donating plasma today

[Guest guest]

Hello everyone! I joined the group maybe two months ago but haven't really

posted yet because I'm still new at raw foodism. I started in February of this

year but I was a vegetarian for a year first. Anyways, i have made great

progress with raw food so far and I am adamant about this being a way of life

for me. I went to donate plasma today. During the initial tests the lab

technician pricked my finger to check the iron and protein levels in my body.

She told me which levels I needed to be between in order to donate, but I

forgot. Well, when she read the results back to me my levels were fine. Later

on in the evening though, when they hooked me up to the machine to start taking

my plasma the story changed. I guess the lab technicians (as well as other

donors and myself) started to notice that my plasma was a very light brown

color....the only comparison I have been able to make is that it looked a little

bit lighter than agave nectar. (speaking of which, I bought

my first bottle from whole foods last week and it is rawsome!) Everyone else's

plasma looked very dark, almost like processed apple juice or apple cider

vinegar. Everyone else's machine was running very quietly but then they also

noticed that the machine I was hooked up to was beeping on a continuous basis

and making lots of noise. So they kept coming over to check on me and kept

asking me if I was ok like I was about to die any minute or something. Then

that's when one of the techs took my folder out of the room after she looked at

the papers inside. She came back with the sub physician and they all ambushed

me with all these questions. They asked how long I have been a vegan (I

revealed that in the pre donor consultation when you have to tell them

everything you had to eat that day). Then one of the techs asked me if I eat

tofu and I told her I don't anymore. Then she asked about TVP and if I knew

about or ate anything by morningstar farms. Well I told her that

I know about morningstar farms but I don't eat those things anymore because I

am a vegan and not only that but I don't eat any cooked food. They really

started to look at me like I was from Jupiter then. The sub physician and the

lab tech must still not have understood because they both kept asking me stupid

questions like whether I eat beans and legumes and rice and stuff like that. So

again, I told them all no. The lab tech told me her sister is a vegan and it's

hard for vegans to get everything they need from all the 4 food groups. I

didn't feel like arguing with them and I don't like being put on the spot

either. She said she was just worried about my protein levels and donating

plasma takes a lot out of someone to begin with and she didn't want me to get

sick, etc. etc. Then the so-called physician told me that maybe I needed to

rethink my diet choices and she told me that I could still lose weight but not

be so strict with the food choices I make. That made

me mad but I was trying to keep it together. She said that she wasn't trying

to tell me to go out and eat red meat, but I needed to incorporate those foods

back into my diet. Then she told me something so absurd I was boiling inside.

She said that cooked tomatoes actually have more iron and nutrients than raw

tomatoes because, and this is a direct quote, " cooking the tomatoes condenses

them and makes the nutrients more dense. " At that point I just did the

conservative smile and nod but inside I was screaming to myself, " cooked food is

poison you idiot! Or did they not teach you that in medical school??? " I have

learned here and from other sources the truth and that cooking destroys

everything in the food. At that point I thought about Alissa [Cohen] (because I

bought her book in late February or March and the DVD and that book is like my

raw food bible....and I said to myself, " I am going to e-mail or call Alissa and

tell her about this nonsense! " Then I talked

to one of my friends, Elise, who actually put me on to raw foods (she's still

a cooked fooder but I'm hoping that will change.) and she made me feel better

about the situation. She was saying that maybe they thought something was wrong

with me because my plasma looked different from everyone else's (it actually

maybe looked the way plasma is really supposed to look and everyone else's

looked different because they are toxic and they eat cooked foods and meat.) I

don't know what plasma is actually supposed to look like in a healthy body, so

if any of you veterans have any insight please respond. Anyways, I asked them

if all of this meant that I couldn't come back, because I knew how to read

between the lines. They didn't even let the bottle get to the fill line. They

stopped in the middle I guess when they saw my chart and what color mine was

compared to everyone else's. They told me that I could try to come back again

in the future to see what happens, but I already

know I won't be returning, especially if they are going to try to push their

cooked food propaganda and regime on me. Sorry guys, not going to work!

Suffice it to say, one of the lab techs said she was just concerned about me and

didn't want me to get too weak or too sick, then she mentioned the protein

again. Right before I left she told me that next time I needed to make sure I

ate enough and didn't come on an empty stomach and that I was well hydrated.

Again, I thanked them for everything and did the diplomatic smile and nod but I

was really really annoyed. I mean, I knew at some point I was going to run into

a situation like this but I wasn't prepared for it. I had reservations about

the whole thing at first anyway. I was telling Elise that I wish there was a

way that I could see the results in a sick person after he or she actually

received my plasma donation in comparison to receiving someone else's plasma

donation. She was saying that I probably had the good

plasma and everyone else's plasma was out of wack but on the outside looking in

(to them) it looked like something was wrong with mine. I just don't understand

how I spent all that time there (about 3 hours to be exact) and they tested me

for the iron and protein levels and then they gave me that song and dance at the

end about my protein levels and me being a vegan and not eating cooked food.

