Spinoff: Do you donate blood?

[BKMETV]

I think they just described my entire 20 year dating career. Granted, I mostly got paid with dinner and a movie, jewelry, perfume, etc, etc, etc.

On topic, I can't donate due to anemia. DH donates when he thinks of it, but it's nothing regular. If there's a drive going on and he has the time, he'll stop by to "bleed a little" for them.

I have terrible veins...the doctor's office has to take blood out of the top of my hand...Blood Services won't do that so unfortunately they don't want me. DH on the other hand is AB+ and they call him regularly.

 

[tlbwriter]

No joke - my humor is not that subtle. This was info from Red Cross, admittedly from some time ago, probably 10 years. Maybe I should try again.

No, I'm sorry, I knew it wasn't a joke that they won't take your blood if you've lived in the UK for a certain time. I just didn't know if you were joking about mad cow disease, saying you couldn't have caught it because you weren't around any cows. Because that's not how you catch it - you catch it from eating beef. So if you ate beef in the UK during whatever time period that was, you are "at risk" for being exposed to mad cow disease, even though you never saw a cow patty.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

No, I'm sorry, I knew it wasn't a joke that they won't take your blood if you've lived in the UK for a certain time. I just didn't know if you were joking about mad cow disease, saying you couldn't have caught it because you weren't around any cows. Because that's not how you catch it - you catch it from eating beef. So if you ate beef in the UK during whatever time period that was, you are "at risk" for being exposed to mad cow disease, even though you never saw a cow patty.

I thought I remembered instances of people supposedly catching Mad Cow disease from stepping in cow feces. Something about it becoming airborne maybe and people having their shoes checked at airports? Maybe that later was found to be false, but I remember something like this in the news.

 

[laurie31]

I would love to and want to donate but I am deathly afraid of needles. I am the biggest baby when it comes to getting shots and what not. Plus its really hard to find my veins. Next to I see a blood donation going on I'm going to try to go.

Ask for a local anesthetic! EMLA cream would be best. You have to appl;y it 1-2 hours in advance for it to work. It's *SO* worth it!!

I'd like it to. I have "the gay" though.

They are working to revise this silly rule. This is extrememly outdated and shouldn't apply now. ANYONE can have HIV and all blood donations are tested for it, so the "men who have sex with men" thing isn't really the risk factor that it once was.

Hopefully you will soon be eligible to donate!

 

[2binak]

I donate regularly. I am O neg and CMV neg. I can count on getting a call about donating within a day or two of becoming eligible again. They have mentioned the double platelet thing but I have never done it. I may try since some here say it's easy.

With double reds, you donate red blood cells and they give you back your plasma & platelets. You dontate every 4 months instead of every 2 months. Along with feeling better afterwards, the time savings is a plus for my DH too.

http://www.redcrossblood.org/donating-blood/types-donations/double-red-blood-cells-donation

 

[srferson]

Oh man. Sad but funny. I didn't know having "the gay" was an automatic disqualifier.

I used to donate, but it got harder and harder. First, they couldn't get an entire pint in the time allowed (I don't know if that's still an issue, but at the time, if it took too long to fill a bag they booted you out and threw your blood away). Then I was getting rejected because my pulse was too fast or my iron was too low. And I had a transfusion last year, so I don't know how long until I'm eligible again, but it's at the point where I hate to try, because it wastes their time and supplies.

Never thought about the pulse... How fast is too fast?

 

[jlewisinsyr]

They are working to revise this silly rule. This is extrememly outdated and shouldn't apply now. ANYONE can have HIV and all blood donations are tested for it, so the "men who have sex with men" thing isn't really the risk factor that it once was.

Hopefully you will soon be eligible to donate!

They have been "working on it" for well over a decade, I'm not holding my breath. And since its still a "choice" according to many, it's a "choice" to participate in what they determine to be risky activities, regardless of how "risky" they really are.

 

[tlbwriter]

Never thought about the pulse... How fast is too fast?

It was somewhere around 100.

 

[tlbwriter]

I thought I remembered instances of people supposedly catching Mad Cow disease from stepping in cow feces. Something about it becoming airborne maybe and people having their shoes checked at airports? Maybe that later was found to be false, but I remember something like this in the news.

I haven't heard that. But even if it's true, it's a moot point, because you would still catch it from eating affected beef as well.

 

[bigbabyblues]

I would, if I could; I don't weigh enough. My DS had to have surgery when he was 15 months old, and he had to have a transfusion, so I appreciate anyone who does.

 

[bettymae1121]

I used to, but they always had such a hard time starting the IV (took a half dozen attempts and was very painful) that I stopped. I should try again, I'm a relatively rare type (AB+) but I have a hard enough time with needles as it is, having to have them stick me 2 to 6 times before they get it right is more than I can handle! Maybe I'll try a different center this time, see if that helps.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

No, cant because of the cancer.

I sure have gotten lots of it though. Once I had 3 transfusions and then I had the 7 when I was dying.

My dh and the 3 ds all donate and ds 19 organized a blood drive at christmas time. They got 28 pints.

 

[srferson]

I haven't heard that. But even if it's true, it's a moot point, because you would still catch it from eating affected beef as well.

I think you mean 'it's a moo point!'

 

[Kellydelly]

I am O- blood so when I started donating 5 yrs ago I would get a lot of phone calls from Red Cross trying to get me to come in. The last couple of times I went it was very painful so I decided not to do it anymore. I work as an RN and I was giving a transfusion last night and it made me think of doing my civic duty and giving up some of my blood again.

 

[Conservative Hippie]

I think you mean 'it's a moo point!'

It's like a cow's opinion. It just doesn't matter. It's moo.

 

[srferson]

It's like a cow's opinion. It just doesn't matter. It's moo.

Indeed, Joey. Indeed.

 

[Cinderella94]

I think you mean 'it's a moo point!'

It's like a cow's opinion. It just doesn't matter. It's moo.

Indeed, Joey. Indeed.

Now have I been living with him for too long or did that all just make sense??
Love Friends!

Anyway, I can't donate but I've gotten many transfusions in the last 2-3 years so I think everyone who does .

 

[krcit]

I have the very valuable O- coursing through my veins... And my local blood bank knows it, only because I did donate once before finding out that they do not accept blood from homosexuals. Now I'm not gay, but I refuse to help out any organization that would discriminate like that. They call me multiple times a month asking if I could come in to donate blood. I tell them that I am gay, and ask them if it is a problem, which of course I know will be. Then I tell em to talk to the people at the top and give me a call when they can get their heads out of their nether regions!

I get what you're saying and I think it's a ridiculous rule also but by donating blood you are helping individuals not the organization.

 

[srferson]

It was somewhere around 100.

I wonder if I'd have that problem. For a long time I didn't weight enough. (I'm short.) Now I think I do. But I know I have a fast pulse.

It's probably time for me to go find out if I can donate though. DH does it as often as he's allowed. It's certainly a good thing to do if you can.

Thanks for the reminder.

 

[srferson]

I get what you're saying and I think it's a ridiculous rule also but by donating blood you are helping individuals not the organization.

Well put.