Not that this excuses me, but I tend to forget anything that doesn’t have a definite appointment associated with it. I sometimes donate when there’s a blood drive at work, but I forget as often as not.
I remember, on 9/11, I was walking down 1st avenue, past all of the hospitals that were expecting to shortly get overloaded with trauma cases. They had hordes of people asking to volunteer, any help at all, whatever the hospitals could use them for. They were turning away virtually everyone without actual medical experience - they had more than they needed. They were, however, signing people up for emergency blood donations. I signed that list, and noticed that there was a box to check if you wanted them to call you for non-emergency donation appointments, later. My lover an I both checked that box, but we haven’t ever heard from them.
I was thinking I should make an appointment now, while I’m thinking about it. But then I remembered that I’ve just been diagnosed with lupus. I keep forgetting, and it keeps hitting me in odd ways.
Like others, having had a bad reaction, I no longer donate. Last time I gave at a blood drive, I had a seizure the next day. The doctors assured me that my anticonvulsant levels couldn’t have dropped from giving blood, but I’d rather not chance it, thank you.
Before that, I was not a regular donator, but every time a drive came to school(high school and college), I gave.
I want to donate; they won’t let me. My iron’s never quite enough for them. I donated twice in high school to a local company, and they were happy with my blood, but the Red Cross won’t take it. I’m on supplements, though; I’m just afraid that if I fail the test one more time, they’ll black ball me, and I won’t EVER be able to donate.
Heh. I have been asking myself that same question for quite a while now.
Back home, I was a frequent platelet donor and did whole blood when I could. For a while I was matched with a pediatric chemo patient and donated platelets every 48 hours for a couple of weeks - holy drain batman!
Now that I’m here, lno and I both go to the Red Cross and do apherisis (platelet donation)… it’s a 2 hour process, but hey, it’s helping people.
The Red Cross calls almost weekly to book us to come in - we’re on a first name basis with the booking lady and the nursing staff. The need is great and it’s not being met - be it for whole blood or platelets! I have an unusually high count (407) and am blessed with “sticky platelets” which makes donation actually pretty hard and sometimes painful as I tend to clog up the intake needles and, as it happened just this past Saturday, if they don’t get the line going right when the needle goes in, the blood will coagulate in the line and the sample bag…
I’m going back as soon as this bruise heals and Tim-the-Wonder-Vein-Guy will try again.
My mother had chemo - she didn’t need platelets or transfusions, but many people I know do and/or did. Many kids I worked with with my dogs also needed blood products… I figure that even with the discomfort that usually accompanies these donations (for me), they’re worth it… and for 99.9% of people, they are totally painless! It’s just a matter of finding the time and doing it.
Blood products are needed 24/7/365… not just when “disasters” occur. Get out there and donate, if you are able to. It doesn’t hurt, and even if it’s a little uncomfortable for some, it’s sure as hell less uncomfortable than the dude who is bleeding to death on an ER bed when the blood supply runs out.
It ain’t just the UK. We arrived in Germany in September of 1996, and neither Bluesman, I, or any of our kids are allowed to donate for the foreseeable future.
I used to donate regularly. I lived in Europe for several years; now they won’t take my blood. My husband can’t donate because he as a chronic illness; even if they overlooked the illness, the several medicines he takes each day are absolute no-nos. We do our bit other ways (money; volunteer work.)
I used to donate all the time. My blood pressure is really low, so in spite of perfectly good iron levels and good general health, and following all pre-donation instructions t a T (eating a good meal first, drinking lots of fluids, etc.), the donation always went fine, but then I got insanely dizzy for a couple of days afterwards and came down with a vaguely flu-like illness. After I noticed a 100% correlation between donating blood and getting sick for a couple of days afterward, my doc advised me to stop.
Yes, in a fit of helpless desperation on 9/11, I gave it another shot – most of my extended family and many friends are in the NY area. And honestly, it had been a while since I’d tried, so I thought maybe I’d be OK. After spending he following 2 days lying on the couch, blacking out every time I tried to get up, I decided maybe I wasn’t cut out for blood donation.
