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| What do platelets do? "The ligands, denoted by letter L, signal for platelets (P) to migrate towards the wound (Site A). As more platelets gather around the opening, they produce more ligands to amplify the response. The platelets congregate around the wound in order to create a cap to stop blood flow out of the tissue." Source. |
I went into the Red Cross platelet center at 11:30 this morning. A little bit after 2 p.m., while I was being disconnected from the apheresis machine that had extracted my platelets and plasma from my blood, the phlebotomist said to me, "You hit the maximum. Three units of platelets, and two units of plasma. You helped five people today."
Looking at what is going on in the world, and what we can anticipate for this new year, I wonder if you and I have some of the same concerns and preoccupations. I've sometimes found my grip on my usual optimism weakening at times. Just as one tiny example: as Los Angeles burns, our president-elect feels it is appropriate to call California's governor "Gavin Newscum."
**Sigh.**
With all of these figurative and literal firestorms around the world weighing on my mind, I can't deny it: the apheresis technician's words were a consolation.
A bit of background: for the last few years, I've been giving platelets at the Red Cross center on North Vancouver in Portland, Oregon, twice a month when we're in town, and when I don't have some disqualifying medical stuff going on. This blood component is in great demand but has a very short shelf life (five days, including the time needed for safety testing). You can donate platelets to the Red Cross up to 24 times a year, at intervals as short as a week between visits. The interval between plasma donations is longer—for me, it's every second platelet visit.
On most occasions, a gift certificate, which I use for books, also follows shortly after the donation session. Right now, donors are also being awarded a chance to get Superbowl tickets. People of greater spiritual maturity than I have can decline such incentives to increase the benefit to the Red Cross.
Part of the reason we platelet donors are appreciated is that (according to the Red Cross publicity materials) less than one percent of the population donates platelets. Many people probably don't know the value of platelets, but among those who do, one discouraging factor may be the fact that for two hours or more the donor must stay more or less immobile, with blood being drawn from one arm and returned into the other. During that process, neither arm can be moved, and the fist on the outbound side needs to squeeze a rubber ducky (no noisemaker!) or similar squeezy item every few seconds—so no napping.
Maybe you're thinking, a two-hour motionless period ought to be no sweat for a Quaker, but the honest truth is that for most of my visits as a donor, I've not been observing traditions of spiritual discipline as they're usually conceived. I've been streaming old episodes of Frasier on my tablet. Our donation center has very good Wi-Fi. I can usually watch about six episodes in one sitting.
Once out of every five or ten visits, I get turned down during the mini-checkup before the procedure. Usual reason: low iron (minimum score for men is 13, for women is 12.5). Sometimes my pulse is running slowly; the minimum beats per minute is 50. There are also minimums and maximums for blood pressure.
Today I was listening to the Red Cross receptionist as she welcomed a first-time platelet donor. The newcomer explained that, at work, he gets a four-day weekend every month, which gives him an opportunity to become a regular monthly donor. If you're in a similar situation, maybe I'll see you there. Together we can boost the number of people who get the plasma and platelets they need to recover ... or simply stay alive.
My unofficial comments about donating platelets are from my own personal experience and don't cover every aspect of eligibility and procedures. For those details, go directly to the Red Cross.
Krista Alvarez remembers Norval Hadley. I first met Norval during his years at World Vision. Some years later, at a prayer concert, we had a conversation about the 1994 bloodbath in Rwanda, and he said that he regretted that Quaker evangelism in central Africa had not put sufficient emphasis on the peace testimony. His memorable words about the importance of Quaker discipleship: "The body reflects the beauty of the Head."
Greg Morgan on endocarditis and difficult encounters in chaplaincy: "We're all human."
Conscientious objection: how can we Quakers support our young people? A Quaker Religious Education Collaborative conversation circle, scheduled for January 21 and 23.
Meanwhile in Russia, you may have noticed that "the number of words you can say keeps shrinking."
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| Jimmy Carter's state funeral at the National Cathedral, and private funeral at Maranatha Baptist Church, Plains, Georgia. Video coverage is available on the C-SPAN Web site. |
Today, here in the USA, it's a national day of mourning for Jimmy Carter. I saw parts of the state funeral in Washington, DC, and the private funeral in Plains, Georgia. Here was a man who helped millions, both spiritually and practically (if such a distinction exists).
Heather Cox Richardson summarizes the day.
John Fea: "There was a different kind of 'power' on display here."
At the funeral in Plains, Joanna Maddox sings "Let There Be Peace on Earth..."
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