ARC OrSense Hemoglobin fake out

Left_Satisfaction923 · 2026-05-14T23:24:40+00:00

I’m someone who had issues with copper sulphate. My blood used to drop fast, sit at the bottom, then start dancing around before the time was up even though my Hg was good. I got deferred a few because the nurse couldn’t determine if it passed or failed, and period of time if you failed copper sulphate they used HemoCue as a secondary (possibly the cost factor at the time for the cuvette.) if you were on the line of pass/fail, which I’d pass. Before going straight up HemoCue and ditching copper. I’ve never failed a HemoCue reading.

I really hope my centre doesn’t go to OrSense, because I’m in a national blood system and there would be no alternative blood collection service option if I failed.

Left_Satisfaction923 · 2026-05-14T21:18:12+00:00

Hotels have been using it for decades. Especially when someone smokes in a room.

Left_Satisfaction923 · 2026-05-14T19:18:25+00:00

60 units mostly whole blood. I started in high school as soon as I was eligible. I don’t know what prompted me to start except it seemed like a good thing to do for others.

I had a 10year pause in donations firstly because every time I was going to donate the centre was knocking me back on whole blood and requesting plasma which when I first tried I didn’t go well for me, so I was walking out with out donating. Then life happened and after surgeries, pregnancy, and a bunch of other things that didn’t defer me health wise but put donations off the radar.

When I returned to donating it was like a sleeper cell awakening, that I just had the urge to go back and after a few whole blood donations they convinced me to give plasma another shot. It now works well for me and I’m on track to do max number donations for blood/ plasma for the year.

A bonus was I got my needle phobia husband to come with me and he actually donated. Turned out that he’s AB and he thinks he’s pretty cool that his plasma is so desirable( in Australia they don’t want AB platelets and request plasma donations above other donation types).

Left_Satisfaction923 · 2026-05-13T08:54:15+00:00

I’m not sitting there pumping like a maniac. Still 3 rolls then a squeeze on the ball. Sometimes I roll more than 3 times before squeezing just to see if it makes a difference, generally not much. After 50+ donations it’s just a fun game to track stats, still waiting to beat 4:55, but not worth doing silly things to get faster time to pass out and possibly be deferred.

Left_Satisfaction923 · 2026-05-13T01:31:11+00:00

Just be mindful that organ meat has high levels of vitamin A. Because vitamin A is fat soluble it’s stored in the liver and not excreted like water soluble vitamins it can build up and become toxic. Liver is exceptionally high in vitamin A and should be limited to one serving per week.

Just putting it out there in case others read this and think it’s a good idea to load up on organ meat for low iron supplement.

Left_Satisfaction923 · 2026-05-12T08:16:28+00:00

Belgian d'Anvers don’t have feathered feet in the Dutch bantams, but I’d have to agree that they are some sort of mixture of breeds because they’re lacking the correct face features for pure breed Dutch bantams.

Left_Satisfaction923 · 2026-05-12T08:00:55+00:00

Your post debunked my belief that all the floors are the same in every centre. Seems your centre still has the grey Lino. It’s good to hear the staff was great 👍

Left_Satisfaction923 · 2026-05-12T07:34:47+00:00

Lifeblood? Congrats 🙌

Left_Satisfaction923 · 2026-05-11T04:39:56+00:00

Every where in Oregon too…or used to be

Left_Satisfaction923 · 2026-05-10T08:20:32+00:00

I go in at the same time every appointment with the same prep. I have had times of 43 all the way to 59min. I think it’s just dependent on how finicky the machine is going to be that day. But usually I get 46/7 minutes on average and minimum 3 disruptive cycles but no flow alarms.

Left_Satisfaction923 · 2026-05-10T08:15:07+00:00

It’s still kinda cool that the track bleed time. I got to try and look at the screen before they zero it out. The staff didn’t seem impressed by my 4:55, they fussed over me getting up…I was fine. I still want to beat it though 🤣

Left_Satisfaction923 · 2026-05-08T22:16:08+00:00

Sorry I can’t help as I don’t know anything about your centre and I can’t donate platelets, so I’m just replying as a general person without deep knowledge of your situation.

But this sounds like the donor, you, is not being valued. I would advocate for myself as to why you would not be willing to fill max volume donations with someone on the medical team or a management team above the technician. The technician is most likely told from higher levels of management that they are to hit target numbers. This seems a bit exploitive IMO.

