and fainted dead away coming back to my office (this was my first time giving blood).
Great - now I’ve got blood on my shirt from a bloody nose AND I’ve got a major presentation tonight, with no time to run home and change shirts.
Damn vampires.
You gave through the nose?
Uh, I don’t know how to tell you this, but those guys probably weren’t from the Red Cross.
After about a year of ineligibility, due to a drug I was taking, I’ll be able to give blood on Dec. 24th. I’ll call the blood center to make sure. I stopped taking it on June 24th, and I think the interval is 6 months. It’s Avodart (durasteride.)
Congratulations on giving. I hope the one bad experience won’t keep you from trying it again.
Last year, a week before I was scheduled to give my 120th pint (15 gallons), I came down with a blood clot in my leg and a pulmonary condition which will keep me from ever donating again.
I’VE BEEN CHEATED!!! I WANT MY FIFTEEN GALLON PIN, DAMNITT!!!
I went out and purchased a new shirt before my presentation. Better a little wrinkled than bloody is my motto.
I’ve given blood something like four or five times now, and two or three of those times the Red Cross guys had to wheel me away on their little orange cart because I’ve come close to fainting. First time I ever gave blood, I was sitting at the snack table after donating (my friend was sitting next to me, also having given blood), and I started to feel flushed and woosy and all that rot. I plopped my head on the table hoping someone would notice because I couldn’t get two words out. My friend finally had to get an attendant’s attention to scoop me up in the cart and take me behind a curtain so I wouldn’t scare the other donaters.
Ooh, bonus story: My friend, while giving blood, was asked by someone if she knew the time. So, she crooked her arm up to look at her watch, giving herself a HORRIBLE bruise in the process from the giant needle sticking out. Not fun.
That sucks, man. You have the recognition and respect you so rightfully deserve from the rest of us pansy, wilting donaters, anyway.
Sorry to hear about your bad experience. The next time you go (there will be a next time, I hope? 
), be sure to inform them of this, drink a lot of fluids afterward, and stay in the canteen a lot longer so they can monitor you.
I’ve given a couple of gallons, but they ruled me ineligible (sounds like I’m a wide receiver) because I lived in England for four months in the 90s. Mad cow disease, dontcha know. The silliest part of it was that they annouced this change in policy about 6 months before it took effect, and I gave blood in the meantime, mentioned this change to the people taking the blood, and they took it anyway.
This really annoys me, because I like the free cookies and juice in the canteen.
Anyone know a way around this? I mean, people in Britain give blood, don’t they?
Just so you know, no, lying about it during the questionnaire is not an option. And no, I haven’t given blood since, and will not do so unless and until they say I can.
Sorry that happened. You tried it and did it, though, and that accomlishment can never be taken away. Be sure to bring it up if you’re ever found guilty of murder and they jury has to weigh whether you get life or death.
Only 4 months? I thought the cutoff was 6 months.
Different bloodbanks have different rules - they all have to adhere to some minimum federal rules (from the FDA, maybe?), but the Red Cross is more strict than those rules on some issues, and other places are more strict on others.
Like here in Chicago, LifeSource and the Red Cross have slightly different questionnaires. It may be worth some time to find out if any agency will take your blood with 4 months in that disease-infested mad-cow-farm/sewer that is England.
I didn’t know that! I had been trying to donate through the New York Blood Center. I will call up other agencies and ask. Thanks!
The first time I ever gave blood was back in high school. Next to me was a wrestler, football player, all around very robust guy giving blood. Apparently he was in such peak condition that after squeezing the little ball thing too vigorously the needle popped out of his vein and blood sprayed all over the cute girls who were supposed to hold our hands if we got scared. I slowed waaaaaaaay down on the squeezing after that.
Good job on the donating blood! It’s always good to do it when you can, plus sometimes they have these collector pins you can get. I had three of them I think, but I missed the fourth for some reason or another.
I just gave pheresis yesterday–I checked and it’s been 39 donations since 5/99. You could give hospital blood donor rooms a call; I could have sworn the questionnaire yesterday says six months or more combined in Britain. And they don’t have you do the “do/do not use my blood” sticker. Apparently they follow the guidelines of the American Association of Blood Banks and they may be a little more relaxed than the Red Cross.