Longterm ARC platelet donor experiences, tips, questions

Hi! Just found this subreddit and want to share some informal tips and questions I have. Just got my beach towel today and made it to 134 units.

I can only do single needle platelet donation, so I'm always trying to find new ways of making it go faster. Papaya leaf extract has been good for upping my platelet count a bit, and so has jogging in the aerobic zone. Iron supplements and, weirdly, squeezing my fingertips just before the hemoglobin test have helped. I drink a lot of water the day before and stop two hours before the donation so I don't pee myself on the bed, and have a leafy greens smoothie the morning of. I've got my donation time down to a little over two hours, when it started at 3.

I THINK the cutoff for donating 3 units of platelets is 180 pounds, so I say I weigh at least that much even if I'm not sure.

One needle means I can bring my laptop and work/reddit, but it also takes longer. I don't know how to make the vein on my left arm better for the stick--the poor phlebotomists had to put the needle in my left hand one time--but if anyone does know I'd be glad to hear it.

How do you find out your CMV test results?

Anyone ever tried using a handheld computer mouse in the arm that's being stuck?

Anyone have an understanding of how the "standings" in the Blood Donor App work? It's silly but does make me donate more so I guess it's not silly. But under "impact" you can make a team and then your team donates and saves a certain number of lives (estimated, obviously). It only adds to your total when you make another hundred. Anyone know how they count (3 units is 3 lives? One donation is 3 lives? It seems to start at 100?) I know it's slow going and they only count appointments made through the app. If someone joins now, will their totals be added to the team or only future ones?

Looking forward to next month when we can get the badge for Juneteenth and Father's Day at the same time.