Give Blood
I know…strange time to be talking about anything other than a strike, but since I’m not going to write about the strike until Sunday, I thought I’d get this up here and publicize it a bit, not only because it’s for an absolutely good cause, but also because it’s in support of our Teamster brothers and sisters in Local 399, many of whom will be showing their support for us in the coming weeks and perhaps months.
During the holidays each year Blood Centers nationally, including UCLA Health Systems, struggle to meet the needs of their patients. UCLA uses approximately 100,000 units a year. Extended shortages during the November 21, 2007-January 22, 2008 season could result in blood rationing and the cancellation of surgeries.
Winter blood collections drop as several condition come into play at once. The holidays are busy and potential donors often find they just cannot find the hour to donate. Large institutions (colleges, high schools, and businesses) which often run blood drives are closed at this time. Also, often times flu season strikes, making donors ineligible to donate.
Who better to save the day then union members of Teamster Local 399? We can keep track of the number of Teamster Local 399 donors, if they will sign in on a sheet and add ‘Local 399’ and specify: casting directors, location scouts, or drivers. Perhaps we can challenge other unions to do the same and make a difference this holiday season, and, demonstrate the power of union unity.
This year UCLA blood center is offering an incentive to go and donate. Along with a beach bag, 1-3 movie passes ( depending on whether you donate platelets or whole blood), and another coupon ( Starbucks, Subway, In & Out, or Jamba Juice, depending on availability). They are also raffling off a hotel room for two on Fiji!
If you donate whole blood, it is a 1 hour process. For platelets allow 1.5-2.5 hours. Platelets are used for patients with cancer, leukemia, transplants or blood disorders. Newborns can also require blood. Also, UCLA is a Level-1 trauma center, so many patients also require platelets to stop their bleeding.
The UCLA blood center takes donors on a walk-in basis, but suggests that you make an appointment so you do not have to wait. To make an appointment to donate whole blood call: 310-825-0888 #2. Whole blood donation hours are: Monday, 10:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. and Tuesday -Friday 8:00 a.m.- 3:30 p.m. Also every second Saturday 8:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. To make an appointment to donate platelets call: 310-206-6187. Platelet donor hours: Monday - Friday 7:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. and every Saturday 7:00 a.m. -11:30 a.m.
The blood center address is: 1045 Gayley Av., 2nd floor, L.A 90024. It is 1 block west of Westwood Blvd. and 2 blocks north of Wilshire Blvd., on the west side of the street ( across from Whole Foods).
Parking is free, behind the center at Lot #32. You may obtain your parking permit via mail prior to the day of donation (this is the best way). If you need to obtain a guest parking permit on the day of your donation, park temporarily in the alley behind the center at 1045 Gayley Av. and go upstairs through the glass door.
Who can donate? Almost anyone over 110 pounds that is in good health and hasn’t had a recent tattoo, baby, transfusion, dental work (24 hours), hepatitis, or lived in certain foreign countries. For more details on how to donate: www.gotblood.ucla.edu, or just call them.
I’ll do it if I get a decent residual rate on the income generated by my blood’s recipient.
Craig, actually, thanks. Very Zen of you.
I donate at UCLA every 56 days. I’ll be back the first Friday in December (my favorite volunteer works Fridays). They will comp your parking in the private lot above the Whole Foods lot, or heck, park at Whole Foods and do some shopping. The center is easy to find, right on Gayley, and staffed with wonderful people. Looking for that place where everybody knows your name and they’re always glad you came? I recommend the UCLA Blood and Platelet Center. Come have a cookie and a juice box and save some lives.
Cedars gives you a pint of ice cream too! (in addition to movie tickets)
UCLA’s blood donation center used to be on the top floor of the medical center. I was already a donor when I started graduate school there, and signed up right away. I’d never been in a hospital before. Walking through the parking structure, and the lobby, and riding in the elevators was a real learning experience. Seeing people on gurneys, people in tears, people hugging their children, children with no hair, all of it, was a lesson. Whatever problems I imagine I have when I walk in to give blood seem less real when I think of the people who will receive my blood. I’m not saying I haven’t been touched by medical tragedy in my own life, but this is something I can do for someone going through it now. It’s blood, it’s a bit of my time, it’s hope. If you can give, please do.
Have they mentioned the cool pins you get starting after your fourth donation? Yeah, get in there!
right now id turn a trick for a teamster. so tell me craig or someone.. is this a teamsters sponsored event? whats the sign in sheet you talk about?
