Very close to 80 pints - been donating for about 25 years. Was deferred for several years due to a false positive for Hep B after gettin gshots for international travel. Currently on self-imposed hiatus since knee surgery 3 weeks ago.
A lay-down, followed by juice and cookies, all fully supported by my employer. What could be better?
I got my award for 25 donations a few months ago. I’ve averaged 2 a year since I turned 18 (gaps due to anaemia, busy-ness and generally feeling like crap) and hope to carry on at a similar frequency.
It takes longer; it hurts more.
I can go into detail if you like, but the upshot is that you’re in a reclining chair for at least an hour and a half, sometimes much longer, with that needle in your vein the entire time. Blood is removed from you, taken to a centrifuge, and the plasma is spun out. What is left is returned to you, and it’s omg frigging COLD. It also typically takes a lot longer to return to you what’s left, than it took to pump it out. Did I mention the needle looks larger around than your vein could possibly be?
I’ve done this dozens of times, and have permanent scars due to it; while a doctor assured me they looked nothing like ‘track marks’, I can’t very well explain to every stranger why I have needle mark scars covering the insides of both my elbows, and in general it just looks really ‘bad’.
My reactions each time have varied, and have ranged from being in and out quickly, in and out over a period of 4+ hours as my vein collapsed and they returned my blood through a butterfly needle, to passing out in the middle of the road afterwards. I’ve actually fainted twice due to it, and those are the only times I’ve ever fainted. And once I had a large, black and purple edema from when the phlebotomist didn’t believe me quick enough that the needle wasn’t in right, and the blood went…well, wherever blood goes when it misses the vein. Ouch.
Not fun. Nobody does it if they don’t have to, so I guess it’s good there are always those who have to.
I saw a few things above I wanted to respond to!
Maiira: If you’re giving blood at any time of day or night, it helps immensely to get plenty of sleep the night before. I tell my friends to consider rescheduling their appointments if they’re unable to get at least 6-7 hours the night before. Low blood pressure can also make you more prone to post-donation dizziness.
Crotalus: You can also go to www.redcrossblood.org and click on “Account Login” in the top right corner. From there, enter your ZIP code and on the next page, find a link to create your profile/log in for the first time. By doing this, you will be able to see your donation history in specific detail over the last few years (where you donated) as well as a total number of donations.
One and Only Wanderers: In the U.S., you can donate whole blood every 8 weeks–six times per year. Minimum age depends on the state you’re in; for many, it’s 16 or 17.
I’m 21 and I’ve reached 21 pints. The needle doesn’t bother me at all anymore, but the first time I decided I was going to watch it go in, I looked at it and said to the nurse, “That’s not a needle, that’s a straw!”
Keep at it! You’re saving lives.
It’s all psychological. Just work as hard as you can to get over it. Desensitization.
That happens sometimes. Life is not an exact science. I take it in stride. It’s for a VERY good cause. What does not kill me, makes me (very angry) stronger.
I’m not too sure. Not too many. I donated a few times before I was married, but my ex-wife had hep-C. I’ve tested negative (post divorce), but I’m still not too sure if it’s wise for me donate.
The body responds to use. If you get regular aerobic exercise, your body will start maintaining a higher level of red blood cells. Find something easy or fun to do that gets you breathing hard for a few minutes a day, and increase your iron intake (iron-rich foods or supplements), and I’ll bet you can donate.
Where I work, the local Red Cross or Stanford Blood center comes out 4 times a year. They usually send me a note that I’m eligible to donate again, a couple of weeks before they come out again.
I’ve been donating for at least 35 years, 4 times a year. Lost count a long time ago, but it’s regular as clockwork. So I just say “over 15 gallons” and leave it at that.
I think I did it twice before they made me stop because the Mad Cow.
I donated plasma 3 times a week when I was in college. They’d give me boosters for Hep B or for rabies and then harvest the antibodies.
I’m also a regular blood donor. Usually with my blood type they ask me to give platelets instead. One year I donated platelets about 25 times. I’ve given platelets once so far this year, and will probably go in again this weekend.
I can’t; I’ve spent a lot of time in the developing world and have had (among other things) typhoid. It’s been a long time, but I remember answering yes to some questions that prevented me from donating.
I’ve only donated blood once, and I believe they took two pints. I’ve tried to donate two times, but the first time they failed to get any out of me. As my regular doctor has also discovered while trying to draw for tests, my blood vessels are elusive and hate people. They have no concern for the plight of others whatsoever.
I’m up over 100 pints, but in three separate Red Cross regions, so I’m not sure exactly how many. Mostly these days I do a Power Red, two units of red blood cells. You can do that every 112 days, but only three times a year, so I have to do an occasional single unit.
Mine or other people’s?
And maybe your own. See post 13 from 7 years ago.
I’m still here, thanks to it getting caught before I had a heart attack.
The first time I gave blood I passed out during the donation…woke to find my belt loosened and damp cloths under my collar. They didn’t even get a pint. 
The second time I got through the pint, made it to the chair to eat cookies and drink juice, then fell over (but didn’t pass out).
I feel guilty (I’m O+, which is apparently useful) and I’m going to try again one of these days, but yeah, it’s a bit of an inhibitor.
I used to donate regularly and was getting close to the 10-gallon mark–the Red Cross would give you a pin. Then I was no longer allowed to donate because I lived in the UK during the '80s.
I’m still stuck at 20 since my first post on this thread in 2010. The Blood Transfusion Service where I live still won’t accept donations from anyone who has been in receipt of one of their products, which is kind of frustrating.
I’m a big, reasonably fit laddie who can easily spare the 4 pints a year in exchange for a cup of tea and a biscuit but no, there’s a microscopic risk of Mad Cow still. It’s getting on for twenty years I’ve not been eligible so nearly 80 pints of O+, which isn’t the universal donor type, but is by far the most common around here and therefore potentially useful anyway.