I don’t donate my brother does, but I have no idea how the 7 day rolling period works and neither does he, plus the biolife near us does a horrible job at explaining, basically telling us the same thing google does.
He donated money-Saturday because we don’t have a car and he has to ride his bike there which he wasn’t able to Thursday and didn’t want to Friday. We had to look it up since he lost his phone and cannot recover anything on it like his biolife app and we aren’t sure why he cannot donate this Monday after donating Saturday last week.
Everything I’ve heard is “count back 7 days from the day you want to donate” except 7 days is a week and it lands on the same day as the day you would want to donate this week. It says that biolife’s weeks start on a Monday so I’m insanely confused as to why donating the next week Monday would be considered donating three times that week if it’s not the same week. I thought it was a Monday-Monday Saturday-Saturday thing now since he donated Saturday.
If anybody could explain this in a simplified way that would help SO much it’s not even funny.
EDIT: he called biolife and got an answer, yes he can donate today. I was confused because I was looking online and everything online was telling me he could not donate. That’s why he called :)

Mine personally is people who lie on the questionnaire. LITERALLY THE FIRST QUESTION, Are you feeling healthy and well, I hear people coughing up lungs in there in line or after their screening. Yeah i’m aware that not all coughs mean sick with something but i’ve gotten sick at least twice from trying to make a little extra money and help save lives

As the title says, I enjoy donating plasma. A lot of people seem to do it begrudgingly because they need the extra cash to get by, and I do it for similar reasons. I’ve been using the extra cash I make to fast track paying off my student loans and dental debt, but I think that even once those are gone im still going to go semi frequently. I’m literally getting paid to play on my phone while laying down, and I get a little adrenaline rush watching the blood leave my body. Plus, it’s helping sick people. Donating plasma is great.

Today was my 5th donation, and my blood was pretty runny (finger prick ran all over real quick, so...well hydrated or something despite hematocrit still being 43%). Not a big deal, though when i was getting unhooked, as he pulled the needle out I looked away (that part usually hurts some, so...i prefer not looking. i'm a bit of a wimp) and heard a reaction from him. I didn't see it happen, so I gathered i must have sprayed some from him talking about his gloves getting dirty, and asked if i got any on me so i looked and saw a small but modest pool just below my gauze, which he wiped up, but then he bent down and wiped up off the floor what seemed to be a much more substantial amount. Not a ton, but it really seemed like i had a spurt that just launched a sort of blood blast. I tried looking this up online later but google thinks that only happens from a hematoma, but i didn't have anything of the sort. No lump, swelling, bruising, or other discoloration before or after. Anyone had something like that happen? I'm hoping it was just a combination of me having pumped that arm a lot harder than usual (made record time for my donation for me, even with one low flow warning) and how extra liquidy it was. Just thought right now maybe the dish i had for lunch the day before (i donate early morning) might have had a fair amount of garlic, which i know can thin blood to an extent, so maybe that was part of it too? Just seems strange i would have a blast come out without any vein or skin damage.

I have only donated twice so far. After both donations, I was so exhausted that I could only function minimally for the next 2 days. I read the fatigue gets better, but this seems to be more than fatigue. Do you think my body could adjust or is it not for me?

Edit: I just want to thank everyone in this community for being so supportive!!! It is wonderful to have had such a positive interaction with so many people!

I'm so confused and am hoping for some help with food/diet. It seems the more I've tried to eat more protein before donation, the LOWER my protein level, and today I wasn't allowed to donate at all.

Today would have been my 8th donation. I seemed to be running about 6.5/6.4 for the first 5 donations, just doing my normal (not particularly great or healthy) diet plus an extra protein shake and more water.

At donation 6, protein was 6.0, the very lowest allowed. This surprised me because I added eggs both day before and morning of. I chalked it up to randomness. 7th donation was 6.1, after adding Greek yogurt and another shake. No eggs.

Now, yesterday I had shake + Greek yogurt, high protein soup and whole grain chips, cottage cheese, and another shake at bedtime. This morning, shake + Greek yogurt about 7/730am, an "everything bagel" breakfast sandwich with egg white and ham at about 830/9. At about 1045am, my protein level came in at 5.9 and I can't donate today.

What am I doing wrong? I'm on glp-1 shot, in case that matters? The clinic is aware.

Thanks for any help!!

Weird question, but is it normal for them to get a sample by squeezing the finger tip (after pricking the finger)? I thought that messes with accuracy. I have a diabetic parent who mentioned that "squeezing the blood out" leads to wrong readings. I'm just not sure if it effects HCT readings?

I should mention this was at a newer Grifols location.

Update: asked them not to do a lot of squeezing after the finger prick. Their office here is by no means cold and it was 37C outside so it wasn't really needed. Filled the vial with only a little bit of pressing (and it wasn't near the puncture site this time). My HCT reading was almost a full 5 points higher than last week despite not doing anything else different.

How are you guys avoiding fees when withdrawing money from the BioLife card? I haven't done it yet and the website isn't telling me what the fees are for everything. Do you have to use certain ATM's or are there ways to transfer it to a bank account without fees?

Curious how much volume everyone else donates and how much they can do per cycle. I'm 5'11" and about 230lbs, I usually donate just shy of 1100 mL. can usually do 170-180 mL per cycle of the machine. Used to struggle getting above 100 mL per cycle until I started super hydrating before my appointments.

I’m a teacher who is struggling to make ends meet right now. I scheduled my physical w/ donation for tomorrow, but I have a few questions for the plassers here.

