I gave blood today!

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
21

Thanks, everyone for donating! I just started this job a few months ago, and it amazes me how hard it is to get donors in, so everytime I get a pint, I still feel lucky.

Otto, as someone who works for a bloodbank, I am really really sorry. I thought long and hard about whether I wanted to work for the blood supply because it won’t accept gay donors, but I decided I’d glare at the government about the restrictions, and do work that saves lives in the meantime. Most of the techs I know think it’s crap too.

22

I’m not even a little bit gay and they won’t take my blood (mad cow, doncha know).

When my mom was having surgery, they let her store blood and suggested that she have family and friends come in to do directed donation so she’d know whose blood she was getting. Then they found out we are a mad cow family, so wouldn’t let any of us donate, except (a) mom, who I guess either has it or doesn’t so wouldn’t increase her chances of getting it and (b) my baby brother, who was only a few weeks old when we left the UK. I guess with him their thinking was that if he has mad cow, he got it from mom, so she’s got it already, so his blood won’t hurt.

It makes me wonder, though. Where do all the people in the UK get their blood?

23

sigh Donate a little for me, wouldja? :frowning:

I am not a squeamish person. The sight of blood doesn’t bother me, needles don’t bother me, IVs don’t bother me, shots don’t…well, you get the idea. I’ve had all kinds of routine poke-a-hole-in-me tests with no ill effect.

But apparently, my body is very, very selfish and possessive of its blood and FREAKS to have it removed. The one time I donated blood was for my father’s own surgery. Everything started just fine, and I was just hangin’ reading a People magazine–I actually specifically remember it was an article about Michael J. Fox–while the bag filled. It was almost done–seriously, maybe 5 minutes left–when a concerned nurse asked if I was okay. Apparently, I was very blanched out. I looked up at her and said I was fine…and the movement of my head suddenly had everything very sparkly and I felt like ice water was being poured on me. I said something like, “Actually, I feel a little light headed…” and she said something to the effect of “That’s what I thought,” and then the REAL fun started. My blood pressure dropped off the scale, I started vomiting, and I really, really, REALLY wanted to close my eyes for a nice long nap, but this annoying nurse kept snapping her fingers in my face saying “Open your eyes! Open your eyes, Laura!”

It took them 2+ hours to get my blood pressure to get back up to a measureable level, and another hour or two just for me to feel a little closer to normal. The whole time the nurse kept saying, “I really recommend you don’t donate blood again…” Yeah, they probably don’t want to deal with that kind of drama ever again!

I still don’t get that. Heck, I was in the ER over Xmas and had a misplaced IV on my arm, resulting in a small puddle of blood under my hand. Whatever–didn’t phase me. The feeling of the cool liquid pouring into my veins? Nah, didn’t phase me, except make me a little chilly. But just describing how I could feel the cool liquid pouring into my veins made hubby light headed and he had to sit down!

So please donate for me, 'cause it doesn’t look like it’ll happen again. :frowning:

24

The difference being that men who’ve had sex with men are pre-screened before the donation actually begins whereas women who’ve had sex with hundreds of men a year are not (unless it’s in exchange for sex or drugs). I’ve donated IIRC three times in my life, the first time on my 18th birthday at a school blood drive. I’m O- so my blood type is in high demand. I could donate if I were willing to lie and no one at the blood bank would ever know, but I’m unwilling to deny my sexuality even for so noble a purpose as donating blood.

25

I’m in the same situation as you, Campion.

For those unfamiliar with US blood donation eligibiity, one of the dealbreakers is if:

It’s a real shame, since I used to donate blood regularly.

26

Ruffian - I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one.

I decided to donate for the first time (I’m pretty petite and have usually been below the weight guidelines). The came to work and apparently weren’t getting enough people so I decided I’d give it a whirl. I was barely over this time, but did eat and drink water all day long so should’ve been in good shape.

Later I was told they’d used a machine that takes the blood out removes what it doesn’t need and puts it back??? so it uses more blood than a normal machine. Which was kind of nuts given that I barely met the limits. (I have no idea whether this is accurate or not).

Anyway, no problem getting started, I have very easy veins to find. Things going just fine, then the nurse looks at me saying “are you ok?” I say, “I think I need something to drink…” then comes the vomiting, shaking, cold, numbness, etc… They kept telling me to cough to get my blood flowing (???) and “Just hang on, you’re almost done”. Yes, they kept going until they got a full bag. Took me about 3 hours overall before I felt up to going back to my desk. They told me that it probably wasn’t a good idea for me to donate again… I was out of it and weak for hours later.

I got a shirt (cause I’d made a mess of mine and had to change), apparently I was a little out of it while changing cause when I got home finally and hubby came home he said “why do you have the shirt on backwards?”) – given that it was a XXXL it was kind of funny anyway…

That night I couldn’t lay down normally because my arms and legs kept going numb, had to prop myself up on pillows. The numbness while sleeping took about 2 weeks to totally go away.

