My First Ever Attempt to Donate Plasma - Part II

In Part I of "My First Ever Attempt to Donate Plasma," I learned that the pay for donating plasma is higher than I thought it would be. My last words were: I inhaled deeply. I would do it. Putting away the worries about needles and nausea, I grabbed my library copy of The Kite Runner and headed to the Plasma Center.

ZLB Plasma Services - The Entrance

As I walked toward the plasma center's entrance, I glanced around, wondering if anyone I knew would see me.

The plasma center was located in a strip mall with a large black asphalt parking lot that had seen better days. Among other gems, there was a Valu Foods, a Goodwill, and a Liquor Store. I wondered how many people had hotfooted it from the plasma center with cash in hand and right into the liquor store conveniently located next door.

As I neared the swinging glass door of ZLB Plasma Services, I could smell stale cigarette smoke. No smoking was allowed inside, but from the smell just outside the door, it was obvious countless smokers had indulged before or after donating.

Painted prominently on the outside of the glass windows in large blue and red paint was the advertisement "$40 first time donors! $80 first week!"

ZLB Plasma Services - The Lobby

I opened the door and walked inside the lobby. There were TV's with a movie playing a little too loudly. Rows of hard black plastic chairs lined the waiting area. To my surprise, the lobby floors and furniture were quite clean.

ZLB Plasma Services - The Other Donors

I had been concerned that the other donors would be mostly downtrodden, possibly drug or alcohol addicted people. I had imagined that some of the waiting donors would have obvious mental health issues, causing them to make odd movements or rock back and forth with blank faces.

An hour before I arrived, I had telephoned the plasma center. I was told there was no one in the lobby at that time. When I actually arrived, there were about eight other donors in the waiting room. Several of them looked like college students and were quietly reading books despite the blaring television. One woman was eating a cup of ramen noodles. A few people looked a little down on their luck, but there was no one acting oddly as I had imagined there would be.

The environment inside the plasma center was much more pleasant than I had expected. The employees appeared young and attractive, probably students at the nearby university. With a new sense of confidence, I approached the reception desk.