Recently, a platelet donation gone wrong landed me in a hospital emergency. There was a complication that usually isn’t dangerous, but I had a worse reaction than usual. So to be safe, I was sent to an ER.
The needle slipped out of my arm and pierced my vein, and my arm filled with fluids that is irritating my nerves, and building up around my body tissue. It’s called vein infiltration. They were concerned about a possible blod clot or nerve damage. But thankfully, it’s just irritated.
Me in a hospital radiology getting my scans after being admitted lol
🤣😂
Yes, these are my real boobs. Lol They’re big (disproportionately large, compared to the rest of my body lol A fitness instructor told me that years ago), but I don’t usually take pictures at this angle to show off how big. It looks like I stuffed my bra. But these D cups don’t need stuffing lol
This is a picture of me just after putting my shirt back on after some scans.
Another platelet donor almost passed out, and the nurses had to lay him down on the floor next to me at our platelet donation appointment.
The things we do for (universal) love. Lol
The Things We Do For Love – 10cc
The doctors and nurses were all very kind and kept thanking me for being a platelet donor. The one doctor also happens to be a platelet donor! We are rare, only less than 1%! So it was a coincidence. He was going out of his way to donate platelets at a place that isn’t close. He had no idea about the place right up the street where I donate. It’s easier for him to go there, so now he’s switching! I’m glad we met.
In the U.S, there is an extreme blood shortage. There always is, but sometimes it reaches crisis level, like now.
We need more donors! Yes, I still recommend it, even after this. Lol
The doctors and nurses all took my pain seriously. It’s common for healthcare workers to be dismissive of a patient’s pain, especially if the patient is a woman. So I appreciated their care.
I will go back and donate platelets again when I’m all healed.
I got to attend an amazing event on Friday night! And they gave us free movie theatre popcorn and a drink! I wanted popcorn & soda, but we know how expensive movie theatre food is! Lol So I wasn’t buying anything, then someone told me we all get a free popcorn and fountain drink! I was thrilled like a little girl lol
I watched a documentary on what is considered by researchers to be “extreme altruism.”
The movie was a special viewing only for people who were invited. It was a movie theatre full of people, and we all had assigned seats.
The movie is called Abundant, about “altruistic” kidney and liver donors. People who donate kidneys/livers to strangers are 1 in 1, million. Extremely rare. We hope to change that and inspire more to donate.
It’s really not that “extreme” to help a fellow sentient being in need. Living organ donation is extremely safe. Yeah, there is potential for rare complications, even death of the donor (my dad’s friend died donating his kidney, but that was 30+ years ago. It’s safer than ever now).
But for someone else, there is no maybe. Someone else is dying now, of organ failure. And there are enough living people to stop that for many. Even if all healthy people register as potential deceased organ donors, many still won’t get the life-saving organ they need because most people don’t die under appropriate circumstances for organ harvesting.
The documentary shows the amazing impact of organ donation and what inspires people to donate to strangers, while still alive.
After the movie ended, we got to meet one of the donors in the movie, in person. She was there in the theatre. They surprised us with her in the flesh at the end lol
She donated her kidney to an anonymous stranger and then donated her liver to another anonymous stranger. There are only a few hundred people in the entire world like that. The first person became a double living organ donor in the 1980’s, I think. But they are becoming more common!
This woman has an incredible story to tell that nothing tops. I heard people crying in the audience around me. Lol
The documentary is for the average person to understand why a person would donate a kidney to a total stranger and to try to normalize it and show that it’s not as “heroic” as the average person thinks.
The target audience of this event (not the documentary itself, but this event it was shown at) was the Hispanic and Black/African American communities because they are the people most in need of organ transplants and unfortunately less likely to get the organ they need. Black people are also less likely to donate their organs even after death, because of what is known as earned mistrust of the medical community.
They have been victimized in ways white people haven’t, because of racism. They have a valid reason to be hesitant to donate their organs, even though the fear isn’t warranted. So the movie attempts to dispel myths surrounding organ donation that may especially provoke fear in non-white people.
The movie was shown for National Multicultural Heritage Month.
They had a few free tickets left, and I was offered one, by the Gift of Life Program where I volunteer! 💙💚
This is the website to the movie, which can be purchased. It’s amazing and inspiring. I can’t wait to buy it and watch it again.
One life touches another life that touches another life…
Everything that’s possible when we just choose to love a stranger.
“Abundant” – Documentary trailer
If you’re a universal lover or just interested in what it’s like to be one, this documentary may be for you. Many who have seen it said it’s transformative and even life-altering to watch.
Everyone is worth it. ❤️
I’m so happy it’s officially Pumpkin Season in Philadelphia now! (It begins in August!) Pumpkin spice coffee and pastries have been released around the city! 🎃☕️ It’s still like 100° every day and doesn’t quite feel like Fall just yet. It’s all gross and hot and humid and sticky and suffocating.
But we’re getting there slowly but surely! I LOVE sweater weather! Some streets are covered with crunchy leaves already, and when shady & breezy, it does give Fall vibes. And I did notice some brief parts of the day are cooler, and my bedroom is cooler with the air conditioning on now. The other day I was in a park for a meeting that evening, about organ donation, and I was slightly cold! I loved it.
Here’s to pumpkin season! (And “extreme altruism!” Lol)
🎃🍁🍂💛🧡🖤☕️🦷
Xoxo Kim