Then, of course, there was the cervical cancer diagnosis…in situ is supposed to be OK, but mine was borderline invasive, and that’s a permanent disqualifier.
They don’t black ball you for low iron (women at least, I’m not sure about men). I periodically fail the iron test (usually in summer, when I haven’t been paying attention). Now, for the week before I donate I pay attention to what I eat, stay away from tea, and take a supplement. It helps, but I still fail occasionally.
After you fail (for low iron) you have to wait a week or two between attempts, but there is no limit to how many times you can try again. If your iron level is unhealthy low (the blood banks require higher iron levels than is required to be healthy), then you will be advised to see a doctor and try again after what ever is wrong has been fixed.
When I last donated blood (many years ago), you had read through a declaration thingy stating whether you were an intravenous drug user, had aids, hep C etc.
I always wondered what difference it makes, as many people may not either know they have a blood disease or may lie anyway. Do you actually have to declare if you are gay now? Why not just say you aren’t and donate anyway?
I was actually told not to come back when I last donated (1984), my veins are really hard to find and I have problems filling even half a bag - it was a smack in the face for someone trying to do their civic duty let me tell you.
I cannot donate since I have had sex with men since 1977 (four years before I was born) and am therefore, apparently, automatically HIV-positive.
Not that I’ve ever, you know, tested positive for HIV (or for that matter, gonorrhea, syphilis, hepatitis, chlamydia, or any other sexually transmitted or blood-borne infection). I have The Gay so obviously I must have HIV. One must accessorize, you know.
Strangely enough, however, this variety of HIV cannot be transmitted through organ donation or bone-marrow transplant, both of which the relevant authorities will accept me for.
:rolleyes: Yes, baby is a little tired of those precious ads with tiny little children with rare diseases begging people to donate as long as they don’t have The Gay.
I donate about 4 times a year, but I am finding it more and more painful. It used to feel like a simple pin prick, but the last few times it felt like someone was jabbing a nail into my arm. It was so bad last time that I almost passed out from the pain. I am not scared of needles or anything at all, but this has ben jittery for an upcoming blood drive here at work.
I realize having The Gay in blood donoation terms is a source of some ire to some, so please don’t think I’m making light of this policy by what I say next…
…but I can’t help being a little amused by the wording of the question: “Have you had sex, even once, with another male since 1977?”
It’s the “even once” that makes me giggle. Why include that? Someone imagines a donor thought process that goes:
“Have you had sex with another male since 1977?”
“No.”
“Even once?”
“Oh! ‘Even once.’ Yeah, sure, of course, once. I thought you meant more than once.”
I’m right here, being turned down by the Red Cross for low iron. I’ve heard that if you pass out enough times from giving blood, the Red Cross will request that you stop donating. Does anybody know if the same thing is true about being deferred for low iron? After each time I get turned down, I feel like I’m going to get a letter in the mail saying “Thanks for trying, but stop wasting our time” - I’ve been turned down more times than I’ve been able to give.
Probably not. I’ve donated over 2 gallons worth, and I’ve been turned away for low iron slightly more often than I’ve been allowed to donate. (Which says that I try quite a great deal.) For iron levels, with the local blood group (Puget Sound Blood Center) it isn’t a 3 strikes and you’re out deal.
Last time, I went, I tried downing two cartons of raisins before going in (some Doper suggested raisins) it might have worked. I was at exactly 38 and gave a pint.
I do wonder about the restrictions…there surely must be some that can be rethought, aren’t there? My iron levels are so iffy that I don’t bother scheduling, and I can’t make appointments to donate. There’s no way I’m going to donate platelets (you have to schedule in advance and clear out several hours…great, but with a >50% chance of showing up and being told that I can’t give, I’m not going to bother). I wonder if they’re being too overcautious.