Anyways, I know I am probably rambling a lot but it is my first post and this is

really on my mind even though I know I am right and it shouldn't bother me, but

it just DOES. Thanks for listening guys.

 

best wishes,

 

Kim

 

 

 

Be a better Globetrotter. Get better travel answers from someone who knows.

Answers - Check it out.

 

 

[Guest guest]

wow.

 

dont let it bother you.

 

theyre AMA/ADA trained. Theyr only as good as their training.

 

you gotta wonder what they think humans survived on befor SAD...

 

peace

anna

 

On 5/30/07, Kimberly Shaw <shortycocoa wrote:

> Hello everyone! I joined the group maybe two months ago but haven't really

> posted yet because I'm still new at raw foodism. I started in February of

> this year but I was a vegetarian for a year first. Anyways, i have made

> great progress with raw food so far and I am adamant about this being a way

> of life for me. I went to donate plasma today. During the initial tests

> the lab technician pricked my finger to check the iron and protein levels in

> my body. She told me which levels I needed to be between in order to

> donate, but I forgot. Well, when she read the results back to me my levels

> were fine. Later on in the evening though, when they hooked me up to the

> machine to start taking my plasma the story changed. I guess the lab

> technicians (as well as other donors and myself) started to notice that my

> plasma was a very light brown color....the only comparison I have been able

> to make is that it looked a little bit lighter than agave nectar. (speaking

> of which, I bought

> my first bottle from whole foods last week and it is rawsome!) Everyone

> else's plasma looked very dark, almost like processed apple juice or apple

> cider vinegar. Everyone else's machine was running very quietly but then

> they also noticed that the machine I was hooked up to was beeping on a

> continuous basis and making lots of noise. So they kept coming over to

> check on me and kept asking me if I was ok like I was about to die any

> minute or something. Then that's when one of the techs took my folder out

> of the room after she looked at the papers inside. She came back with the

> sub physician and they all ambushed me with all these questions. They asked

> how long I have been a vegan (I revealed that in the pre donor consultation

> when you have to tell them everything you had to eat that day). Then one of

> the techs asked me if I eat tofu and I told her I don't anymore. Then she

> asked about TVP and if I knew about or ate anything by morningstar farms.

> Well I told her that

> I know about morningstar farms but I don't eat those things anymore because

> I am a vegan and not only that but I don't eat any cooked food. They really

> started to look at me like I was from Jupiter then. The sub physician and

> the lab tech must still not have understood because they both kept asking me

> stupid questions like whether I eat beans and legumes and rice and stuff

> like that. So again, I told them all no. The lab tech told me her sister

> is a vegan and it's hard for vegans to get everything they need from all the

> 4 food groups. I didn't feel like arguing with them and I don't like being

> put on the spot either. She said she was just worried about my protein

> levels and donating plasma takes a lot out of someone to begin with and she

> didn't want me to get sick, etc. etc. Then the so-called physician told me

> that maybe I needed to rethink my diet choices and she told me that I could

> still lose weight but not be so strict with the food choices I make. That

> made

> me mad but I was trying to keep it together. She said that she wasn't

> trying to tell me to go out and eat red meat, but I needed to incorporate

> those foods back into my diet. Then she told me something so absurd I was

> boiling inside. She said that cooked tomatoes actually have more iron and

> nutrients than raw tomatoes because, and this is a direct quote, " cooking

> the tomatoes condenses them and makes the nutrients more dense. " At that

> point I just did the conservative smile and nod but inside I was screaming

> to myself, " cooked food is poison you idiot! Or did they not teach you that

> in medical school??? " I have learned here and from other sources the truth

> and that cooking destroys everything in the food. At that point I thought

> about Alissa [Cohen] (because I bought her book in late February or March

> and the DVD and that book is like my raw food bible....and I said to myself,

> " I am going to e-mail or call Alissa and tell her about this nonsense! "

> Then I talked

> to one of my friends, Elise, who actually put me on to raw foods (she's

> still a cooked fooder but I'm hoping that will change.) and she made me feel

> better about the situation. She was saying that maybe they thought

> something was wrong with me because my plasma looked different from everyone

> else's (it actually maybe looked the way plasma is really supposed to look

> and everyone else's looked different because they are toxic and they eat

> cooked foods and meat.) I don't know what plasma is actually supposed to

> look like in a healthy body, so if any of you veterans have any insight

> please respond. Anyways, I asked them if all of this meant that I couldn't

> come back, because I knew how to read between the lines. They didn't even

> let the bottle get to the fill line. They stopped in the middle I guess

> when they saw my chart and what color mine was compared to everyone else's.

