this guy rules

[lucas9000]

there is no debating that this guy rocks (http://startribune.com/stories/1556/5373304.html)

oops, apparently registration needed. here's the text of the article:

[ QUOTE ]
75 gallons of blood? No sweat
Warren Wolfe, Star Tribune
April 28, 2005

Robert Nelson has donated so much blood that Red Cross officials in St. Paul had to dig out a recognition pin they don't recall giving out before.

On Wednesday, Nelson, 62, of St. Francis, topped off his 75th gallon.

"It's not hard. It just takes a little time, and it's something I can do to help people," Nelson said after family members and Red Cross officials crowded around his donor bed in a surprise ceremony.

The retired railroad sheet-metal worker began giving blood in 1964 when his mother needed blood because of illness.

In 1989, when he learned of the need, he switched from giving whole blood every two months to donating blood platelets every two weeks, a process that takes about 90 minutes.

Through a process called apheresis, about 6 pints of Nelson's blood is drawn from his left arm, run through a machine that harvests platelets, then returned through his right arm.

The process gathers about 500 milligrams of platelets -- enough for two or three patients -- suspended in a cup of clear blood plasma.

Platelets are tiny particles with sticky surfaces that help blood clot. They are used within five days by patients with bleeding problems from leukemia, bone marrow transplants, surgery or conditions.

"We've got about 4,000 platelet donors, but we think Bob heads the list," said Kathy Gross, who heads the Red Cross apheresis center in St. Paul, one of two in Minnesota. "We could use twice as many."

Nelson's usual 81-mile round trip to the center was a little longer on Wednesday. After giving blood, he drove a cancer patient to a hospital for treatment -- another of his volunteer activities.

"My goal had been to give 55 gallons -- the equivalent to a 55-gallon barrel," Nelson said. "Now I'm shooting for 100 gallons."

Gross said she's ready: "We've got the pin waiting for you, Bob."

[/ QUOTE ]

[Yobz]

Good for him, we need more people like him /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Dead]

I was eligible to give blood again like 2 weeks ago. Thanks for the reminder.

[Riskwise]

[ QUOTE ]
Good for him, we need more people like him /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

ya know, you have blood...

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
I was eligible to give blood again like 2 weeks ago. Thanks for the reminder.

[/ QUOTE ]

I hope you keep this avatar for awhile. It's a vast improvement.

By the way, Dead. You should try to do this 75 pints thing...






<font color="white"> ...I bet you could do it all at once. </font>

[Lazymeatball]

Would I be considered self-centered because I've never given blood, even when you consider that getting blood drawn from me for medical reasons cause me to feel faint and become nauseas? Needles and blood don't freak me out until they are going into my arm.

[YourFoxyGrandma]

I think giving blood is one's responsibility to the human race. Being afraid of needles isn't really a good excuse. People NEED to do it; there's no way around it.

[StevieG]

That avatar is quite good, but it isn't square to start and gets a bit distorted. Who needs to see the cooler?

Fixed.

http://img165.echo.cx/img165/7396/imageheader3jvfixed0jy.jpg

[StevieG]

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I think giving blood is one's responsibility to the human race.

[/ QUOTE ]

If the human race will accept it.

I lived in Europe for a couple of years, and thanks to the BSE scare the American Red Cross will not take my blood (http://www.redcross.org/services/biomed/0,1082,0_557_,00.html#tra).

I gave 2 gallons of blood before moving overseas. It's likely I would have given another gallon or more since returning.

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
I think giving blood is one's responsibility to the human race.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is hilarious.

[Nick-Zack]

[ QUOTE ]
Would I be considered self-centered because I've never given blood, even when you consider that getting blood drawn from me for medical reasons cause me to feel faint and become nauseas? Needles and blood don't freak me out until they are going into my arm.

[/ QUOTE ]

[YourFoxyGrandma]

I don't see why.

[Lazymeatball]

BTW, who does the red cross give their blood to? local hospitals? Does that mean people getting a blood transfusion aren't paying for it, either directly or through their insurance? What if they need the blood after a botched cosmetic surgery? I'm certainly not donating my blood for that bunk. If people needed blood so bad, they would pay for it, generously. And even still, I imagine the amount being paid for blood would not be worth my personal discomfort. That's it, I am now adamantly against giving blood away for free. If I felt the need to give to a cause, I would give money. Ironically, cash is much more liquid than blood, (with blood's expiration date and all.)

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't see why.

[/ QUOTE ]

Giving blood is a very charitable thing to do. I give blood regularly. It is not an "obligation".

[YourFoxyGrandma]

Aiight. I'm just saying, if nobody did it, we'd have a problem.

[Lazymeatball]

[ QUOTE ]
I think giving blood is one's responsibility to the human race. Being afraid of needles isn't really a good excuse. People NEED to do it; there's no way around it.

[/ QUOTE ]

I disagree, people should do it, but the human race doesn't NEED blood donation to suvive. I reference the entire history of mankind before tranfusion medicine.

