Poll: Donating blood

marcooos

Shit Be Serial Cray
Nov 18, 2009
309
0
0
Hey escapists,

I like to post these at least once a year to try and get people to donate blood roughly around the same time I do.
I'm in the UK so there is no monetary incentive, its just 30-45 minutes of your time, a little bit of pain but you walk away with the knowledge you helped save someone's life.

Any who's not gone before, try it? Please? It takes so little time to make an appointment and generally the staff there will help and reassure you throughout the process.
 

Thaluikhain

Elite Member
Legacy
Jan 16, 2010
18,580
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Where I live, people who were in the UK a while back aren't allowed to give blood.

My dad gave blood once, and he was so bad with needles that they told him not to come back. I'm as bad, so that means I can't either :(
 

OneCatch

New member
Jun 19, 2010
1,111
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marcooos said:
Hey escapists,

I like to post these at least once a year to try and get people to donate blood roughly around the same time I do.
I'm in the UK so there is no monetary incentive, its just 30-45 minutes of your time, a little bit of pain but you walk away with the knowledge you helped save someone's life.

Any who's not gone before, try it? Please? It takes so little time to make an appointment and generally the staff there will help and reassure you throughout the process.
I do generally, but haven't in a while - they discouraged me for a while because I kept passing out during it - being tall, gangly, vegetarian, and not keen on needles apparently isn't the best combo for donating. Who knew?

Will have to check when they're in my area though!
 

marcooos

Shit Be Serial Cray
Nov 18, 2009
309
0
0
Henrik Knudsen said:
You forgot "I'm heavily medicated most of the time and is barred for obvious reasons"
No I didn't it's called no. Last time the main cause of nos were gay or fear, illness barely factored in
 

Miyenne

New member
May 16, 2013
387
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My sister does regularly; she works for the government and a bus comes around to pick people up from her work and drives them to and from. She's only ever been denied once for low iron.

I wish I did. But they really don't make it accessible here. Which kinda sucks.

Being twins we're both O+ so we're the second most universal type.

I do keep an eye out for clinics near me, but it never happens. It's usually downtown and our downtown is insane. Parking, if you can find it is about $10/h (I know that's not much for some people) and the traffic is just dumb. And I'm just making excuses as to why I don't.

I'll try harder to find a clinic.
 

Quaxar

New member
Sep 21, 2009
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thaluikhain said:
Where I live, people who were in the UK a while back aren't allowed to give blood.
Well yeah, that's kinda widespread with different restriction dates and nations because of the Creutzfeldt-Jakob rate there at that time, which we currently cannot test for in transfusions but which can nevertheless be spreads through such.
Sometimes the dates seem a bit excessive (the US filters anyone who spent 3 months in the UK any time between 1980-96) but on the other hand you wouldn't really want worsening dementia, psychosis, seizures, speech impediments, depression, etc. for six months to five years followed by death, would you?
 

Foolery

No.
Jun 5, 2013
1,714
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I already donate blood regularly. No monetary incentive here in Canada but you do get cookies and juice. My type is also O+
 

IndomitableSam

New member
Sep 6, 2011
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I do, through work. It's usually only every 4 months or so, though. Last time I went my iron was too low, so I couldn't donate, so I finally started taking iron suppliments and that has led to some health issues. I go see my GP on Tuesday so hopefully I can get myself sorted and be able to donate again soo, as I'm O+ so anyone with a +Rh needs my blood.

Edit: I see @Miyenne already posted. >.> Let me post, I'm at work and need to not be doing work.
 

Da Orky Man

Yeah, that's me
Apr 24, 2011
2,107
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Apparently, my blood isn't very good for donating. Despite having an otherwise excellent immune system, I'm alarmingly susceptible to septicemia, something you don't want a patient getting just after an operation.
 

Boris Goodenough

New member
Jul 15, 2009
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I donate blood every 4 months (and when I am healthy), I get chips and juice and last time (at 10'th tap, again at 25'th and finally at 50'th) I got 2 tickets for a random movie.

I am A-
 

Henrik Knudsen

New member
Apr 15, 2013
62
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marcooos said:
Henrik Knudsen said:
You forgot "I'm heavily medicated most of the time and is barred for obvious reasons"
No I didn't it's called no. Last time the main cause of nos were gay or fear, illness barely factored in
Well I considered donating blood but was barred. So I can't answer "no" to the question. :)
 

Gameguy20100

New member
Sep 6, 2012
374
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Sure I don't need all of it I'm gonna make more anyway so if someone needs it why not give them a pint or two?
 

WhiteFangofWhoa

New member
Jan 11, 2008
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I have actually, but after the first time the doctor told me I didn't have the body mass to guarantee no dangers to my health- I'm pretty skinny.
 

DrRockor

New member
Jun 24, 2008
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I'm not sure if I'm able to yet. I had a tattoo roughly 6 months ago and I was told that I can't donate blood until after 6 months also for some reason I really don't like needles for blood. They always seem to have trouble finding a vein.
 

Vegosiux

New member
May 18, 2011
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I'm too scrawny, and they don't allow me to do it. So, while I can "consider" it, I am not going to actually be allowed to do it anytime soon.
 

xmbts

Still Approved by Shock
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May 30, 2010
20,800
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I tried once. I've had too many transfusions so they don't trust me, they'd likely just dispose of it if they did take some.

But for those that do donate, thanks, I'd be dead otherwise.
 

Amethyst Wind

New member
Apr 1, 2009
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I've tried in the past solely to find out my blood type (it isn't listed on my birth certificate and I have to pay to find out from the NHS which I refuse to do - think I should contact the NSA? They might know) but I was turned away because I apparently have non-compatible veins, even though I have done a 4-day clinical study where I gave blood several dozen times.
 

Little Woodsman

New member
Nov 11, 2012
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I should be donating in the next couple of weeks provided my contact dermatitis is not acting up too much at the time.
I've donated 90+ times, gonna hit that 100 donation milestone soon.
My blood type is O+, and I have "Baby blood" (my blood is suitable for transfusion to premature babies, infants,
transplant recipients and other people whose immune systems are compromised) so I've got excellent motivation.

I worked at a blood center for 6+ years, so if people have questions about blood donation, I'll be happy to
try and answer them.
 

Little Woodsman

New member
Nov 11, 2012
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IndomitableSam said:
I do, through work. It's usually only every 4 months or so, though. Last time I went my iron was too low, so I couldn't donate, so I finally started taking iron suppliments and that has led to some health issues. I go see my GP on Tuesday so hopefully I can get myself sorted and be able to donate again soo, as I'm O+ so anyone with a +Rh needs my blood.

Edit: I see @Miyenne already posted. >.> Let me post, I'm at work and need to not be doing work.
Was the test you failed for iron (the one where they put a drop of your blood in the cylinder of blue fluid),
or for red blood cell percentage (tested for by taking a capillary tube of your blood and spinning it down)?
Sometimes if you have a low RBC count the issue isn't actually iron.
When you talk to your doctor please be sure to let her/him know which kind of test it was.