> They told me that I could try to come back again in the future to see what

> happens, but I already

> know I won't be returning, especially if they are going to try to push

> their cooked food propaganda and regime on me. Sorry guys, not going to

> work! Suffice it to say, one of the lab techs said she was just concerned

> about me and didn't want me to get too weak or too sick, then she mentioned

> the protein again. Right before I left she told me that next time I needed

> to make sure I ate enough and didn't come on an empty stomach and that I was

> well hydrated. Again, I thanked them for everything and did the diplomatic

> smile and nod but I was really really annoyed. I mean, I knew at some point

> I was going to run into a situation like this but I wasn't prepared for it.

> I had reservations about the whole thing at first anyway. I was telling

> Elise that I wish there was a way that I could see the results in a sick

> person after he or she actually received my plasma donation in comparison to

> receiving someone else's plasma donation. She was saying that I probably

> had the good

> plasma and everyone else's plasma was out of wack but on the outside

> looking in (to them) it looked like something was wrong with mine. I just

> don't understand how I spent all that time there (about 3 hours to be exact)

> and they tested me for the iron and protein levels and then they gave me

> that song and dance at the end about my protein levels and me being a vegan

> and not eating cooked food. Anyways, I know I am probably rambling a lot

> but it is my first post and this is really on my mind even though I know I

> am right and it shouldn't bother me, but it just DOES. Thanks for listening

> guys.

>

> best wishes,

>

> Kim

>

>

>

> Be a better Globetrotter. Get better travel answers from someone who knows.

> Answers - Check it out.

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Kim

 

It can be hard when the full force of the medical profession descends

on you like that. Good for you for holding your ground.

 

Doctors, scientists and nutritionists:

 

told our grandparents and parents that they need way more protein

than they actually need, and that meat is a great source. Now it

seems every few weeks there's some new report linking meat with some

sort of cancer. Cold comfort for those who were brought up eating

all that 'man's food'.

 

told slim women of menopausal age with 'low bone density' to up their

intake of dairy foods (and even to take HRT!) to guard against

osteoroposis. Latest research indicates that those highest at risk

from ost. are those eating a diet rich in meat, fish, dairy foods,

salt and alcohol. Vegans have no higher risk of osteoroposis than

non-vegans (and maybe less?). Yes, a recent study did find they

have 'lower bone density', but - no osteoporosis! Cold comfort for

those who increased dairy foods in their diet, only to have it clog

up their arteries.

 

I really feel for you, as 20 years ago I was told my iron was 'too

low' in pregnancy (I was vegetarian at the time) and had to eat

industrial quantities of egg yolk and spinach to satisfy the ante-

natal clinic, but I did wonder at the time whether the 'normal' iron

level was in fact set artificially high, ie based on a meat-eating

population (I felt fine).

 

Love

 

Debbie Took, Reading, UK

 

 

 

 

rawfood , Kimberly Shaw <shortycocoa wrote:

>

> Hello everyone! I joined the group maybe two months ago but

haven't really posted yet because I'm still new at raw foodism. I

started in February of this year but I was a vegetarian for a year

first. Anyways, i have made great progress with raw food so far and

I am adamant about this being a way of life for me. I went to donate

plasma today. During the initial tests the lab technician pricked my

finger to check the iron and protein levels in my body. She told me

which levels I needed to be between in order to donate, but I

forgot. Well, when she read the results back to me my levels were

fine. Later on in the evening though, when they hooked me up to the

machine to start taking my plasma the story changed. I guess the lab

technicians (as well as other donors and myself) started to notice

that my plasma was a very light brown color....the only comparison I

have been able to make is that it looked a little bit lighter than

agave nectar. (speaking of which, I bought

> my first bottle from whole foods last week and it is rawsome!)

Everyone else's plasma looked very dark, almost like processed apple

juice or apple cider vinegar. Everyone else's machine was running

very quietly but then they also noticed that the machine I was hooked

up to was beeping on a continuous basis and making lots of noise. So

they kept coming over to check on me and kept asking me if I was ok

like I was about to die any minute or something. Then that's when

one of the techs took my folder out of the room after she looked at

the papers inside. She came back with the sub physician and they all

ambushed me with all these questions. They asked how long I have

been a vegan (I revealed that in the pre donor consultation when you

have to tell them everything you had to eat that day). Then one of

the techs asked me if I eat tofu and I told her I don't anymore.