Crap! Rendered ineligible by my six months in England back in ‘90. I’ve eschewed anal sex with Central African intravenous drug using prostitutes for NOTHING!
No, Ken, no! Call them! They’re much more mellow about the whole UK thing. Unless you got a dura mater transplant in the UK…
I will ask about the Teamster thing when I go in. I will totally bleed for the 399!
What Giving Blood is Like:
First, they’re going to ask you a lot of questions. There’s a form to fill out with a bunch of questions. Have you been in prison? Had a dura mater transplant? Have mad cow disease in the family? Had babesiosis? Paid someone to have sex with you? Been pregnant? Spent three years in Turkey? Used insulin for recreational purposes? There are a bunch of them. Answer honestly.
Second, I totally understand that it is psychologically impossible for some folks to give blood. No harm, no foul. Taking blood triggers a very strong, old part of the brain. I’m wired to have it be acceptable, other people are wired differently. Fine, no problem, it’s like being left-handed or right-handed.
Third, it stings. They test your iron by poking your finger first, and that hurts a little. Then they take your blood. Yes, that is a bigger needle. It is coated with anticoagulant, and that burns when the needle goes in. But once the needle is in, you don’t feel it. Promise. The actual donation part takes five to ten minutes.
Fourth, blood is warm. It will leave your arm in a plastic tube that they tape to your wrist. The tube will feel warm. If that weirds you out, well, there it is.
If you survived this post, consider donation!
L
I would love to be able to give the gift of blood. Unfortunately, I have tried several times before with no luck. Apparantely, I have the world’s thinnest veins!
Yep, some folks are just wired (or plumbed) differently!
L
I’ve read this blog for quite a while, and I’m surprised that this is the post that finally prompted me to post.
I give blood about every eight weeks. It’s easy, essentially painless, and it makes a real difference to people’s lives. (Let’s not forget that our country is engaged in an actual war at the moment.) There are times when I think it’s the one selfless thing I do that really matters at all.
So go for it. Drink a bunch of water for the 12 hours prior, squeeze the foam rubber thing they give you. You’re out of there in 15 minutes and you’ll feel great about yourself for days.
FWIW: digged (dug?) to page two.
AYAAW
If you’re taking any kind of medication, call ahead. Hypertension pills, for example — they will not accept your blood.
And in the winter, when it’s cold, they give you a half-unit of warmed saline to squeeze. I want those in my apartment.
L
The future sends message “thank you for striking!”
In an unprecedented move, the not to distant future sends a message back to today, November 2nd, 2007. The message, contained in a birthday card was discovered by one Timothy Young, age 10. Simi Valley California. “I thought it was my brother Eppy joking around for my birthday, ya know? But then I realized perhaps it wasn’t my brother”. Exclaimed Timothy. The family, fearing terrorism turned over the card to local law enforcement. After exhaustive analysis, including carbon dating, scientists believe the message to be authentic and anywhere from 10-20 years in the future. Here is what the message said,
“Happy Birthday Timothy! Please pass on this message to your fellow man. Thank you for striking! Just wanted to give you all a quick update on what’s going on here in the future. Things are great! When the writers strike of 2007 happened there was a lot of worry but you know what? We did alright. Once the TV and Film people ran out of “moving picture stuff” to show us the screens eventually went black. There was a little panic and definitely an adjustment period that we now call, “the adjustment period”. People started to get out more and enjoy each others company. Obesity levels dropped quickly and suicide rates plummeted. We had more time to solve that pesky “global warming” issue. Local theater thrived and the Tony Awards became a national holiday. The internet, indeed did become the repository for all human knowledge and was eventually shrunk down to one tiny microchip that was mishandled by one, Miss Emily Thompkins - 12 (Sheboygan, Wi)who lost it while playing with her kitten, Minx. Even with that little snafu, we are hanging in and some might say, “the better for it”. So just wanted to drop you, the past, a line and say…you did alright”.
Officials believe it will take us years to figure out what this message truly means.
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Well, I didn’t give at Comic Con, so, I’m probably eligible :) Are the passes for local theatres, or can I use them in Redondo Beach?
Hi everyone:
Great idea to donate your time and blood to a worthy cause. I do wish I was there to help.
