Poll: Donating blood

Little Woodsman

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Nov 11, 2012
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Amethyst Wind said:
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.
Taking blood samples like they do for studies is a whole different animal than taking a pint for transfusion.
I once took 16 samples from a tiny young woman who had reached 3rd stage evaluation for marrow donation, and I
*shudder* at the thought of trying to get the much larger needle used for a pint donation in to any of her veins.
 

IndomitableSam

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Little Woodsman said:
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.
Not sure which one - they prick your finger and then put a little slide like a diabetes tester into a machine aboutt he size of a kleenex box and it pops out the results in a few seconds. My iron's always been borderline and I've always tried to eat a lot of red meat and dark veggies before donating, so I decided to try some suppliments and it's led to terrible heartburn/possible ulcer that I"m treating with some meds now which has caused a lot of water retention. So I'll talk to my doctor about everything on Tuesday and hopefully get it all sorted. (I'm in Canada if that makes a difference about testing methods.)
 

TeaCeremony

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I donate blood, but lately ive been working pretty much full time with heavy labour. So donating blood will be very unhealthy for me.

Although in highschool i donated blood every 6 weeks which probably was a bad idea when the time came for exams.
 

Little Woodsman

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IndomitableSam said:
Little Woodsman said:
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.
Not sure which one - they prick your finger and then put a little slide like a diabetes tester into a machine aboutt he size of a kleenex box and it pops out the results in a few seconds. My iron's always been borderline and I've always tried to eat a lot of red meat and dark veggies before donating, so I decided to try some suppliments and it's led to terrible heartburn/possible ulcer that I"m treating with some meds now which has caused a lot of water retention. So I'll talk to my doctor about everything on Tuesday and hopefully get it all sorted. (I'm in Canada if that makes a difference about testing methods.)
Ok, that test is showing your red blood cells versus plasma in your blood. (It's called a hematocrit test.)
Sometimes the issue is iron intake, sometimes it isn't. Some people just don't make as many red blood cells as
other people. Talking to your MD is definitely the best idea. Even if it turns out that you can't donate there
are still plenty of ways to help out, for example organizing a local drive, or driving someone who wants to
donate but is uncomfortable driving home after the donation to the center.
 

Ryotknife

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Oct 15, 2011
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Put me on the "O+ but cant donate due to low iron (and probably other medical reasons)"

..seriously are O+ people more likely to be anemic or something?

EDIT: and me having psiorasis probably doesn't help either.
 

IndomitableSam

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Little Woodsman said:
Ok, that test is showing your red blood cells versus plasma in your blood. (It's called a hematocrit test.)
Sometimes the issue is iron intake, sometimes it isn't. Some people just don't make as many red blood cells as
other people. Talking to your MD is definitely the best idea. Even if it turns out that you can't donate there
are still plenty of ways to help out, for example organizing a local drive, or driving someone who wants to
donate but is uncomfortable driving home after the donation to the center.
I have donated many times before, but it's always been borderline readings, this last time was only 2 points below the level needed. So it's worth going every time, even if my red blood count is low, just to try. There's also a place in the city that does plasma donations, so I may try there if it becomes an issue. It's just that doing it through work is so handy - a bus shows up, I get on it, do my thing, get a doughnut and a coke, then come back to work and don't even have to make up the couple hours.

I have thought that taking the iron pills may have raised my iron levels a bit too high, so hopefully I can get some blood drawn next week, maybe enough to just solve the issue by the act of drawing the blood itself.
 

Little Woodsman

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Nov 11, 2012
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IndomitableSam said:
Little Woodsman said:
Ok, that test is showing your red blood cells versus plasma in your blood. (It's called a hematocrit test.)
Sometimes the issue is iron intake, sometimes it isn't. Some people just don't make as many red blood cells as
other people. Talking to your MD is definitely the best idea. Even if it turns out that you can't donate there
are still plenty of ways to help out, for example organizing a local drive, or driving someone who wants to
donate but is uncomfortable driving home after the donation to the center.
I have donated many times before, but it's always been borderline readings, this last time was only 2 points below the level needed. So it's worth going every time, even if my red blood count is low, just to try. There's also a place in the city that does plasma donations, so I may try there if it becomes an issue. It's just that doing it through work is so handy - a bus shows up, I get on it, do my thing, get a doughnut and a coke, then come back to work and don't even have to make up the couple hours.

I have thought that taking the iron pills may have raised my iron levels a bit too high, so hopefully I can get some blood drawn next week, maybe enough to just solve the issue by the act of drawing the blood itself.
Yeah getting checked every time is pretty much worth it...unless you just *always* get readings that are too low.

You're a woman right? Women rarely have issues with too much iron, though once again--ask your MD.

As for plasma donations...well just so you are aware, any place that *pays* for plasma (or blood for that matter)
that plasma/blood isn't going for patient transfusion. Most (not all) plasma centers are collecting plasma to sell
to cosmetics companies.
 

Fdzzaigl

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Mar 31, 2010
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Done it several times already, will continue in the future.

I usually need to plan it beforehand though, the Red Cross does send me messages often, but they often end up asking me to donate just before some important deadline.
 