Then she asked about TVP and if I knew about or ate anything by

morningstar farms. Well I told her that

> I know about morningstar farms but I don't eat those things

anymore because I am a vegan and not only that but I don't eat any

cooked food. They really started to look at me like I was from

Jupiter then. The sub physician and the lab tech must still not have

understood because they both kept asking me stupid questions like

whether I eat beans and legumes and rice and stuff like that. So

again, I told them all no. The lab tech told me her sister is a

vegan and it's hard for vegans to get everything they need from all

the 4 food groups. I didn't feel like arguing with them and I don't

like being put on the spot either. She said she was just worried

about my protein levels and donating plasma takes a lot out of

someone to begin with and she didn't want me to get sick, etc. etc.

Then the so-called physician told me that maybe I needed to rethink

my diet choices and she told me that I could still lose weight but

not be so strict with the food choices I make. That made

> me mad but I was trying to keep it together. She said that she

wasn't trying to tell me to go out and eat red meat, but I needed to

incorporate those foods back into my diet. Then she told me

something so absurd I was boiling inside. She said that cooked

tomatoes actually have more iron and nutrients than raw tomatoes

because, and this is a direct quote, " cooking the tomatoes condenses

them and makes the nutrients more dense. " At that point I just did

the conservative smile and nod but inside I was screaming to

myself, " cooked food is poison you idiot! Or did they not teach you

that in medical school??? " I have learned here and from other

sources the truth and that cooking destroys everything in the food.

At that point I thought about Alissa [Cohen] (because I bought her

book in late February or March and the DVD and that book is like my

raw food bible....and I said to myself, " I am going to e-mail or call

Alissa and tell her about this nonsense! " Then I talked

> to one of my friends, Elise, who actually put me on to raw foods

(she's still a cooked fooder but I'm hoping that will change.) and

she made me feel better about the situation. She was saying that

maybe they thought something was wrong with me because my plasma

looked different from everyone else's (it actually maybe looked the

way plasma is really supposed to look and everyone else's looked

different because they are toxic and they eat cooked foods and

meat.) I don't know what plasma is actually supposed to look like in

a healthy body, so if any of you veterans have any insight please

respond. Anyways, I asked them if all of this meant that I couldn't

come back, because I knew how to read between the lines. They didn't

even let the bottle get to the fill line. They stopped in the middle

I guess when they saw my chart and what color mine was compared to

everyone else's. They told me that I could try to come back again in

the future to see what happens, but I already

> know I won't be returning, especially if they are going to try to

push their cooked food propaganda and regime on me. Sorry guys, not

going to work! Suffice it to say, one of the lab techs said she was

just concerned about me and didn't want me to get too weak or too

sick, then she mentioned the protein again. Right before I left she

told me that next time I needed to make sure I ate enough and didn't

come on an empty stomach and that I was well hydrated. Again, I

thanked them for everything and did the diplomatic smile and nod but

I was really really annoyed. I mean, I knew at some point I was

going to run into a situation like this but I wasn't prepared for

it. I had reservations about the whole thing at first anyway. I was

telling Elise that I wish there was a way that I could see the

results in a sick person after he or she actually received my plasma

donation in comparison to receiving someone else's plasma donation.

She was saying that I probably had the good

> plasma and everyone else's plasma was out of wack but on the

outside looking in (to them) it looked like something was wrong with

mine. I just don't understand how I spent all that time there (about

3 hours to be exact) and they tested me for the iron and protein

levels and then they gave me that song and dance at the end about my

protein levels and me being a vegan and not eating cooked food.

Anyways, I know I am probably rambling a lot but it is my first post

and this is really on my mind even though I know I am right and it

shouldn't bother me, but it just DOES. Thanks for listening guys.

>

> best wishes,

>

> Kim

>

>

>

> Be a better Globetrotter. Get better travel answers from someone

who knows.

> Answers - Check it out.

>

>

[Guest guest]

Kim,

 

I'm so sorry you had a bad experience donating plasma. Your story

is soooo typical but it still gets me mad! I've also had bad

experiences each time that I have donated plasma. The 1st time, I

was so unfamiliar with the machine that I put too much pressure on

the blood vessel (by pumping my hand) and I caused a clot to form in

my vein and they had to stop the donation early. The most recent

time I tried to donate, I was 15 minutes late and they told me that

I'd have to wait 3 hours until the next time slot (despite the fact

that I had an APPOINTMENT)! Needless to say, as much as they

profess to need plasma, they don't seem to really have a strong

setup and procedure yet.

 

Luckily for me, my doctor has been very supportive of my decision to

covert to RF. However, I am in the process of converting my cats as

well and, from what I understand, most vets are VERY against it (I'm

due to go soon so we'll see how that goes). But when it comes down

to it, you have to look in your heart and figure out what you trully

believe. Screw everyone else! In my opinion, instead of degrading

your beliefs and actions, they should have been thanking you for

donating!

 

Sometimes I just don't get other people... but know that we're all

friends here and SUPPORT YOU 100%!!

 

Namaste

 

Jenn