See these- if you don’t know, they’re very important cells that are badly needed. Especially by cancer patients. My uncle had his second day of chemo last Friday & I went to this appointment. The day started off normal, his blood work was started & his port was put in for his chemo drip. We had been waiting for about an hour when his nurse came over & said that she was just waiting on his blood work from the lab.
We figured no big deal & my uncle started to take a little nap. All of the sudden, Trinket (my uncle’s nurse) came back & said that he wasn’t getting his chemo. Why you ask? Because his platelet count was 6. The normal range is between 150-500. Apparently, this is a side affect of the chemo- it plummets your platelet count. He went from 63 the week before to 6.
What happens when your platelet count is low? Well, you are unable to stop bleeding. Platelets are your clotting factor. No clotting factor means a normal cut could lead to a serious situation. He was at extreme risk for spontaneous bleeding. So, we rushed him to the hospital for an emergency platelet transfusion.
This is when I learned that platelets are desparately needed. They only last five days & it is quite normal for cancer patients & hemophiliacs to need frequent transfusions. With platelets, you don’t have to be an exact blood type match, but most are compatable with type A & O platelets.
My uncle & I are the same blood type- so that is good to know. Not only can I donate blood, but also platelets too. It doesn’t take very long & it’s so needed. So, if you have some spare time today- go to your local blood bank & donate. If someone hadn’t, my uncle would’ve been in a world of trouble.
If you live in the Memphis area- Donate to LifeBlood. They serve the Memphis area hospitals. If you don’t live in the Memphis area, the Red Cross takes platelets too. If you need more information about blood & platelet donation you can go here or here.
