This marks the third year we have had our blood drive! That’s right, it’s time again to get stuck and drained!
So everyone who is eligible, please go donate blood and come back and post. Let’s see how much blood we can donate by Valentine’s Day (February 14)!
Currently some areas are having SEVERE blood shortages; blood is very critical right now.
I myself cannot donate blood, so to compensate I try to rally the troops and get others to donate.
I always give blood when I can; however, I am not barred from giving it. A one year tour in Iraq will keep me from giving blood for a year. So next year’s blood drive, cout me in.
Understood, Dry! Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find someone to donate blood in your place 
(That’s why I do this blood drive myself! Since I can’t donate, I try to encourage other people to do it!)
I’m not allowed to donate either (lived in the UK for a year in 1989, hence am banned due to possible Mad Cow Disease exposure) but donated every 8 weeks until they decided CJD was a risk.
This is why I’m supporting this thread - my family and I can’t donate for purposes other than research (which we still do from time to time) but I encourage anyone else out there to go help save lives!
Especially if you’ve had a vaccination recently, your immunoglobulins can be used to help people who’ve been exposed to diseases.
I gave blood over here in London on Tuesday. They couldn’t find any veins in my left arm, so had to switch to my right.
Alex B.
Funny you’d post this now, because a couple of days ago I went to http://www.givelife.org and made an appointment to donate this afternoon! This is going to be my second donation. As long as they’re willing to accept me, I’m going to try to keep donating as often as I can.
I just donated the day before Thanksgiving, so I can not donate again until January 19th. On the 19th, I will be at the Blood Center Of Central Iowa eating my cookies.
I have never donated blood before. I am terrified of needles and try to avoid them at all costs. However, I would like to try and participate. (OMG…did I just say that???). Where’s that nervous smiley?
Would someone be so kind as to just briefly describe the process to me? How long does it take? How much blood do they take? How long is the needle actually in my arm? Do they prick your finger or something at the beginning to test your blood?
I’m overdue to give again - I’ll make sure to go and report back. =)
Technically I’m not allowed to donate blood since I’m gay.
That said, I’ve given faithfully everytime I’ve been eligible with regard to frequency. Count me in for February 1.
MADs (Mid-Atlantic Dopers) are invited to join me in another group blood-letting. Panache and Ultrafilter and I had a lovely time at the last one, chowing down on lots of red meat afterwards. I have an appointment at 6pm on Thursday, Feb 5th at the still brand spanking new Fairfax Donor Center in Merrifield, but if there is a better time to get a group organized, I’d be willing to change my appointment.
Aries 28 nobody actually likes needles, but the experience is usually pleasant. The Red Cross staff are quite skilled at their jobs - I have never had a bad “stick”. They are also grateful and treat donors with kindness so you walk out feeling like a million bucks.
I gave blood last Tuesday, can’t give again until March 2. You know I would if I could, best wishes Opal!
Being gay is not one of the reasons the Red Cross lists for donor “deferment” (their euphemism for “rejection”). Being at risk for AIDS is. They ask “Have you had sex with another man…”, not “Are you poncy?” Please do not donate if you cannot truthfully answer the questions they ask you.
I’m speaking as someone who has been there. I couldn’t donate for years because I had to answer “yes” to the question “Have you given someone money or drugs in exchange for sex in the last 12 months?” I started donating the week I could answer “no” to that question. It was also 6 months after I had my second negative AIDS test and negative tests for all STDs for which they can test.
It was uncomfortable when people asked why I didn’t donate. I always said, “I’m ineligible” and left it at that. I’m sure that was a much better idea than thinking “Well, I’m pretty sure my blood is okay even though the Red Cross says they don’t want it.” There’s no shame in being ineligible to donate. There is shame in putting your need to feel good about yourself ahead of the safety of others.
The entire process takes about 45mins -1hr. Most of that is the preliminary: First you read a small sheaf of notices concerning who is eligible, studies they are conducting, and recent concerns with SARS and West Nile, etc. Then you are taken into a private room for the screening interview, at this time they also take a drop of blood from a finger to test your iron level (a lot of women fail this test). After all that, the part where they draw your blood seems like a breeze. They take a pint, and that usually takes me about 7 minutes, but it varies from person to person. I have a theory that if you drink lots of water in the 24 hours prior to donating it pumps up your blood volume and makes it flow faster; my other theory is that since drinking lots of water increases the blood volume, it also makes it more likely that you will fail the iron test, but I’ve been told that’s a bunch of hooey.
I’ve jumped through these hoops dozens of times, many on this board. Once more won’t change my position, but I won’t be jumping. I’m no more at risk for AIDS than you are. I will donate when I can.
Okay…I’m going to do it. And even thinking about it is making me sweat and my arms are tensing up.
I’ll call the local Red Cross chapter today and see about setting up an appointment.
Breathe…Aries…breathe.
I didn’t see this part originally. It’s pompous to assume that I do it “to feel good about myself”. I do it because there’s a blood shortage, and knowing that if I were on my deathbed in need of a donor, I wouldn’t really give a flying … squirrel … if the donor’s had sex with a man or not.
I donated on Tuesday, if you’d like to count that.
It looks like Wednesdays and weekends are going to be better for me, but I’d definitely be willing to trek out there again.
I also donated Tuesday at the local Carter BloodCare center.