# One gallon **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 9, 2002, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-gallon/141566 "2002-12-09T18:26:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SteverinoAlaReno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@SteverinoAlaReno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteverinoAlaReno)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-gallon/141566/1 "2002-12-09T18:26:48Z")
I donated my 8th pint of blood this past weekend. Not that I’m anything special because of it, just wanted someone to know. I gave the pin to my daughter, since she gets a kick out of wearing stuff like that. My hat’s off to all the other blood donor out there. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-gallon/141566/2 "2002-12-09T19:36:59Z")
Congrats! I think I’m at a half gallon right now. It’s simple, quick, and you get free cookies and juice. ---
**Author:** ![Jonmarzie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jonmarzie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonmarzie)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-gallon/141566/3 "2002-12-09T19:40:19Z")
I’m giving tomorrow, in fact! Yipee! I hope that this will be a life-long commitment as I have donated whenever I could since I was legally able to. Yay for blood doners! :: pats **StererinoAlaReno** and **ivylass** on the back :: ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-gallon/141566/4 "2002-12-09T19:43:16Z")
I’ve got several gallons under my belt, too. Well done! ---
**Author:** ![knarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@knarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/knarf)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-gallon/141566/5 "2002-12-09T20:45:05Z")
Almost to a gallon myself, and time for a story - My grandmother is constantly bragging about my uncle’s achievements, much to my mother’s discomfort. One day my mom mentioned she’d given blood that day, and grandma remarks that my uncle had received several certificates and such for each gallon **he’d** donated, especially when he reached the 5 gallon plateau. So I spoke up - “And at 8 gallons, he gets a free car wash!!!” Granny got real quiet after that 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-gallon/141566/6 "2002-12-09T20:58:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SteverinoAlaReno \* > I gave the **pin** to my daughter, since she gets a kick out of wearing stuff like that. At first reading, I thought this was a typo - that your daughter was sick or something. Then I read the second sentence, and wondered WTF it is that your family does! On second reading, I realized that I’m an idiot. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-gallon/141566/7 "2002-12-09T21:05:14Z")
And here I go missing my platelet donation appointment today. Geez, make me feel bad, whydoncha? No worries, I rescheduled for tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-gallon/141566/8 "2002-12-09T21:22:14Z")
Just to catch up, I’ll go donate a gallon right after work. (don’t wait for me) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-gallon/141566/9 "2002-12-09T23:53:01Z")
Hey, **Munch** , you weren’t the only one. ---
**Author:** ![jsleek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8dc957/32.png) [@jsleek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsleek)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-gallon/141566/10 "2002-12-10T00:55:53Z")
funny story: I wanted to get my work buddy to donate with me. He drove me to the blood bank, but would not enter. This trip made 3 gallons and I got a belt buckle prize. So I show it to him saying, “Look what I got” and he said “THREE GALLONS!!!” thinking I had just donated that amount. maybe you had to be there… ---
**Author:** ![Booker57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Booker57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Booker57)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-gallon/141566/11 "2002-12-10T02:56:48Z")
I love giving blood. How many other organs can you donate with out surgery? ---
**Author:** ![d12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/71c47a/32.png) [@d12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/d12)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-gallon/141566/12 "2002-12-10T04:14:38Z")
I wish I could give blood. I’ve been wanting to since I was about 14 years old. 2 more years and Canadian Red Cross can suck me dry err all the blood outta me! ---
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-gallon/141566/13 "2002-12-10T07:28:35Z")
There was a story on the local news the other day about a fellow who had reached the _100 gallon_ mark. I forget how many years it took him to do that. I always feel good when I donate blood, like I’m really making a difference to someone. Unfortunately, my iron tends to be just under the amount they require, so sometimes I don’t get to. ☹ Oh, and another thing, everyone please consider getting on the national marrow donor list. It’s difficult to find a match so the more people they can access, the better it is for cancer patients. ---
**Author:** ![SteverinoAlaReno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@SteverinoAlaReno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteverinoAlaReno)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-gallon/141566/14 "2002-12-10T15:27:35Z")
**Tikki** , you make an excellent point about the bone marrow donation list. I’m already on it, so is my wife. I think the story about someone giving 100 gallons is incorrect. You can give a pint every 8 weeks, so 1 gallon takes 64 weeks. (Technically, you hit 1 gallon 56 weeks after your first pint, but every gallon after that takes 64 weeks since you must wait 8 weeks to start on the next gallon.) 100 gallons would take 6400 weeks, which is more than 123 years. But this is for whole blood only, there might be a way to do this with platelet donations. Does anyone out there know? Yes, **Munch** , I said “pin” not “pint”. I’m a little eccentric, but I’m not _that_ eccentric 🙂 Special thanks to **Jonmarzie** , **jsleek** and **Jonathan Chance** for giving so much. Looking back, I wish I’d started giving when I turned 18, but I waited until I was almost 42. Ah well, no point in dwelling over lost opportunity. ---
**Author:** ![Jorel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f19dbf/32.png) [@Jorel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jorel)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-gallon/141566/15 "2002-12-10T18:01:35Z")
The Stanford Blood Bank has the best POG (that’s passionfruit orange guava to you non-donors) I have ever tasted. Yay for all the donors here 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mooch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mooch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mooch)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-gallon/141566/16 "2002-12-10T20:55:24Z")
About two years ago I started giving about every 4 months (I am afraid of needles) at the urging of my parents and sister- all regular donors. About 3 months ago (the last time I donated) as I was relaxing with some juice afterwards, I passed out cold for about 5-10 seconds. I am now even more afraid to donate blood the next time. I suppose it was a freak occurance - I’ll still go. ---
**Author:** ![XJETGIRLX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9fc29f/32.png) [@XJETGIRLX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XJETGIRLX)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-gallon/141566/17 "2002-12-10T21:03:30Z")
Maybe this deserves a separate thread, but I was just wondering something… I’d like to give blood but I don’t weigh enough. Is there any reason they can’t just take less from me than from someone larger? I understand that if they took the same amount it would be worse on me, but what if they only took half as much?