Creating Browncoats At The Red Cross by Whimsicalnbrainpan

FIREFLY AND SERENITY GUERILLA MARKETING

Creating Browncoats At The Red Cross

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POSTED BY: WHIMSICALNBRAINPAN
UPDATED: Sunday, June 1, 2008 12:00
SHORT URL: http://goo.gl/qQ83e
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Tuesday, April 22, 2008 11:54 AM

WHIMSICALNBRAINPAN

If someone has brought this idea up already I apologize for the repeat.

I have volunteered at the Red Cross for a year and a half doing clerical work. I have also become a regular blood donor again. The last time I went in to give a pint I found out about platelet donation.

Most patients undergoing a bone marrow transplant, surgery, chemotherapy, radiation treatment or organ transplant need platelets. The donation process is much different from donating whole blood. While you can donate platelets up to 24 times a year (your body replenishes them more quickly), the donation process also takes a lot longer since they filter the platelets out of your blood. It takes on average between one to two hours to donate platelets.

I gave my first platelet donation today and discovered that they have little TVs with DVD players at each chair. They even had a nice selection of DVDs for me to choose from. Of course “Firefly” and Serenity were not among those DVDs. It struck me that donating the series and even the BDM to the Red Cross would be a great way to recruit more Browncoats and reward those who are helping to give the gift of life. Since I have the CE of Serenity, I’m donating my first copy.

I just thought I’d throw the idea out there.

For more information about donating platelets go to: http://www.redcross.org/services/biomed/0,1082,0_19_,00.html

For more information about donating whole blood visit: www.givelife.org

"Well, my days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle."
http://whimsicalnbrainpan.blogspot.com/

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Tuesday, April 22, 2008 2:37 PM

ANONYMOUS1

Whimsicalnbrainpan,

Brilliant! 2 hour window. Good works! Perfect. And Firefly is $17.99 at Target this week.

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Tuesday, April 22, 2008 4:09 PM

PSANDUSKY

Hi. I work at the Red Cross, and I am also a platelet donor.

One little (perhaps neurotic) caveat I have regarding DVDs at the apheresis unit is that unless one has superb veins, first-rate nurses, and excellent chances of a successful donation, don't take the frakkin' DVD's.

Seriously. If you have either difficult veins or clueless nurses, I can guarantee that you will have a botched donation on the day you intend to watch a movie. The fluid will infiltrate your arm, the machine will break down, the unit will spring a leak, or the nurse will take a biopsy of vein tissue. Combinations of the above are not unknown. Something will happen that will preclude your being in the chair long enough to watch a DVD.

It has happened to me. I have given up taking in movies, because sure as shootin', someone will screw up my arm or my donation when I bring something to spend the time watching.

====================
ACHTUNG! ALLES LOOKENSPEEPERS!
Das Internet is nicht fuer gefingerclicken und giffengrabben. Ist easy droppenpacket der routers und overloaden der backbone mit der spammen und der me-tooen. Ist nicht fuer gewerken bei das dumpkopfen. Das mausklicken sichtseeren keepen das bandwit-spewin hans in das pockets muss; relaxen und watchen das cursorblinken.

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Tuesday, April 22, 2008 4:11 PM

TALIE

As someone who suffers from a platelet disorder - I want to say a big thankyou for donating platelets and spreading the word about it - I haven't needed a platelet transfussion myself but I know lots of people with the same disorder whose lives have probably been saved by one.

Can I have your permission to repost your message on a platelet disorder message board I administer?

Excellent idea on the Firefly/Serenity donations

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Tuesday, April 22, 2008 4:37 PM

WHIMSICALNBRAINPAN

Go right ahead Talie. I'd be honored.

PSandusky: Well that is why the series would be good to donate as well.

And my chapter must have great nurses, everything went swimmingly. I didn't even bruise and I have small veins, am a hard stick, and bruise easily.

"Well, my days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle."
http://whimsicalnbrainpan.blogspot.com/

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Tuesday, April 22, 2008 4:42 PM

MADMOLLY

I raise my glass of red wine to you Whimsical! I have an antibody that prevents me from donating, makes me very sad. So your story inspires me.

madmolly

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Wednesday, April 23, 2008 10:59 AM

SAMATWITCH

What a great idea, Whimsicalbrainpan.

I gave whole blood for many years, but switched to plateletpheresis after my mother died of leukemia. (My father had also died of leukemia, 35 years previously.)

I have watched many movies while I donated - sometimes having to stay an extra few minutes if I picked a long one.

The only thing I have to watch is that it doesn't have sad scenes in it, because when you're lying down with needles in both arms, tears run in your ears!

I haven't given for a couple of years because of medical issues, but I understand now they are doing one-armed plateletpheresis, in a blood donor chair, so we'll see how that works next time I go.

"I swallowed a bug." River Tam, Serenity[i/]

Live in BC? Check out http://firefly.meetup.com/12.

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Wednesday, April 23, 2008 1:07 PM

NCBROWNCOAT

What a great idea! I don't think that our local apheresis unit has DVD players but I'll have to check it out.

