GIVE BLOOD...IT WAS MEANT TO CIRCULATE!

I have a thing about donating blood...it makes me feel very powerful, like a secret Superman who works anonymously to save the lives of strangers! I've been donating blood since I turned 18, and since 1980 in addition to donating whole blood, I've been giving platelets--tiny disc-shaped bits in the blood that are necessary for clotting.

Who needs platelets? Mostly, it's cancer patients whose disease or medication has lowered their own production of platelets.

What happens if you don't have enough? You start bleeding easily--from the nose, from your mouth, even internally. But platelets are team players--and they work together to stop the bleeding whenever it starts.

You can only give whole blood once every two months, because that's how long it takes for the red cells in your blood to regenerate to full power. But platelets are constantly replacing themselves, and in the past I've given as often as twice in a week.

I'm mentioning this because yesterday I gave platelets at the New York Blood Center on East 67th St. It took about 2 hours because the Center only sticks you in one arm. (At Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, they use both arms and it takes about 1 1/4 hours. This was easier because you can change the TV channel or scratch your nose if you need to.

If you're in good health and you're over 17, please consider giving blood ASAP. There are patients who can't wait--people who need your blood to live another day. Be your own Superhero!