Me, I’m just too goddamned lazy to haul my ass down to Red Cross. I’ve given blood a few times and had no problems, so I have no good reason not to give every two months.
I take various medications that they don’t want in the bloodstream of a donor, so I can’t donate. I suspect that I also might’ve gotten a blood transfusion in the early '80’s, although I’m not sure - my family always tried to make sure that they donated enough before I had a surgery.
I am terrified of needles entering into my veins or arteries, ever since I had an IV inserted when I was 9 years old. Just reading this thread is making me lightheaded and dizzy, and my stomach is feeling fluttery. I go into psychotic fits when I have to take blood tests at the doctor, literally balled in the corner, arms crossed and crying. I have to post this quickly because I’m feeling faint just thinking about it. And yes, it is this bad.
~...~
:mad:
MOO!
Lived for three years in Germany. MOO!
too small
Like ladyfoxfire, I am insanely phobic. I’m not so much scared of the needle as I absolutely cannot stand the thought or sensation of people touching the inside of my arms, wrists, elbows, or knees. Shots in the upper arm (like a flu shot, or whatever), are OK for me, but an IV, or Dog forbid, drawing blood – nuh-uh, forget it. Last November I was having heart palpitations and all kind of problems and the doctor wanted blood, and I had to grit my teeth and squish my eyes shut and cry as I could literally feel the life being drained out of me in that little tube. I had to wear long sleeves so I couldn’t see the bandaid covering the pinprick until it went away, and I almost fainted from dizzy and lightheadedness on the way home. And this was just like four little vials. I was spooked for two or three days afterwards.
The one time I had to have surgery (really bad wisdom teeth removal) and get an IV, the doctors had to gas me up with NO2 before they could get the damn thing in my arm. I told them I wouldn’t be able to show up for the surgery and would continue to live with excrutiating pain before I could sit there and watch them stick that thing in me. I can feel my eyeballs wanted to roll back in my head and get woozy just thinking about it.
If I tried to donate blood, as much as they take, I imagine I would either pass out before they were done, they’d have to strap me down to begin with just to get the needle in me, and they’d be lucky if I didn’t just die of a heart attack right then and there.
Well, I never donated when they did the blood drives in high school because I wasn’t old enough - graduated at 16, you need to be 17. I haven’t at college because every time they have a bloodmobile, I have class or practice or work the entire time, it seems. This is somewhat of a relief to me, because I do have a teensy fear of needles and thingies getting stuck in me, as well as a healthy fear/dislike for doctors and therefore most medical situations (long story on that one). I hate going to the doctor, I hate giving the little tube of blood for tests even more… the thought of sitting there as blood drains out of my body into a bag makes me queasy. If someone I knew really needed a transfusion or something from me, I’m sure I’d do it, but I’ll avoid it as far as possible, thank you very much.
They are trying to steal my precious bodily fluids…
They won’t let me donate. My blood is based on copper, rather than iron.
Are you serious JThunder?
It was the logical conclusion to draw.
Severe fear of needles. Even the idea makes me shudder, and I simply can’t stand having a needle in me for anything resembling an extended period of time (i.e. Greater than about 10 seconds). I feel a bit guilty about not giving blood, but nowhere near guilty enough to overcome the problem.
Spock
Hee 
I’ve mentioned this elsewhere on the board, cause I was really bummed when it happened (I still am).
I’m a great candidate for donating. Healthy, no meds, no tattoos, I’ve only slept with one person etc.
So my boyfriend and I went together to donate blood at the blood drive at my college about a year ago. We’re both pretty afraid of needles, but we both did it. I didn’t feel weak, or different at all after, and I filled the bag pretty quick. I decided I’d do it often, as it was obviously no detriment to me and could be a great help to others.
And then I got a letter in the mail telling me that I tested positive for syphilis. They re-did the test, and I DON’T have syphilis, and then I went to my doctor and had it redone again. Nope, no syphilis (duh).
But I can’t donate again until they change the rules, as testing positive for anything disqualifies you permenantly.
Meanwhile, my boyfriend got his donor card. :rolleyes:
I used to give blood all the time. Back when I was very poor, they would give you $8 for a pint – I think they just took the platelets out.
Then, after my circumstances got better, I donated when the BloodMobile would come to my company. Then one day I tested positive for Hepatitis C, and was rejected.
I, too, felt bad after 9/11. I still would like to donate.
Because of my personal behavior choices, my blood is no longer welcome. I could lie, I suppose, but I’d rather not.
Then there’s also the matter of the Japanese Red Cross announcing that foreigners were automatically on their excluded list. Their rationale was that since it would be too difficult to give them the questionaires (since only Japanese people can speak Japanese), it made more sense to just refuse them all.
I was raped by a man with unknown sexual history in the late 80s. That puts me squarely in one of the “you shall not donate blood” categories.
Fairychatmom, I comiserate with the crappy vewin prob. I’ve be stuck innumerable times. I, too, desperately want to donate, but I take meds, which would show up. BTW, any meds that don’t interfere w/donating?
I have miniscule veins. Whenever I get blood drawn, they have to use the baby needle. A small tube slowly fills, the vein collapses, then the tech searches for another usable vein (usually in some unpleasant place, like my foot).
I’d love to donate. After 9/11, I called Red Cross, and asked about donating. I also said that I’m a West Nile field researcher, drawing blood from wild birds - is that a problem? They said they’d call back.
About two weeks later, they called and said it’d probably be better if I didn’t donate. 
This year they find out that West Nile is transferrable through blood transfusions. :eek: We’re setting up a blocking ELISA lab and as soon as it’s done, I’m testing to see if I have any antibodies. If not, I’m so there. (If antibody positive, I’m gonna have to think about whether recrudescence is possible in a dead-end host.)