It seems we are again eligible.
They usually hit her up for platelets. They always want double red from me.
NOT AN EXPERT - know nothing {sgt Schulz/John Snow}…
Maybe try Double Reds? It sounds like it would be more trying on your body but when giving double reds they pump the fluid back in your body so even unlike normal blood donation you don’t lose fluids.
Now if your body can’t handle losing some red blood cells/causes your blackout then…no.
The American Red Cross is relentless with their asking you to donate! Emails, calls, letters, more calls. And I am just A+.
I started donating because of wanting to help, but I started donating regularly just to avoid being hounded. I get myself scheduled within a few days of doing a donation (when the next donation at the same place comes available on the app) and the Red Cross leaves me alone.
I wish credit card offers worked the same way. I took Citicard up on one of their balance transfer offers yet they still send me 3 letters a week asking me if I wanted to do it again.
Oh nice. I don’t see any questions about living in that part of the world in the 90s anymore, so looks like I can finally get back to donating!
The main thing I remember about my blackout was that I temporarily went blind. Not that things went dark, but that I could not see. That was really weird, and not the same thing. It only lasted a few seconds.
Update: Lab-grown blood being trialed
A rather fascinating approach to the problem of blood incompatibility, this process focuses on people with ultra-rare blood types at this point but could eventually be expanded to produce mass quantities of any blood type.
Basically stem cells are harvested from from the blood of donors with rare blood types, and those stem cells are stimulated in the lab to produce quantities of red blood cells for transfusion. This will be a boon for those patients with ultra rare blood types who need regular transfusions.
The process of producing RBCs in this manner is horrendously expensive compared to routine blood donation costs, but it still represents and amazing advancement, IMHO.
I was banned because of my service in Europe for years, but they dropped that restriction. I was able to apply online for reevaluation and was cleared to start donating again.
ETA, it took awhile for them to process,
Thank you for your service AND for donating blood again. You went above and beyond the call of duty.
Just to be clear, I was banned from donating for years, I only spent 2 years in Germany, in the AF back in the 80’s, nothing particularly heroic.
They chased my husband aggressively also [O-] until he started taking something [cholesterol or thyroid med] that makes it a bad idea to give his blood out. He could, I suppose stop taking whichever med it is if he absolutely felt the need to donate. He was disappointed they wouldn’t let him donate specifically for me when I needed surgery a couple years back.
I am heartily disappointed to have gotten cancer - I was just shy of my 10 gallon mark =( [AB-] and I am unable to donate body parts for someone who needs a liver or whatever. I can still be a dissection learning aid, or go to a body farm [or be used as a test dummy for high speed impact or something]
I suppose this means I am free to drink my liver into submission or something. Sigh.
I wish I could still donate, but those days are gone.
I found out somewhat recently that my brother, and his daughter, are very popular at their local blood bank because they are O-negative (I’m O-positive, myself). They get frequent reminders to donate.
Bro may not be able to much longer, depending on any kind of age cutoff requirements (he’s 69).
Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but the types (A, B, AB, O) all indicate whether you have one, the other, both, or none of some kind of factor. Someone with AB has both, someone with O has neither. And of course RH factor is positive or negative. So the factors that make someone A, B, or AB are what actually does the damage if a hapless O accident victim gets that blood?
I miss donating blood. Haven’t been able to in decades - they used to deny donors who were on ANY kind of medication whatsoever (I’m asthmatic), and since then have a) added more to my arsenal, and b) developed some health conditions that mean I need to keep my iron levels up. But anyone out there who CAN, drop off a pint on my behalf if you have the chance! My husband does still donate - in fact, when he had a slight case of melanoma nearly 17 years ago, he was disappointed that he could not. It was cured, and after 5 years or so he got the go-ahead to resume donating.
My husband has decided not to take some med for his prostate so he can continue to donate.
Probably finasteride, which is a testosterone blocker.
It’s been a while since I’ve tried to donate. Is hypertension still a contraindication?
mmm
Sort of.
Considering the ABO groups only - there are antigens on the red blood cells, either A or B and corresponding antibodies, anti-A and anti-B in the plasma portion of blood.
So type A people have A antigen on their red cells and anti-B in the plasma so they can’t have B or AB blood as the antibody will destroy the cells.
Type B people have B antigen on their red cells and anti-A in the plasma so they can’t have A or AB blood.
Type O people have neither antigen on their red cells (actually a zero instead of a letter o) and have anti-A and anti-B both in the plasma so they can only take type O blood. But since O red cells have no antigens they can be given to any other type.
Type AB people have both A and B antigens on their red cells and no antibodies in the plasma so they can take red cells of any other type. Not much problem in transfusing ABs.
As far as Rh - you aren’t born with anti-Rh antibodies like you are with anti-A and/or anti-B. A Rh negative person has to be exposed to Rh positive blood at least once to develop antibodies, which actually take a while to show up. So the Blood Bank can test a person for Rh antibodies and if they don’t have any, then giving them Rh positive blood in an emergency will work. It’s a last resort for women of childbearing age though because of possible pregnancy complications in the future.
Donated today. First time since 1990 (anthrax jabs started). That’s not a bar any longer. Also the Mad Cow exclusion is much more limited so was not a problem ( my european exposure was at different dates and places.)
Felt good to donate during a school blood drive. The grandchildren had lots of questions so - EDUCATION!