Ugh!! Day

[dalthauser]

Today was the day I went to donate platelets in San Antonio.  I'd planned to finally visit the Green vegetarian restaurant there for lunch - then over to Whole Foods to pick up a few things on the way home.  I did donate......

Please forgive the whining......

It all started when I was up the road a few miles and realized I forgot my digital camera.  It goes everywhere with me, and it wasn't in my purse.  Bad omen. 

I got to the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center on time (after having to double back because I missed it).  The screening took a long time, and I didn't get into the donation room until 9am. 

Then the tech insisted on using my right arm to take the initial platlet test -  now I have three really dark blue bruises where she jabbed me and jabbed me and moved the needle around looking for a vein.  So, they find out I have PLENTY of platelets (they said like a man - - I think that was meant as a compliment). 

They hooked me up to the machine and put on a DVD (Juno - loved it) and they finally started the procedure at 9:30am.  It finally finished at 11:15 am, and I was a little annoyed since I wanted to be at lunch by 11am.  I left the building finally at 11:30am and hit the road to find Green.

After the first three attempts to find it (backtracking to where I knew where I was each time and starting over0 I was beginning to think it was not meant to be.  On the fifth (yes, I'm persistent) try I ran into a sign pointing the way to I-35 North (the way home) and I took it as a sign....... (by this time it was 12:55pm)

On the way back North I saw the sign for Eisenhauer road and thought "ok, this doesn't have to be a total loss - I'll stop at the big Goodwill "everything for a dollar" supercenter.  I got off and turned down the wrong road in major traffic, backtracked and got to the right road 20 minutes later and pulled into the parking lot...... it's not there anymore!  Jeez!!!!  LoL  I swear I just laughed. 

Now I'm home - and I'm putting primer on hallway trim and installing chicken nest boxes (I'll post on this later).

Whew!

Comments

[madamealexis.livejournal.com]

I wish I would have known you were in SA. I would have loved to meet you in person.

I love Green's! If you sign up with their email list they tell you specials and send you coupons. I got one just today for $2 off on any entree.

Sorry you had such a ruff day.

[eats-veggies.livejournal.com]

Next time I will let you know. With gas prices I don't go as often as I used to, but I go at minimum every 3 months because of the dentist - sometimes more. I would very much like to meet you too. I waited and waited for that place to open - watched on their website the construction.... and still I haven't gotten my butt over there. Mostly because I am hesitant to drive downtown for fear of getting lost (as we saw today - this is not a irrational fear...haha)

[madamealexis.livejournal.com]

If you do go there you need to go early or else parking is an issue.

Downtown sucks in general and it's easy to get lost.

I don't know why they chose that part of the city. I don't like going down there but once I am in Green's I forget about where it is.

I finally got my window tint. They came to my apartment and worked for 6 hrs and only charged $175. Most places wanted over $200 because of removing the tint.

Now I have a repair to make and a full tune up and then the car goes for a paint job and the front and back windows plus the trunk get new weather seals.

Hopefully I can get that done in the next two months. Then look out!

[sahlah.livejournal.com]

You a Platelet Pheresis donor! Way to go. I used to donate blood routinely until they got a upset about mad-cow. Now anyone with more than 6 months in Europe during 1980's pretty much is disqualified. Sucks.

That restaurant looks great. I hope you get another chance to eat there. Call them and get very specific directions. I make people tell me land marks! :)

Nest boxes mean eggs soon. Wahoo.

[eats-veggies.livejournal.com]

Ah yes - Europe and Africa. What gets me is the gazillion sex questions.
Did you ever have sex with somoene from Africa in the last 5 years
Did you ever pay to have sex
Did you ever have sex with an intravenious drug user
Did you ever take money for sex

They need to save people like me time and make the first question
Have you had sex in the last 4 years?
Yes - answer the the rest of the sex questions
No - roll up your sleeve

[walksbeauty.livejournal.com]

wooo... that's amazing they ask those questions....... wouldn't it be easier and safer to test for HIV, AIDS, Hep C, whatever.?

[eats-veggies.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure they do tests on the donations. They are probably trying to avoid the expense of the procedure by interviewing first.

I'm not sure if I'll donate platelets again due to that experience and also it's so far away (gas $$$). Maybe I can combine it with a dental appointment then I'll already be in SA. I give whole blood on a regular schedule - so I do my part already :-)

[(Anonymous)]

Good for you! Above & beyond the call of duty... I've never given blood and never plan on it.. I'm just a chicken when it comes to needles in me. Feel woozy thinking of it in my arm for an hour or however long.. ergh!

Is SA San Antonio?

Sure, that makes sense... the questions would screen.... testing is expensive...

[eats-veggies.livejournal.com]

Yep - SA is San Antonio.

It is kind of a creepy feeling - especially if the tube is laying on your arm and you feel the warmth of your own blood coming out.

[joebanks.livejournal.com]

Next time you tell the them which arm or you're out of there. Years ago i had a tech insist on my veinless left arm, that hurt for a week afterword. You're doing them the favor!

Glad you were able to laugh off the morning.

[eats-veggies.livejournal.com]

I did tell them. I not only told them to use the left arem - I told them nobody can get blood out of the right one. She didn't want to prick me twice on the same arm, so she insisted on drawing the test blood out of the right. In the end I got pricked 4 times (and they didn't even buy me dinner).

[kabuldur.livejournal.com]

That was very lovely of you to donate platelets.

At least they could have given you a cuppa and a biscuit as they do for blood donorsa here!

I'm sorry you didn't get to that restaurant.

Traffic snarls. I know all about them! I have to go to the big city occasionally, and I know how it is to get 'lost' in the centre!

I agree with Joe. I insist on your left arm or you're outa there!

[reyvin.livejournal.com]

Eeek, I hate days like that. :(

[walksbeauty.livejournal.com]

OK, so I'm the one commending YOU on your BEST attitude. I would have been CRAZED.. There is nothing I can handle about getting lost and driving in circles in traffic and being poked and bruised and spending that much time laying around .. even if I was doing a good thing for some person. I would have been cursing, maybe crying, gotten home and smoked pot! hahahaha or gone to sleep! and you were painting and doing chicken nest box things.. wow.. you could be my idol!

[eats-veggies.livejournal.com]

Hey, I like the smoking pot part. Man, I haven't done that since I can remember. I'm from Hawaii land of the Pakalolo >TREE< hahaha.

[(Anonymous)]

Never heard of that tree from Hawaii.... I looked it up and it sounds pretty fun :D

[walksbeauty.livejournal.com]

Never have heard of that tree in Hawaii... looked it up and it sounds pretty fun :D