[The Dude]

Am I right to infer that they are currently giving him credit for 6 pints every two weeks? I'm not sure if that should be counted, because they're giving it right back to him. Hmmm.

[The Dude]

Okay, so if they're giving credit for 6 pints every time you donate platlets, I figure I can catch this guy by the time I'm 30.

[M2d]

natural selection is a problem?

[Inthacup]

Nelson's usual 81-mile round trip to the center

WTF??

[DavidC]

I'm positively scared shitless of needles.

I went for dentistry once where they had to put a needle in me, and I was watching my heartrate. It went from 53 (resting) to like 77. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

I lied there and took it like a man, apparently, but my heart don't lie. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

--Dave.

[BeerMoney]

[ QUOTE ]
BTW, who does the red cross give their blood to? local hospitals? Does that mean people getting a blood transfusion aren't paying for it, either directly or through their insurance? What if they need the blood after a botched cosmetic surgery? I'm certainly not donating my blood for that bunk. If people needed blood so bad, they would pay for it, generously. And even still, I imagine the amount being paid for blood would not be worth my personal discomfort. That's it, I am now adamantly against giving blood away for free. If I felt the need to give to a cause, I would give money. Ironically, cash is much more liquid than blood, (with blood's expiration date and all.)

[/ QUOTE ]

Elizabeth Dole was the President of the Red Cross and earned a salary of $300k. It doesn't seem right.

[drewjustdrew]

[ QUOTE ]

Elizabeth Dole was the President of the Red Cross and earned a salary of $300k. It doesn't seem right.

[/ QUOTE ]

If she can raise incrementally more money/blood than some shmoe that earns $60,000, then it is right. If not, then I agree.

[InchoateHand]

If only I was scared shitless of needles--than I might be eligible to donate blood today.

[youtalkfunny]

Two years ago, the apartment building I lived in burned to the ground late one night. I had no renters insurance (I'm stupid). We lost everything we owned.

The Red Cross was there in the morning. We didn't ask for anything. THEY asked US what we lost, and started handing out vouchers for groceries, clothes, shoes, beds, and medicine.

It was the most overwhelming, generous thing I had ever experienced. I found out I had a lot more friends than I thought I did.

A friend contacted the Salvation Army, Goodwill, and a few others, who told her to take a hike.

So I get a little touchy when people mention the Red Cross in the same breath as those other for-profit organizations.

I'm a regular blood donor now. I feel like it's the least I could do.

I used to be a sissy about the needles, too. But technology has improved needles dramatically over the course of my lifetime. When I was a kid, they were as thick as pencils, and very uncomfortable. Now, they're so tiny, it's barely noticable. Pinch the skin on the back of your hand--the needle doesn't hurt that much. It USED TO, but not any more.

When they come at you with that needle, just look away, and tell yourself, "It's just a pinch." It helps me.

[The Dude]

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When they come at you with that needle, just look away, and tell yourself, "It's just a pinch." It helps me.

[/ QUOTE ]
Hmm. I always look right at it, and I won't let the nurse cover it while she's sticking me. In fact, I keep asking if I can stick myself, but so far they keep saying no.

[Lazymeatball]

why would you want to stick yourself, are you trained in venipuncture or something? I'll stick to the medical professionals thank you..

[The Dude]

[ QUOTE ]
why would you want to stick yourself

[/ QUOTE ]
Why not? The worst that can happen is that I miss, bust the vein and get bruising on that arm. Then they take the blood from the other arm, no worries. What's the problem?

[Lazymeatball]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
why would you want to stick yourself

[/ QUOTE ]
Why not? The worst that can happen is that I miss, bust the vein and get bruising on that arm. Then they take the blood from the other arm, no worries. What's the problem?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, that pretty much sums up everything I want to avoid.

[InchoateHand]

Yeah, the phlebotomist always looks at me funny when I offer to do it myself. Chances are I'm better than him/her at it anyway. I have gorgeous leaping veins and they still manage to poke through them on occasion, or worse, roll off them.

[vulturesrow]

This guy has given 75 gallons of blood and all they give him is a flipping pin?

[Dead]

He hasn't given 75 gallons of blood. The blood is returned to him after platelets are taken out.

[vulturesrow]

[ QUOTE ]
He hasn't given 75 gallons of blood. The blood is returned to him after platelets are taken out.

[/ QUOTE ]

Dont be a nit. Its still a significant service that he has provided for a long time, I think he should get a little more recognition than a stupid little pin.

[Dead]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
He hasn't given 75 gallons of blood. The blood is returned to him after platelets are taken out.

[/ QUOTE ]

Dont be a nit. Its still a significant service that he has provided for a long time, I think he should get a little more recognition than a stupid little pin.

[/ QUOTE ]

How is it more generous than someone giving a pint? I've never done apheresis, but I do give blood almost every time I am eligible.

I do agree that this man has done a lot more for humanity than you, however.

[vulturesrow]

[ QUOTE ]
How is it more generous than someone giving a pint?

[/ QUOTE ]

Why are you making such a big deal out of me thinking this guy deserves a little more recognition. Get a life already.

[Eihli]

this pic is useless without more pics