Mental note to self: Never donate blood when you have a volleyball game that same night.
Wow!!! I donated yesterday at noon and drank plenty of water and ate but did I ever run out of gas on the court last night. Absolutely no “hops” or quickness. Couldn’t cover the blocks… was reaching for the ball instead of moving my feet…
We won 2 out of three but I take responsibility for the loss. It’s a bad sign when Sledman has his hands on his knees waiting for the other team to serve.
I thought I was going down last night. It took 15 minutes before I could walk out of the court area and sit down after we finished. I’m still a wreck today. It feels like I went on a drinking marathon till 2 am. Body is sore, I’m listless…
They told me the first time I donated it wouldn’t be a problem as long as I drank plenty of water and had at least 4-5 hours in between donating and playing. And it hadn’t been a problem till last night.
So take heed and don’t push yourself too hard after giving blood fellow Dopers.
I can’t give blood. I have a low iron count… I remember the time that I had to get bloodwork done and then went to school.
Everyone thought I was drunk (at 8 in the morning, no less.). The oddest part was apparently when, in the middle of history class, I asked the teacher, “Mr. Walls? Can you make the room stop spinning?” After which I promptly fell asleep on the desk.
I don’t remember any of it, and the next day when people were asking me questions… sometimes damage control is a little rough.
Might have had to do with some other things that were going on in your life on this particular day, Sledman.
I donate blood ever other month. It is such an easy thing to do to give back to the community, and I have never felt any ill affects.
An interesting thing—I do a lot of volunteering in my community, and some of my friends have commented to me that they would volunteer if they had the time, etc. I always say “Well, if you don’t have TIME to volunteer, maybe you could donate blood~~it is easy, and takes little time, and won’t be detrimental in any way unless you are not well to begin with.” They usually look at me with consternation, and start the old hem-hah thing.
What is the big deal, I would be interested to know?
I tried to donate blood three times over about 6 months at my University blood drives. After the third unsuccessful attempt, they told me I should stop trying. See, the little bag that is supposed to fill after about 15 minutes or so? I was there thirty minutes each time, and it never filled more than a third of the way.
It turns out I have a Factor 8 deficiency, which may or may not contribute to my inability to donate blood, depending on which doctor I ask. This is quite unfortunate, as it’s something I actually want to do!
I have to agree with Scotticher, giving blood is relatively easy. I was never really keen on the idea, but about a year and a half ago I donated for the first time in honor of a co-worker who had a serious car accident. I didn’t really know what to expect, but it was no big deal at all. I’ve never really even felt drained afterwards, although I do make sure to drink plenty of fruit juice before and after.
I can attest to Sledman’s difficulties last night. He was pretty pale for a good hour after playing and was unable to indulge in a few beers with the rest of us. :eek:
In his defense, he still puts in more effert than anyone else I’ve ever seen on a volleyball court and his exhaustion was certainly not the sole reason we dropped a game.
We have a blood drive at work a few times a year. There were a few times (I am a slow learner) that I donated blood and then went directly to my aerobic class or kick boxing.
The first time I thought that maybe I just wasn’t into my workout. The second time I didn’t know if I was going to last the hour without dropping to the floor. The third time my instructor told me to hit the bicycle about 2/3 of the way through class because I looked a little pale. She said she would kick my butt if I didn’t start donating blood after class.
It feels like every ounce of energy is spent within the first few minutes.
I bust my butt volunteering for numerous charities. American Cancer Society, local things. I do this because I WANT TO, not because I think I should be praised.
So why bring it up if you don’t really want to give back? I mean, it is not as though I EVER indicate that I think my friends SHOULD do anything like that. I believe it is a totally personal thing, and while I do think that we owe it to ourselves to give, I never say so. Or even imply it. Trust me, I really don’t.
So, why bring it up if you are going to get all weird on me? When I suggest you donate blood, should you look at me like a deer in the headlights, or as though I told you to go visit Jeffrey Dahmer’s apartment? This may sound extreme, but I really have had these types of reactions.
Sorry, I guess I am ranting. But I really don’t get it.