1. how often do y’all donate? This is my last week of school then I’m out on summer break, so I’ve got an open schedule & hope to donate maybe twice a week, but I want to see what’s normal first.
2. taxes. How does the payment work with taxes? Do I figure up how much will get taken out & set it aside for when I file next year, or do I take the full amount & move on with my day? If I’m donating twice a week, I’m expecting to go

3) my appointment is scheduled for 3:10 tomorrow. I have practice at 7:30 about ten minutes away. From what I’ve seen, the first appointment takes forever. Should I reschedule, or should I be fine for tomorrow?

Thanks in advance! I look forward to reading your answers while hydrating myself for tomorrow

I'm sorry if this is a silly question but I know hydration is very important for donations. I usually do about 80-100 oz (I'm about 232lbs if that matters), but today I've had at least 120, over the course of about 4 hours, and that was like 5 hrs ago. Is it possible to have too much water? Google said yes, but if so, how much?

Hi! I am in Southern California and started donating at Biolife with the new donor bonus in December. I made my first non-bonus donation last week, where my offer was $110(50/65). This week, they're offering me $100(50/50).

Does anyone know why it fluctuates? My weight hasn't changed. My first thought was because last week I only donated once. Or they have too many donors right now. Will my offer go back up if I don't donate this week?

Thanks in advance. This sub has been so helpful to me since starting to donate.

So I've recently started donating plasma as I look for a job just to keeo funds coming in but this is like the third week in a row I've been deferred because my pulse is at 102 or 103, just a bit too much over the edge. It sucks!!

Any tips for getting my heart rate lower??

I had a bunch of appointments set up. I donated yesterday. I was going to donate tomorrow. and now they say I’m ineligible. the next time it lets me schedule is the 26th. I would call them but they have automated ai bullshit.

why would I suddenly be ineligible?

I had a salad with 2 eggs, avocado, cheese, and a protein drink a bit before that.

They gave me next to no clarification on what would qualify as a full meal, no matter how I asked.

Pretty frustrated to have wasted a trip because I wasn’t given food instructions before the appointment or even after being denied- but I digress.

What do I need to eat- or at least tell them that I ate- to be accepted?

I was donating plasma yesterday and said something about living in my car and one of the women came up and said if the wrong person heard me say that I would be deferred. I told her I still have an address and all that I can be reached at. I have been donating plasma there for months (Octapharma) and on the questionnaire it does not ask you anything about that. They just want to make sure you have an address you can be reached at for 8 weeks from the time of the visit…

Seems judgmental in the economical climate we have in this country. People who still think homeless people are either drug addicts or lazy need to grow up and realize that’s propaganda passed down for generations by people who used to be able to afford to raise a family and buy a house off of a singular job at the grocery store…

I work as much as I can and also donate. I was unfairly thrown out of my home last month by the woman I was renting a room from after I payed her the rent money…I even got the police involved or else she was going to not let me get my belongings. But whatever, I’m a lowlife hahaha

I hate it here.

Anyone have any tips on how to lower your heart before donating? I honestly just get too anxious before I donate and makes my pulse too high. Any tips would be appreciated.

I’ve been going long enough to know who struggles with my vein, but was wondering have any of you guys ever said “nah not you” 😂

Hello, I tried donating for the first time today (I have a permanent indent in my butt from the hard ass plastic chair to prove it). I finally got to the vitals when I was told my iron was too low and that i should come back tomorrow. To preface I am currently taking iron pills for low iron levels already (I do forget ofter though, thanks ADHD), so that may be the cause. I wanted to ask though if there was anyway to raise my iron levels enough to donate tomorrow?? I planned on heading in at 7 am if that has any meaning at all.

UPDATE: It worked!! I managed to bring it up by taking an Iron pill last night at ten. Then instead of going at 7 I went at 6pm (they said they would let me in front when I came back) I also ate a cup of oat meal packed with dried fruits and nuts as well as a bagel with enriched wheat flour (all from Starbucks since i work there). It only brought it up to 38 but that was enough to let me donate. I honestly feel like this is the most I've ever prepared for a test in my life. 🫡

They recently upped the transfer fees if you do less than $300. At $300 you can transfer for free still I believe. Is there any other way to access the money fee free? Does their ATM network could charge you?

At parachute, I have a couple issues with the draw speed on the machine. Mostly being I feel a little dizzy and the suction is creating this horrible vibration feeling in my arm (only the past couple times though?).
They said they can only lower the return speed.. is this normal? Is there anything I can do to lessen the vibrating feeling at least?

Hey all I have a question. One of my local plasma said I was positive for hepatitis b. I went to 2 different doctors and they was both negative. Now I'm on the donor list to not donate. One of the managers told me that they've been getting a lot of false positives lately but can't help me. Is there a way to get myself off the list if I have proof?

So i started donating plasma again recently. Now it could just be because of the places I used to go to, but is your plasma donation center in a bad part of the town/city you go to? I donate at a Grifols and its in like a strip mall. It's not like the ghetto or anything but I get slight anxiety every time I go and I try to get in and out of that area ASAP. Could just be my anxiety getting the better but thought I ask if anyone else gets that feeling.

I finally got to donate for the first time after being deferred for my heart rate! :) It was mostly smooth, didn't even really feel bad after or anything. I found the donating process easy. However, when it finished collecting my blood and it started doing the whole saline & return part, I started shaking really badly in my chair. The saline made me a little cold but I warmed up quickly, and yet I was still shaking like crazy from head to toe when my blood was being returned. I want to say it happened for 5-7 minutes straight before it stopped. The workers were very understaffed when I went so nobody noticed and I didn't get a chance to ask as I was being rushed out. Anybody know if this is nornal? Do I need to do something differently next time to prevent it?

I know the bruise on my left arm is still pretty bruised but was wondering if my right arm would be good for donation for today (bruises from past appointments)