> >I'm also thinking about doing plasmapheresis-- That's where they separate the blood after taking it out of you and return the plasma to your body
>
> I think maybe you've got it backwards...I think (I'm not sure, not trying to set myself up as the expert on this matter) that they keep the plasma and put your blood back in, and you generate new plasma.
>
> There's a clinic in town that does this that my dad has gone to before. They actually pay you to give plasma, whereas giving blood is a donation. I don't know why they do it that way.
>
> Gri"has never given blood, although he doesn't know why...maybe next time they have a blood drive at work he'll sign up"shny

Yoiu're absolutely right. I was thinking somethig was wrong with what I said... Plasma is mainly water, and it regenerates very quickly, so when that's all they take, it's easy.

As for why they pay for whole blood donations and not for plasma-only donations, I can think of a couple of reasons:
a) Since you can donate plasma every week, it would get pretty expensive to keep paying the regulars;
b) Whole blood is apparently FAR more useful and so it's donation would be encouraged.

In Canada, it's against the law to pay for blood donations (because they don't want people to give blood just for the money when they might have something wrong with them-- some things CAN slip through even the best tests, including HIV), so there's no money for any kind of donation. Sometimes I wish it weren't that way, though, so I could make a little extra money on the side doing something I would do anyway. :-)

Don "The Monkey'Wouldn't complain about making a buck'man" Jackson