I don’t give blood regularly, but I tend to do it whenever I stumble across one of the donation buses (once got to see a movie for free that I was on my way to anyway).
I have given blood on my way to soccer games and never felt any ill effect. In fact, I usually don’t even take any of their juice and cookies (unless one of the workers is particularly insistant) because I don’t like to sit their looking at the people who are really uncomfortable with giving blood.
Is it weird that I like to see that first squirt of my blood into the bag?
I think an easy answer is that giving blood freaks a lot of people out. That is why it usually does not take very long.
However, I had an appointment for 11:15am yesterday and didn’t hit the hot seat until 12:15(so much for appointments). Luckily my boss is understanding about the giving blood concept and allows for things like that. Takes about 5-10 minutes once I hit the chair.
I agree it is a quick and easy thing to do and if it saves a life…
Scotticher, it might not be just because your friends don’t want to help out. I for one would never be able to donate blood, I volunteer at church and I tutor at my school but even though they have blood drives at school and it would be easy to go over there I couldn’t do it. Some people just don’t like blood, the sight of it freaks me out, especially my own blood. My siblings would laugh at me when I was little because when I got hurt I’d be okay for that little while between “ow” and when I saw my own blood, after that I would just start bawling my eyes out. I hate blood and I hate needles, the last time I got my hep boosters and a tetanus shot I passed out cold in the doctor’s office, the last time I was in a hospital just while my cousin got a shot, I passed out, years ago when we were talking about IVs in class I fainted. So you see some people just aren’t quite cut out for giving blood.
I wanted to give blood last year at the annual school blood drive, but you have to be 17 and it was a week before my birthday.
At one point I was in the mall with my mom (this is about two, three months ago?) and there was a blood drive, and I wanted to donate, but mom said no because it would take too much time and I’d have to fill out paperwork. I just looked at her. “Mom? You’re basically saying ‘No, don’t save a life, you don’t want to have to WRITE do you??!?!’ That’s not right.” She won that time though.
Next time I hear of a blood drive I’ll give. I’ve had my blood taken for blood tests so many times that it doesn’t phase me anymore (I just can’t look at it while it’s being drawn). Plus, I know I don’t have any blood disease because of all the tests!
I’ve donated blood about 12 times since I turned 17 (I am 19 now). I have a relatively rare blood type, or so the nurses told me - it’s A pos - so I feel obligated. However, it does put me out of commision for a day or two. EVERY time I have donated, the bag fills quickly for about 5 minutes and then slows to a drip. Next thing you know, it’s half an hour later and the bag is full. Usually afterward my arm is bruised underneath (you know, about 1 square inch of blood beneath the skin near the prick spot), my arm aches, and it swells up. All the doctors say it is fine, so I deal with it.
If it takes you 10 minutes and you are fine the day after, you had better donate.
I’ve only donated once…but I turned 17 in March and there’s only one blood donation in my town each year, and my school runs it.
I’ll donate again this year, too. It didn’t take me long to fill my little bag. Five minutes, tops. And no, I’m not a hemophiliac.
It was interesting to find out my blood type. O negative.
I donate regularly, the next time will be 4 gallons (that’s 32 units) I have never felt bad after, and the cookies and juice are always nice. You are always instructed to drink plently of fluids and rest afterwards. Unless you want to get carried out knee-walking drunk after about one tenth of what it usually takes to get you drunk, avoid the bar that night. I believe this is called a vampire drunk. apparently quite a few people sell their blood and use the money to drink on. It only takes a fraction of the usual drink and you get a little left over. Cheap drunk.
Not that I would ever engage in that sort of behavior:D
A-positive here also. They gave me the litle CMV hero sticker too. Something about the blood or a portion thereof being useful for premature babies. How’s that for a damn good reason to donate.
Great I finally feel better and I have to go to Decayed-er, Illinois tomorrow for three days.
this may be exceedingly obvious, but do they give you a squeeze ball to pump as you are trying to fill the bag. I’m a slow bleeder myself, and this does the trick every time.
And for all you folks in the US… do they check your hemoglobin levels when you give? (It’s amazing what happens to your blood system after the gov’t takes it away from the Red Cross)