Normally at this point of the description in a Puzzle Cache you read that there is nothing at the given coordinates. That's sort of true here, but not fully so. It's true there is no cache to be found here, but you can find parking hereabouts.
About the Cache
I’m a blood donor. When I went down to d’Olier Street the other day, I confidently expected to be giving my 110th donation. When they told me it was only #109 I was a little disappointed.
It reminded me that so many things in life are about the numbers – few more so than geocaching. And that prompted me to wonder how many geocachers out there are fellow donors.
And so a puzzle was born. It’s not difficult – the object here is not to confuse, but to enlighten.
But before the puzzle, a little introduction to the weird and wonderful world of blood donating (and before you ask, no – it doesn’t hurt, and yes – you can walk/ cycle/ work and do all sorts of normal things after donating).
So what happens to my blood once I’ve parted with it?
Once you’ve donated the blood it’s processed into a number of products suitable for use in the clinical care of patients.
First, the blood is filtered to remove the white blood cells from it. White blood cells are important to prevent and fight infections, but they don’t work when transfused as part of an ordinary blood donation.
Next, the red blood cells are separated out, and a special nutrient fluid is added to preserve them for up to five weeks.
Red Cells are essential to carry oxygen to the cells in all your tissues and organs. Red cell depletion can occur where:
- Red cells are lost from bleeding after injury or during surgery.
- The body loses the capacity to make enough of its own red cells.
- A genetic condition prevents proper red cell formation by the body.
- The body loses the ability to produce enough of its own red blood cells when undergoing chemotherapy for cancer.
Platelets are separated out as part of the blood transfusion process. These are very small cells that are essential for blood clotting. Platelets are used for:
- Patients who receive chemotherapy for cancer may need platelet transfusions to help their blood clot effectively.
- Heart surgery patients and victims of serious trauma can need platelet transfusions too.
Platelets have a short shelf life of five days, so keeping the supply going is a constant challenge. Around 22,000 doses are used in Irish hospitals every year.
Blood Plasma is the third component of each blood donation. This is the fluid in which the cells are suspended in the bloodstream. You have about three litres of it circulating through your blood vessels. It has proteins necessary for immunity and for blood clotting. Plasma can be stored frozen. Plasma is used to:
- Replace proteins where they are lost due to a large blood loss from trauma and during surgery.
- Make purified concentrates. For example patients often receive treatment with immunoglobulin concentrates or albumin made from plasma.
Some facts about blood groups in Ireland…
- The most common blood group in Ireland is O positive (47% of the population)
- The rarest blood group in Ireland is AB negative (1% of the population)
- The most common blood group is O, accounting for about 46% of the world's population. However, in some areas other blood groups predominate, in Norway for example, type A is the most prevalent
- People in the West of Ireland are predominantly of blood group O
- There is a higher concentration of Group A blood in counties which historically received Viking, Anglo Norman and English population settlements
- There are more people with Rhesus negative blood on the East coast than the West
The Puzzle
The cache is not located at the given coordinates. To find the cache, you need to solve the following simple puzzle
- Blood used for very young children must be used within how many days of its collection? = A
- What percentage of the eligible Irish population gives blood? = B
- How many thousand units of blood need to be collected every week in Ireland? = C
- What percentage of the weight of the typical human body is made up of blood? = D
- How many months must you wait after getting a tattoo before you can give blood? = E
- Blood can be broken down into how many parts? = F
- What is the minimum donor age in Ireland? = G
- How much are donors paid for donating blood in Ireland? = H
- How often can a person donate blood in Ireland (answer in days?) = I
- A silver award is given for how many donations? = J
- How many days does it take for your blood to travel a distance approximately equal to travelling five times around the world as it circulates around your body? = K
- How much blood is taken during a blood donation (in ml)? = L
- In tens of thousands, how many patients a year receive a Blood transfusion in the Republic of Ireland? = M
- A car accident victim may require up to how many units of blood? = N
Now put your answers together using the following guide to get the final coordinates:
AB (C-2)D.(E+1)(F-1)(G/2) HH(I/15) (J/10)K.(L-500)(M-6)(N/10)