Long time whole blood donor and I'd like to try platelets but I don't meet the criteria. Plus they want my whole blood worse, I'm O Neg, universal donor...just wondering...I figure Wash is O Neg too as he could donate to any of the crew. But he would likely be passing out if he sat up donating like that at the end of OOG. I know I would.

http://fireflyfaninnc.livejournal.com/

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Friday, May 23, 2008 8:32 AM

CHANNAIN

i DO aim to misbehave

Quote:
Originally posted by PSandusky:
Hi. I work at the Red Cross, and I am also a platelet donor.

One little (perhaps neurotic) caveat I have regarding DVDs at the apheresis unit is that unless one has superb veins, first-rate nurses, and excellent chances of a successful donation, don't take the frakkin' DVD's.

Seriously. If you have either difficult veins or clueless nurses, I can guarantee that you will have a botched donation on the day you intend to watch a movie. The fluid will infiltrate your arm, the machine will break down, the unit will spring a leak, or the nurse will take a biopsy of vein tissue. Combinations of the above are not unknown. Something will happen that will preclude your being in the chair long enough to watch a DVD.

What?

I was going be doing a platelet donation tomorrow (I have to postpone, again) but my veins are shy as all get out. Most times it takes forever to get the line in.

Thanks for the information - next time they ask for platelet donation, I'll mention shy veins.

Doing the impossible makes us mighty
Minnesota Browncoats
http://www.mnfirefly.com/portal/html/index.php

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Friday, May 23, 2008 2:34 PM

PSANDUSKY

Seriously? If you know of a nurse who has a really, really good track record with your veins, hold off until you know said nurse will be around.

If there isn't one, well, you're outta luck. (You could also try another blood center, if there's one nearby. It's entirely possible to have better luck with a different blood bank. Believe me.)

====================
ACHTUNG! ALLES LOOKENSPEEPERS!
Das Internet is nicht fuer gefingerclicken und giffengrabben. Ist easy droppenpacket der routers und overloaden der backbone mit der spammen und der me-tooen. Ist nicht fuer gewerken bei das dumpkopfen. Das mausklicken sichtseeren keepen das bandwit-spewin hans in das pockets muss; relaxen und watchen das cursorblinken.

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Friday, May 23, 2008 2:43 PM

PSANDUSKY

Quote:
Originally posted by Whimsicalnbrainpan:
PSandusky: Well that is why the series would be good to donate as well. And my chapter must have great nurses, everything went swimmingly. I didn't even bruise and I have small veins, am a hard stick, and bruise easily.

Lucky stiff. I've had all kinds of horrid things happen to me, and somehow, the nurses blame it on my arms every time.

One nurse stuck me without knowing where the vein was -- what's scary is, she's the trainer -- and literally took a biopsy on my arm. She pronounced the arm as being without veins (?!!), gave me an icepak, and sent me on my way. I went to Dragon*Con a few weeks later, after giving that mess time to heal, and sat in the chair for the LifeSouth folks. I kid you not, the nurse there tapped that very arm twice and slipped the needle in, no problem -- excellent bleed time, no reaction, life was beautiful. Somehow, locally, I came up short on the needlesticker lottery.

And I'll have you know that the one and only time I've infiltrated was the one, single, solitary day I took a single Doctor Who DVD to watch while I was in the chair. No lie! I can't win!

(P.S. -- The people who stick your arm come from the Red Cross Blood Regions. The Chapter folks do disaster services and such.)

====================
ACHTUNG! ALLES LOOKENSPEEPERS!
Das Internet is nicht fuer gefingerclicken und giffengrabben. Ist easy droppenpacket der routers und overloaden der backbone mit der spammen und der me-tooen. Ist nicht fuer gewerken bei das dumpkopfen. Das mausklicken sichtseeren keepen das bandwit-spewin hans in das pockets muss; relaxen und watchen das cursorblinken.

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Friday, May 23, 2008 7:38 PM

WHIMSICALNBRAINPAN

So far I've been lucky. All the sticks but one have beeen good when giving whole blood (damn nurse wiggled the needle when it was in my arm trying to find a vein). And the sticks I had giving plateletts was flawless. Granted it was my first time and I will go back again in the next couple of weeks. We'll see how it goes. I think we are lucky and have good nurses.

"Well, my days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle."
http://whimsicalnbrainpan.blogspot.com/
http://www.myspace.com/whimsicalnbrainpan

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Saturday, May 31, 2008 11:39 AM

DAVESHAYNE

I bump because I can.

David

'Geeks can't admit that anything worthwhile was invented before 1981. Soon, "making cocoa" will be called "milk hacking."' - Lore Sjoberg

http://xkcd.com/386/

I has myspace - http://www.myspace.com/daveshayneforpresident

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Sunday, June 1, 2008 12:00 PM

WHIMSICALNBRAINPAN

Quote:
daveshayne wrote:

I bump because I can.

David

"Well, my days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle."
http://whimsicalnbrainpan.blogspot.com/
http://www.myspace.com/whimsicalnbrainpan

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