing open heart surgery require platelet transfusions to survive.

Because platelets can be stored for only five days, the need for platelet donations is vast and continuous.

Platelet transfusions are needed each year by thousands of patients like these:

	Heart Surgery Patient, 6 units
	Burn Patient, 20 units
	Organ Transplant Patient, 30 units
	Bone Marrow Transplant Patient, 120 units

Who Can be an Apheresis Donor?
If you meet the requirements for donating blood, you probably can give platelets. Apheresis donors must:

	be at least 18 years old
	be in good health
	weigh at least 110 pounds
	not have taken aspirin or products containing aspirin 36 hours prior to donation.

Are Apheresis Donations Safe?
Yes. Each donation is closely supervised throughout the procedure by trained staff. A small percentage of your platelets are collected, so there is no risk of bleeding problems. Your body will replace the donated platelets within 72 hours. The donation equipment (needle, tubing, collection bags) are sterile and discarded after every donation, making it virtually impossible to contract a disease from the process.

How Does the Procedure Work?
During an apheresis donation, blood is drawn from your arm into an automated cell separator. Inside a sterile kit within the machine, your blood is spun and platelets are removed. Your remaining blood components are then returned through your arm.

How Long Does it Take?
Depending on your weight and height, the apheresis donation process will take approximately 70 minutes to two hours. You may watch television or videotapes, listen to music, or simply sit back and relax while helping to save a life.

How Can I Become an Apheresis Donor?
If you live in Western Washington, call the Puget Sound Blood Center's Apheresis Program at 425-453-5098 or 1-800-266-4033 for more information or to make an appointment.

Photo supplied by Getty Images.

A slight case of Math anxiety

Well for about 19 years now I have had a recurring nightmare that revolves around mathematics.

The first dream happens in the home that I was raised in, and I have lost my math book. Feeling totally anxious, I search and seach but to no avail. The book is gone and I have an exam that I cannot study for, obviously because I don't have the text book. I have had this dream every 1 or 2 years for 15 years now.

Sometimes it may change a little.

I will be running late for class only to get there and find out that we are having an exam and I am not prepared for it. Alas, I panic, sit for the exam, fail, and wake up feeling anxious.

This dream also changes slightly, and I will get to the class knowing that I have an exam; that I haven't prepared for...and the class has moved to another room and I can't find it!

So you can understand the level of anxiety that I experience when I begin classes in Algebra, in real life. Of course I have the same dream leading up to the midterm.

Of course I take the midterm and pass - no problems.

So last night I had another dream revolving around mathematics. But something has changed.

This time I am back in the home that I was raised in, and I am watching television. Then I am getting ready to go to a book sale to try and find some bargains. The next thing I know I am back in the loungeroom and my mother-in-law is with me. We have returned from the book sale and she hands me a gift. It is a book she found for me at the book sale.

I look down at the book and I see the math text book that I lost in the first nightmare I had 19 years ago. I just recall looking at her in shock. Then asking her "Did you know that this was the text book that I lost 19 years ago" She didn't really know what I was talking about.

But this morning I woke up with a sense of calm, that everything was going to be alright.

The Fall of Fergal by Philip Ardagh

For those of you who have not yet heard of Philip Ardagh I must introduce you to him! Now I cannot personally introduce you to him for it would be very difficult, for a number of reasons:

1. I do not know who you are?
2. It is very difficult to introduce people via weblog, especially people I don't know.
3. I really don't know Philip Ardagh on a personal level.

So I may not be best friends with Mr Ardagh but I have read three of his books so that just about makes us friends? Well, anyway I think that he is absolutely fabulous, even if his books are for 9-11 year olds. Maybe the publisher was meant to write 9-35 yr olds on the insert.....but forgot?

The story revolves around the McNally children, who happen to be exceptionally poor, are without a mother, and have an alcoholic father. The tale takes some twists and turns and...and...and ....you will find out what happens when you read the book.

This is the second series that Philip Ardagh has written, the first being 'The Dickens Trilogy' which I have only just started, a very strange tale indeed.

Well, don't let me do all the work...go out and get the books and see what you think

The life of an Algebra student

Edison failed 10, 000 times before he made the electric light. Do not be discouraged if you fail a few times.

- Napoleon Hill. American author, 1883-1970

I could very easily relate this quote to me and my life with mathematics? You see for those who don't quite know me I am currently studying a course in Algebra. Yes, I knew you would ask that question ' What on earth does Algebra have to do with the above mentioned quote?' Alot actually!

All my educational life people have constantly told me that "mathematics is my weakest subject", and you know what? If people say things enough you may actually believe them. I believed them. I must admit that I did do well at maths the couple of years where I had a really great teacher; who was both supportive and encouraging, and the year that I had a teacher that I was so scared off that I had to do well, I did not want to deal with the alternative?

In my post-mathematical years when mathematics should have been the least thing on my mind, I would still have the recurring nightmares, with me generally failing a math exam, or me losing my math book and not being able to study for an exam, or me arriving at class, late, to find that I have a math exam, that I didn't know about and am totally unprepared for!

I really cannot tell you just how many time I have had these nightmares since I left school, Oh, about 17 years ago!! What is going on? Why can't I have normal nightmares like everyone else? Ok so what is normal? If you have any cool/interesting nightmares or dreams please send them my way, as I just know that I will find them thoroughly thought provoking.

So why the sudden obsession with mathematics? I started college about a month ago and thought I should start with my weakest subject. Yep, you guessed it; Mathematics; more precisely Algebra.

I am now into my 5 week of classes and I am finding out that I am not that bad at mathematics after all.

EVERYONE LIED TO ME!!

Ever class, which is every Tuesday and Thursday we have a quiz. You know what I have been doing exceptionally well. I must admit that I have actually been studying, unlike my high school day....maybe study does make a hell of a lot of difference after all?

So we had our first midterm last week. Yes, I was a little nervous but I have been putting in numerous hours, repeating numerous equations and even getting them right. Two days after the test the results were in. You bet I was nervous. I felt comfortable during the exam but self doubt reared it's ugly head 'what if I was experiencing a false sense of security? What if I got every wrong?

Well the results are in: 39/40

Of course I had to kick myself just a little as the one I got wrong would have been right if I hadn't gone back to check it, and then change it! But one wrong isn't bad?

So this week, after handing in yet another quiz, the teacher asked me if I wanted to know my GPA thus far into the quarter? Of course! Why not? I guess so? Only if I am doing well? I don't know? Do I really want to know?

So Dan showed me my scores and I saw the number 400. Well that is a nice number but what does it mean? This is really the first time I have studied in this country? I don't know what '400' means?

"So, is that good?" (me)

"Well you can't go anywhere else. That is a far as you can go." (Dan - teacher)

"Oh, then that must be good" (me)

I then proceeded to sigh with relief, and express my gratitude to no one in particular for such good scores. Dan did ask me why I was so surprised when I have been scoring so well on the quizzes. I proceeded to mention about my slight math anxiety and the nightmares that I have had for ever so many years. The nightmares must be associated with some sort of anxiety, and they are always about maths so that must also mean something?

So the conclusion that I have come to after all these years is that I am not that bad at maths after all. I really cannot be all that bad with a 4.0 GPA, can I?