Regarding the calling for a Sunday morning meeting by the federal mediator; I can forsee three distinct processes occuring which, yes, relate to that ulterior motive for global conflict theory I wrote of last night:
The federal mediator (forget his name) will issue an edict signed by President Bush and the “Governator” ordering the writers and producers to go back to work, for the sake of national security. Of course, the reasoning why will be known to all, thus a deal will be reached while work continues. The work produced, however, may start to become more of a leader-sponsored propoganda campaign to which there will not be a way out for any side, unless they want to be canned from their jobs.
Whomever shows up for the corporations will state that the plan is in fruition to destroy the lots and resources of Los Angeles, civilian collateral be damned. Nothing will stop them, they will state, in acheiving the objectives of their fianacial masters. They will also mention that if the writers fail to co-operate in the ensuing cover-ups, the writers will get a share of the public blame in a scenario I wrote of in greater detail last night.
The WGA can state that they know of the ensuing plans ahead of time, and have taken measures to invert the process of public blame. That is to say, the destruction of Los Angeles will be inevitable; yet, they could come out and state that the corporations did this to themselves for financial fraud purposes. Thereby the terrorism assault that has been planed in these strange creatures will fall right back at them, leaving the assault to be limited to fianancial fraud rather than a supposed act of war by a supposed international enemy. Of course, the long-term effects of that cataclysmic event will not reach overseas, where in this masterful game of chess our leaders are playing, the world will be different than what it is at the moment.
“The only winning move is not to play”, so was stated in the screenplay to WarGames written by John Badham: however, our leaders and their financial backers have invested far greater times in doing this. In these instances, the sides of this dispute need to publically address the real issue of wanton global destruction, including the very real possibility of an actual Global Thermo-Nuclear War these leaders want. All other issues, including New Media and Internet payments, are now secondary. I get the feeling that this has been on the minds of those leading these factions in this dispute. To paraphrase a line in “The Sentinel”, even when you are not talking about this issue, you are talking about this issue.
To all reading this, the leaders’ endgame has been set. The town of Los Angeles, California has been set to become the pawn in a rather imminent global conflict. The least both sides of the dispute over contracts can do is to lessen the damage to only the target area; as well, publically announce the financial deal of the new MBA that has privately been in the works for finalization for quite some time.
Hoping for peace to all involved and all watching,
Lax24
I used to give platelets regularly, but all I got was a soda and a cookie.
Giving platelets is a great thing and it really does help people, but it’s not fun. They take your blood out of one arm and run it through a machine that removes the platelets then run the blood back into your arm through your hand. When the blood comes back to you it’s no longer body temperature so it makes you really cold. The room could be hot as hell and you’ll still shivering. They give you lots of blankets.
I still recommend doing it at least once if you can handle it because a little discomfort is worth it if you help save a cancer patient’s life.
Worthy and important thing giving blood. However, in light of the picket lines we’re about to walk, perhaps we should save it for the street.
Since moving here from the UK I’ve tried to give blood every year, but am always turned away. Seems they’re worried that the Brits have eaten too many mad cow burgers; but they can’t tell me when, if ever, I can be given the all-clear to donate. It’s frustrating for me, as someone who benefiited from a transfusion, and wants to give some back…
Lax24,
Stop it, you’re hurting my head.
Please.
JP Wolff
The Writers Guild used to have blood drives; sometimes at restaurants which fed us, once on the Fox lot on the “MAS*H” set, and then at both the Beverly Blvd. and 7000 West 3rd buildings.
We ought to do a joint blood drive with 399. Anything which puts us together one on one with the people putting themselves at risk to help us would be good. We need to know them as people in order understand what they mean when they ask us to “do right” by them. We owe them.
Hey Art, if we do a joint drive, I’ll do what I can to make myself available to help onsite. I used to give blood quite regularly (I’ve got a rare type) but my disappearing, unstable vein makes it pretty damn impossible (and useless when they can’t get the requisite amount drawn in time) these days to give at a typical drive setup.
Everyone, make sure you drink plenty of water in advance.
One restriction someone brought to my attention that isn’t mentioned in the article…
…gay men can’t donate blood.
That’s just stupid. Really stupid. Super incredibly stupid.
There’s a bit of public health policy that needs to be reversed immediately.
Massive THANKS! to all of you writers for joining the Local 399 blood drive. I am spear-heading the cause and it is growing as more unions are coming on board. This is awesome! Charlotte