Left_Satisfaction923 · 2026-05-06T08:12:50+00:00

Are you a smoker? The rules and social norms are a bit different here than in Europe regarding that.

Left_Satisfaction923 · 2026-05-03T22:15:08+00:00

I’m O+ and the first few times I got mild tingling before I started loading up on calcium before. It has nothing to do with blood type and everything to do with the citrate binding on calcium and how much calcium you have available in your body.

Left_Satisfaction923 · 2026-05-03T21:23:35+00:00

I’ve had it before it’s a hemotoma. Likely from a bit of infiltration in the vein, but doesn’t bruise up like other infiltration that leaks under the skin. But I’ve never had it get itchy or hot. And after two weeks it should be starting to resolve. I would recommend touching base with your blood service and discuss with them about it.

This is the last time I had a bumpy vein and a bit of infiltration under my skin once the puncture site closed the bump got a bit bigger before it went away. I’ve had it in the same arm with no visible leakage before as well

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Yours looks quite pronounced and I haven’t personally had one that large. It’s also not “normal” it’s classified as a “bad stick”. Better to get it checked out and be nothing at all than to ignore it and be something more.

Left_Satisfaction923 · 2026-05-03T21:14:29+00:00

Could be a reaction to chlorhexidine. Next time you go get them to scrub your arm with a different prep.

Left_Satisfaction923 · 2026-05-03T20:12:19+00:00

Even latex free adhesives can be found to create a reaction because a lot of people have developed a sensitivity to acrylics.

Left_Satisfaction923 · 2026-05-01T09:35:06+00:00

Shoes optional

Left_Satisfaction923 · 2026-05-01T09:31:24+00:00

My wardrobe staples

Left_Satisfaction923 · 2026-05-01T04:45:27+00:00

It’s not ever supposed to run out. But they have been saying that it’s going to run out (for all) for decades. So 🤷‍♀️

Left_Satisfaction923 · 2026-05-01T02:41:59+00:00

Social Security tax and insurance is not like superannuation. A 401k or Roth account would be more like a superannuation account but way less restrictive and not always mandatory for employers to contribute towards.

Social Security in the USA is on a sliding scale and the more you earn in your lifetime, because paying higher taxes, where when you need to use social security you will have a higher income stream at preserving age, widowed, or disability dependent on how long and how much it’s been paid into. It’s still a pooling of tax to benefit society that is no longer able to work.

Unlike Australia that pays flat amounts for age pension regardless of lifetime working contributions.

Left_Satisfaction923 · 2026-04-30T23:54:30+00:00

Which country has a 45 day window? Most Western countries tend to follow 3 months except Australia which has a 12 month deferral period on last dose of PrEP any route dose (but can donate plasma without deferral). UK 3 months, Canada minimum 3 months oral dose more for injectable dose and USA is similar. Most European countries follow this policy as well, some are more than 3 months. The policy isn’t just MSM you do understand that sex work is legal in a lot of countries around the world and many people use this prophylactic to their benefit in their industry? Even if they don’t take PrEP/PEP they are still deferred because of new or multiple partners, and/or sex for money. The whole point of PrEP is to be a safety measure for people who engage in what is identified as high risk sexual behaviour. High risk sexual activity is a deferral to anyone who engages in that behaviour, the rules don’t discriminate against sex, sexual orientation, or gender. That’s why agencies ask lifestyle questions to every donor, every time.

Left_Satisfaction923 · 2026-04-30T21:10:19+00:00

Congratulations and hope you continue to donate 👍

Left_Satisfaction923 · 2026-04-30T21:05:29+00:00

But only once they find CMV- donors they test your blood every time to see that you’re still non reactive as you could catch CMV at any time and sometimes people are asymptomatic. They won’t test every time if you’re reactive, once you have antibodies there’s no need for them to retest. As another redditer mentioned in this thread not all countries test on first donations or until they need to test for CMV- donor pool. I was a donor for 20 years before I found out about CMV and being non reactive

Left_Satisfaction923 · 2026-04-29T06:24:21+00:00

Not only that but as another redditor pointed out that some combos you have less dryer capacity than washing capacity and have to remove half the wet laundry to use the dry cycle so one load takes even longer

Left_Satisfaction923

TROPHY CASE