Three weeks ago I gave platelets for the first time in 8 months due to major surgery and then some business travel. During the last few minutes of the session the machine flagged up a high blood return pressure alarm - an indication that the machine is struggling to return the blood back to your vein after the platelets are removed. Today's donation session was abandoned after just a few minutes because the machine gave alarms for both a low pressure draw (trouble getting blood out) and high pressure return. As I was not able to receive the blood it took I am now left on the bench for the next two months to allow my red blood cells to recover. I also suspect that the daily intravenous antibiotics, pain killers and blood tests (sometimes up to three times a day for each) during my month-long stay in hospital last year mean that my veins might now be unsuitable for platelet donation. I'll try the other arm when I go back in March but I'm not hopeful.