EscapeGoat_v1legacy

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Aug 20, 2008
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Well, I get a double-whammy of 'no'. The main reason I just couldn't give blood is because I'm deathly afraid of needles. I am a massive wuss when it comes to them, I'm afraid, and while I'd like to give blood and know I should, it's getting over that fear. The only time I managed to overcome that fear and went to give blood was a few years back now and I got stopped for backwards reasons. So yeah, double whammy on the 'no' poll though, to be fair, they no longer stop you for backwards reasons anymore where I live.
 
Dec 15, 2009
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Henrik Knudsen said:
You forgot "I'm heavily medicated most of the time and is barred for obvious reasons"
This is precisely the reason that I cannot give blood, mine would probably register as toxic to anyone who wasn't me. Other than that one annoying little factor, I would be more than happy to donate, needles don't bother me and helping to save a life is always cool. Plus free cookies and donuts! Who doesn't like donuts?
 

Catfood220

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Dec 21, 2010
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I last gave blood in January, certain things have stopped me since such as being on standby (they won't take blood if there is a chance of you doing any lifting) moving to a new area and I was supposed to give blood a couple of weeks ago, but have been ill recently and I still have a bit of a cough which will be gone in the next week I hope.

I'll make an appointment in the next couple of weeks, I like giving blood because its something I can do to help people without having doing very much. I mean, anyone can lay on a table and bleed. Also, I see it as a duty seeing as I have rare blood, O RH Negative and that's running low.
 

Roxas1359

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Aug 8, 2009
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I give blood from time to time since I've got the most desired blood of all, O RH Negative so whenever I donate blood the blood bank is happy. Was bad when I was growing up though since my mom is AB so she had to get shots so her body wouldn't try to abort me.

Although I've not given blood for a while now, but that's because I'm medicated now. Curse you mental illnesses! >.<
 

trollnystan

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Dec 27, 2010
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I'd love to but I can't. I voted for "fear of needles" although it's not the needles I'm afraid of but the fact that I faint after bloodloss. The only time I don't is during my period.

Funnily enough it started when I went to donate blood for the first time. Thought it was a one-off, so I went again - fainted again.

I also shake during these fainting fits. Scared the crap out of my friend who I went to donate blood with.

A few years later I had to have a blood sample taken after a doctor's appointment. I told the nurse I tended to faint, and he said I could lie down while he took it. Felt fine I thought, if a little light-headed afterwards, as I rested on the exam table - until I was slapped awake 5 minutes later by the nurse. He let me lay there for 30 minutes, but finally I had to go to work. He helped me up, asked me if I was sure I was fine - "Yes, I'm fine, I'm fine, have to go to work." - and then I bent down to pick up my bag.

Woke up 15-20 minutes later on the floor with my shirt pushed up and 5 medical professionals running around me. I lay on the floor for a bit, eating cookies and drinking juice while the nurses bantered with me, and then my sister came and picked me up and I burst into tears. I didn't go to work that day.

Now I panic at the thought of proper blood tests. I even feel light-headed when all they do is prick my finger. A (very exasperated) nurse told me it was an adverse reaction to adrenaline, but I have almost no problem when I experience adrenaline in other situations.

Every time I bleed heavily from a cut or sometimes even when people just talk about bleeding a lot, I need to lie down or I'll faint. Once I fainted even as I lay down. FUN TIMES.

EDIT: Especially annoying as my bloodtype is 0 negative. (I think. It might be positive. Damn my online medical journal for not having that information!)
 

DanielBrown

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Dec 3, 2010
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Not sure if I can donate blood due to some medication I'm taking. As far as I know my blood type is the most common of them all, so they're probably not missing out on anything special.
 

Gavmando

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Feb 3, 2009
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I would happily donate blood, but i'm not alowed. I get accupuncture so they wont accept me. Which is a pitty as I am A- which is uncommon and they could always use more.
 

Esotera

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They're usually pretty booked up, if you head in uncalled for an appointment in the UK they'll usually turn you away. I get the feeling they don't really have a shortage of people wanting to give blood most of the time, they just operate a just-in-time system in order to cut costs.
 

Snowbell

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Apr 13, 2012
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Unfortunately I can't, I am considered underweight by the NHS so they won't take my blood :'(
 

RaikuFA

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Jun 12, 2009
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I donate a lot. I'm o-, my cholesterol is below average and I've got good veins. I got red gold in me.
 

Kayevcee

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I'm not allowed since I've had chemotherapy. My blood is so full of wacky brightly coloured shit that if they put it in someone else they could start sprouting extra limbs like a cross between that one Spider-man story and the centaurs from Fallout.

I do encourage others to donate when they can, though. Most of my friends do.

-Nick
 

marcooos

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Nov 18, 2009
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Esotera said:
They're usually pretty booked up, if you head in uncalled for an appointment in the UK they'll usually turn you away. I get the feeling they don't really have a shortage of people wanting to give blood most of the time, they just operate a just-in-time system in order to cut costs.
Most places have spaces you just have to call up and ask. I'm lucky as the blood van is a 15 minute drive to another of my organisations sites so I can book it through work. But for real just email an search around an im sure you will find somewhere convenient