And then i sold myself...

a bit of myself, actually. After giving blood for a few years i wondered, how big is the difference between giving blood and giving plasma. Well, you never really know, unless you try it.

That's why i went to the roof of Chodov shopping mall (Prague) - where they buy blood plasma. Well, yes, and for the money, too...

 First time you may go sell your precious plasma is one week after the registration and a short check-up, since they send your blood to be checked for contagious diseases like hepatitis checked somewhere abroad and that takes a while. So a week later you come there, drink a bit more, go to see a man about a horse (i guess that's how the phrase goes...it's the first time in my life i used it after learning it about 10 years ago) and hooray to the chair! The toilet part is quite important, since you are encouraged to drink before and during the "suction", but then you end up sitting in the bloody chair for more than an hour! I was glad i went twice..

Then it goes easy, you get a needle in your hand (surprisingly) and the machine that goes "beep" is repeatedly sucking and feeding you until they have a bag of yellow-orange clear liquid. I was trying to study there, but it kind of makes it harder to concentrate on reading, at least for the first time. As for the feeling, it's pretty much the same like when you donate blood, just this time the flow goes in turns out and in, which is not that comfortable...and it takes longer time, which might become boring. When you're done, you just get your 400 CZK and make an appointment for next time. That's all...

So, blood vs. blood plasma:

• i knew that since plasma is much easier for human body to create than blood, you can give plasma more often. However, i was still surprised by how often it is. Blood is 4-5 times a year, if i'm not mistaken...but with plasma it's 4 times a month! Frankly, i am not sure my veins would make it for a longer time at this frequency.
• While with the bloody stuff you sit there for about 10 minutes max, with plasma it can be about one hour, since they pump a bit, separate the plasma and give you back the red stuff.
• i think the plasma-needle is a bit bigger then the blood-needle. But it doesn't make much of a difference.
• The colour, obviously. i expected the plasma to be a bit lighter, though.
• When you give blood, you donate. When you give plasma, you sell.

As i wasn't even too tired afterwards, i'd say it's easy occasional money if you don't mind looking like a junkie..

(i guess i've used the word "give" improperly in this text, but i couldn't find a better one)