27

So, with pheresis, your blood is extracted, fed into a machine that spins it and collects the desired product (usually platelets, and sometimes plasma and red blood cells too), and returns the rest of the blood to you, with saline and sugar. The draw is usually OK for me, but if the needle isn’t just right, the returned blood will infiltrate into the surrounding tissue rather than going into the vein. It bruises and they stop the procedure. If all goes well, which it usually does (don’t be put off by what I’m saying), there is a series of draws and returns taking maybe an hour and a half and collecting enough platelets for a few patients.

Anyhoo, once there must have been a weak spot in the tubing because the spinning of the chamber cause it to explode. The poor tech who had to open that and clean it up–it looked like a splatter film in there. And once or twice the machine has just quit in the middle of the process.

As AskNott says, I need to schedule for later in the day rather than first thing so I can drink fluids and have a better chance at fuller veins.

28

Cool. I’m giving blood today, right after work - halfway around the world from you.
They love me - good veins, no squeamishness, and I pump it out fast.

29

I’m past 5 gallons over 19 years, yea me!

About two years ago I had a bad experience with the way the drive was organized. At one point there was nobody on any of the cots and at least a dozen of us were waiting to get screened. The piss poor scheduling tipped me over the edge.

One tech/nurse (or whatever the red cross people are called, no disrepect intended) was on break reading the newspaper, one was sorting out supplies, one was last seen going out the back door and the supervisor was chatting on a cell phone in a personal conversation we could all hear.

After 45 minutes I got up and left bitching and swearing. I broke the ice and a bunch of other people left too. I felt bad about it and when I got home I called the regional HQ and told them what happened.

Since then the company I consult at has a blood drive in their caferitera evry few months and it goes very efficentally.

:mad: (not really mad but playing with the blood red smiley)

30

I hate needles, but I decided to help my fellow man and give blood anyway. So I lay there, agonizing for ten minutes as they sucked out a pint of my life. I hear the machine beep.

I think it’s shut off but I can’t really see it. I don’t move.

A minute later, I’m starting to itch. I can’t do anything about it because I don’t want to ruin it if it’s not done.

Two minutes later and I am in agony. The only reason I haven’t screamed and torn out the needle is because this is a high school blood clinic and I would look like a dork.

Finally, five minutes after that beep, the nurse comes around and says ‘Oh! When it beeps it’s done.’ Gah!

But I got a bunch of free cookies and juice.

31

We’re a little less paranoid over BSE/vCJD transmission via blood products - that is, we don’t assume every countryman is a walking plague vector - although we’re no more accepting of MWHSWM, even for a pint of best O- (and I sympathise with Otto’s frustration, that stuff is worth its weight in platinum).

I went for years without giving because I had built up a stupid phobia, or at any rate phobia-like preoccupation, about panicking while I had a needle in me. Don’t ask me why. I guess it can’t have been a for-real phobia as in due course I was able to say “Come on, this is silly” and JFDI. I have nice easy-to-find veins and bleed quite freely so I’m quick to be finished. And in the last 20 years, finger-stabbers have got sophisticated too.

–Mal, O+.

32

When I used to give blood, I recall them having me hold a rubber ball in my hand and squeeze it every few seconds to help keep the blood pumping at a good pace. I would think that I could have my eyes closed the whole time, and they would be able to tell that I hadn’t passed out by the fact that I was still holding the ball & squeezing it.

Maybe they don’t do the ball thing any more, I don’t know.

33

They definitely do and it’s fun to see what toy they will give you. Novelty foam balls seem to be the latest in promotional trinket, so we get apples and oranges, yellow platelets and red blood cells, all in the very squeezy foam. But yes, I have had the tech tell me not to close my eyes, even thought the anti-coagulant makes me very yawny and logy, and I am sleepy from getting up for the early-AM appt.

34

Unless the potential donor lies (or has very detailed files), she’ll have to reveal that she’s had sex with someone whose background she didn’t know. At least, this question appears in the Hema-Quebec questionnaire. I don’t know about other venues. As far as I know, that’d bounce her before donating.

I keep my ~62 donation pins in a small turtle pincushion, the only possession I have that belonged to my late grandmother.

35

You guys have reminded me that I ought to make an appointment and donate. The RC has been calling me once a month at least because I am negative for some common herpes-type thing that apparently 60-80% of the population has, so my blood goes to babies and immune-deficient folks.

I like the feeling of helping people, really, but I hate pain, I hate needles, and I’ve had two bad reactions during donations. Once I fainted after and gave myself a lovely concussion, and the time after that I started getting very dizzy and nauseous just as the bag was nearly done, but the whole thing went to waste since they couldn’t get the extra vials for testing(ARGH).

They are always super nice to me at the R.C. I never hesitate to tell them I’m afraid of needles, and imo that makes them a little more careful. They’ve never had to stick me more than once.

Guess I’ll summon my paltry courage and get down there. :wink:

36

I like the question they ask you: “Have you ever been given money or drugs for sex?”. My stock answer is a sad little sigh and the words “I can’t even remember the last time someone bought me a drink for it”. :slight_smile: