A TikTok creator who posts as @shitshowshan said she left a plasma donation center without donating after staff could not find a second usable vein in her arms.
She described the visit in a video, saying she spent about an hour and 45 minutes at the center before being turned away.
“I just had to do a walk of shame out of a plasma donation center,” she said in the video.
Why She Went to the Plasma Center
She said new donors can earn extra money during their first month. “You can make a hundred bucks the first four times in your first donations,” she said.
The woman said she had weekends coming up and could use the cash, so she booked an appointment and went after work.
“I’m ready to do something good for people and get a little in return,” she said.
Check-in went smoothly, she said, because she had all of her documents with her. “Unlike the other people, I felt like I was acing TSA,” the TikTok user added.
Vitals and the Finger-Prick Test
Staff then recorded her height and weight and pricked her finger to check her blood. She said she knew her hydration and iron levels would be fine, but she did not recognize the third test.
She noted that the finger prick left her feeling queasy and sweaty. “I’m getting stressed out. I’m getting a little sweaty,” she said.
Staff then took her blood pressure, which she said she expected to be high after the finger prick.
What the Payments Would Have Added Up To
After a physical, which she said she passed, a staff member explained the payment schedule. She was told she could earn $100 for each of her next three donations and could then return twice a week.
She did the math in the video. “I’m looking at 650 for the month. This week I can pay for that flight,” the TikToker said.
What the Process Required
A staff member then explained that the process required finding her “best two veins.”
She reacted with surprise. “Two? Two veins?” she said.
Per her account, the first vein, in one arm, worked well. “First vein, beautiful, nice. It’s bouncing back,” she said. In her other arm, the staff member found nothing and called for a second opinion.
The second staff member pressed several times and also found no usable vein. She was then told the center would not proceed without a backup.
She had already ruled out hydration as the cause. “I drink basically a gallon of water a day,” the woman said.
The TikTok user added that staff had tried her veins before. “Don’t worry, I’ve already been. They’ve tried those,” she said.
Questions About the Screening Order
She said the two-vein requirement came up only at the last step. “Why was the two-vein thing, the vein check, perhaps not in those vitals? Why am I just now at the last step?” she asked in the video.
She also asked what would happen if she had only one working vein and needed emergency care. “What happens if I literally have that one?” she said.
Her Advice for Other Donors
She gathered her belongings and left. She closed the video with a warning for others.
“If you know you have a history of bad veins, don’t show up. Don’t waste your time,” she said.
She ended the video with a joke about the money she missed out on. “Anybody who wants $800 and wants to send it to me. You know I need it,” she said.
The video did not name the donation center and it included no statement from the center.
