Do you donate blood?

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I used to, but several bad experiences with the local organization made me lose interest. The worst one being the time a coworker went to donate on his lunch hour, and about a half hour after he was due back I get a call from the center asking if I could come to give my friend a ride back to work because he "had a bit of a problem". I got there, he was sitting on the floor, shivering, and white as a sheet -- and they wanted me to take him off their hands. I gave them a choice; either they could call 911 or I would.

I never set foot in the place again.
 
I donate blood regularly, partly to lower the hi iron levels men tend to have, as mentioned earlier.

I would strongly caution everyone to sit down a bit in the recovery area until you are 110% sure you are good to go. My boss donated and ended up passing out later, hitting his head on a sink and requiring surgery to reduce the brain swelling.
 
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No, non Hodgkins lymphoma in my 30's took me out of the game.

I did so regularly prior to that.
 
I used to give blood. I started when I was in the Navy because if you gave blood on Friday mornings you got the afternoon off . Started many weekends off early!

I've been to Africa 8 times-and after you've been there, they don't want your blood for a year- so I haven't given lately..

I had to get "permission" from my cardiologist to give the last time I did, because I have an artificial aortic valve in my heart now.
 
Last time I did, the incompetent fool nearly put me in the hospital, by jamming the needle THROUGH the vein! The time before, I told him after the sixth (unsuccessful) poke that if he didn't get his hands off me, I was going to break his jaw. No more, never again! I am sick and tired of the incompetence!
 
IF they could find a way to safely knock me out (NO hammer whacks to the head suggestions please), without giving me anything that would taint the donation, I would be there as often as is feasible.
wink.gif


Short of that, it just is not possible, no matter how much I want to donate.
frown.gif
 
Tried the first time when I was 21, forty nine years ago. Was turned down because I had had polio when I was 13.

Tried again about 5 years ago, turned down again because I'm a cancer survivor.

Oh Well.
 
I always have the phobia of fainting. I never have before, but I don't want to know what its like.

Took a friend to donate blood a few winters ago. I asked about doing it as well, but she said no physical labor for a few days. I couldn't do that with my job.

Plus I think fainting on a 20' ladder would be bad.
 
I am O Negative, and CMV neg, and donate whole blood every 12 weeks. Except like Nyati said if you set foot in africa they don't want your blood for a while - even if you do not go where the diseases occur. too bad for the blood bank I guess.

Been missing out for 2 years now because of some trips I made. will be July before I can donate again.
 
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Originally Posted By: asiancivicmaniac
I'm surprised at how many people are afraid of needles.


+1, especially since they can help so many people by getting over a little needle phobia. I bet those people dying from needing blood are afraid of that too.
 
My Dad was given a Golden Staff infection when he donated blood one time that nearly led to him needing his arm off, and two weeks in hospital that he could ill afford as a self employed person at the time (the Staff had him back there twice as well).

Foremost infection specialist in Oz reviewed the case, and wrote that the only way it could have been what it was an where it was (and when) was via blood donation.

Dad approached the blood bank, and they told him to pound sand...they were a charity, and by the way, their legal budget would see him broke before they felt a squeeze.

Yes, it's a great and noble thing to do...but if you are harmed by them, you are high and dry.
 
I don't donate blood. If they can come up with a way to retrieve blood without asking people humiliating questions, then maybe I'll reconsider it.
 
Not allowed. Came from Europe! Thank God because like some others here I am scared of needles and suffer from acute white coat syndrome.
 
I am O negative and so donate whenever possible. I have a mortal fear of needles, so the way I do it is force myself to watch them stick the needle in my arm. It's a weird "control" thing.

The very first time I donated was when I was a freshman in college. Practically the whole college was giving, (it was a small college of 800 students) and I was one of the few who wasn't donating. A fellow who lived in my dorm came to my room and gave me a guilt trip about giving.

"Think of all the lives you will be saving!"

"Give the gift of life!"

"People are dying right now because of your selfishness!"

"When the tech puts the needle in your arm, you can see down her shirt!"

The last one convinced me it might be worth it.

This guilt guy took me by the hand and lead me to the land of life saving medical cleavage.

They prepped me by tying me down in the chair with about 50 feet of logging chain and came at me with a needle the size of an irrigation pipe. I was so nervous and my heart was beating so fast I filled the bag in about two seconds.

When it was done, I asked the guy if he was going to donate. "No way!!!" He announced, "I'm scared to death of needles."

BTW - I did get to see cleavage - the tech who drew my blood had an open loose fitting shirt and no bra. His name was "Gustav" and his hobby was "picking up weights and putting them down." He had a crew cut and a gap in his front teeth. The girls loved him.
 
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
I don't donate blood. If they can come up with a way to retrieve blood without asking people humiliating questions, then maybe I'll reconsider it.


You would rather get hepatitis or AIDS from a transfusion, then?
 
Originally Posted By: Whitewolf
Not allowed. Came from Europe! Thank God because like some others here I am scared of needles and suffer from acute white coat syndrome.


Really? I know cant because i had hepatitis B when i was young but i never heard that about Europeans. .
 
Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle

You would rather get hepatitis or AIDS from a transfusion, then?


They test all the blood anyway; do you think they're gonna take people's word for it?

Why should they ask the questions if they're gonna test the blood anyway?
 
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