Blood donations

MilitantGeek

MilitantGeek

0
Do you give blood? And if not, why? I went in today for my 5th donation this year, and I don't think I'll ever quit - barring medical complications of course.

First off, it's a very altruistic thing to do. One donation can save as many as 3 people.....and who knows, it could end up being a family member or loved one.

But there are selfish reasons for doing it as well. Free schwag (I get another shirt to cardio in every time, as well as some sort of free pizza or mexican food coupon) and a mini physical of sorts. For instance, the place I go to checks your blood pressure and pulse on the spot, and they run a cholesterol check on all donations and will let you call in for the results or set it up to have them automatically emailed to you. It's not very indepth, no breakdown of triglicerides (sp?) or HDL vs. LDL, but it gives you a starting point of reference to help determine if you should go in for a full workup.

Finally, it is healthy for you. Giving up a near pint of blood causes your body to create fresh, new, unpolluted blood in response. Like a partial oil change for your body every so often. So, if you don't do it, get offa yo azz and go tap a vein every, you won't regret it.
 
I do it cos I believe every one should.

How come you have given blood 5 times? In the UK you can only give blood 3times a year.

But yeah also cos its healthy to bleed every now and then.
 
No, there are limits here, but it's somewhere between 6 and 8 weeks between donations.....at least I think. They usually give me a sticker with my next available date, but I didn't get one this time so I cannot be sure. But I know for a fact it's however long you need to replicate everything you lost and then you can do it again.

And I believe O+ is very common derwyddon, it's O- that is extra rare and is the universal donor. (I only know anythign about it cause I'm an O pos). I do understand not doing it due to limiting factors as well though, my mother cannot donate because of iron deficiencies.
 
o+ and a+ are the most common.

If you are B-, AB+ or AB- and you do not give blood, then you are very selfish. These blood types are very rare and hospitals often run out.

Here is some more info.



Im AB- which is the rarest blood group.

Its a shame that some places have to give away free stuff to encorage people to give blood. Here in the UK you get a cup of tea afterwards then your out.
 
At my high school, towards the end of the year, the Red Cross comes in for a day and takes up the gym and every senior just about goes in and donates blood. We have about 2-300 seniors every year, so they get a good amount. I, personally can't wait to donate blood. I feel that everyone should be doing it, maybe not every 6 weeks, but at least a few times a year. I'm also thinking about being an organ donor when I get old enough as well. I think people don't understand the necessity of these things until someone close to them has been effected by it. I think that's very saddening.
 
I feinted once afterwards, the only bloke in the whole place and he feints :D

They won't take my blood anymore...
 
i have been to donate blood quite a few times. i'm O+ so quite common. they're also having a hard time here getting people to go donate blood :( i'd like to go donate again soon but have to check my iron is high enough first..hmm.
 
The good thing about O+ is that we can donate to any positive ph bloodtype. SO A+, B+, O+ and I think AB+ can take O+ blood. Not quite the universal donor
that O neg is, but it still covers 80-83% of the U.S. population.

Fly - omglol.....I swear, I'm laughing WITH you

Belle - nope, no pain at all, just a little stick. I think it actually stings worse when they prick your finger to test your blood beforehand. And I think it takes me under 5 minutes to fill the bag once they get me going, so you're spot on about it being quick.

Der-good on you. I wasn't aware there was a registry, I'm just signed up on my driver's license as a donor, I'll have to look deeper into that.

Merci-I doublechecked the webpage of the orginization I donate to, and I think it's more like 8 weeks instead of 6. And really, what's a half hour to hour of your time once every two months?
 
For more of a challenge you should have a race with a friend!

Last time I gave blood me and my friend layed facing eachother, they stuck us at the same time and we raced to fill up the bag. I bled out 1 pint in 2 mins by pumping up my arm. My mate started to swing his arm to get the blood out and the needle came out the other side of his vein.

Very funny stuff.

But seriously kids, dont try this at home.

Geek - most of the time they will try to give you the exact match of blood, but in emergency they will give almost anyone O blood.

I know that A+/- cant be stored for long but every one should give blood. Like Geek was saying - Are you really that important that you cant spare a half hour every now and again?
 
Yeah, we were in stiches trying to keep a straight face for the nurses. They were a bit pi55ed at us.
It was funny, but I wouldnt do it all the time.
 
I donate every time theres a blood drive at my school, (evey 4 months or so).
I love being hooked up to the machine that seperates the blood and the plasma, then shoots the plasma back into you. Feels soooo cool.
Best part about that baby is, you don't feel dizzy at all. :)
 
That's odd, we do whole blood donations, no seperation. But I have given plasma in the past so I know what you're talking about. Thankfully, the blood needle is a ton smaller than the plasma needle, those things suck. And do you feel dizzy giving whole blood? Cause I can hop straight up out fo the chair and go, feeling great.

Did your buddy bruise up Man of R. Lewis? I got a new tech once when I was giving plasma, and she pierced my vein and a day or two later my lower arm looked like someone had hit it with a bat.
 
Yeah its brused a bit not too much. Looked like a mozzy bite.

If you ate well before you go in you should feel fine. I always take a sugary drink which I pop open as soon as she takes the needle out, ive never felt bad but I knwo people who have passed out.

Men are much more likely to passout than women because womens bodys are better equiped to coping with blood loss due to "the monthly whatnot".
 
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Recently a blood donor clinic came to my school offering to take any students who where willing. This was something I planned to do - because I want to try everything at least once - but I was hesitant and didn't end up doing it. I know I have O blood, so it could have been useful. I plan to do it sometime in the future, definately.
 
R.Lewis said:
If you ate well before you go in you should feel fine. I always take a sugary drink which I pop open as soon as she takes the needle out, ive never felt bad but I knwo people who have passed out.
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I always eat beforehand. And after two donations ago, when I ate arby's before (including some fried mozz. sticks), and my cholesterol came back at 250 I eat clean before. Speaking of which, my cho. count came in tonight, back down to 203.

R.Lewis said:
Men are much more likely to passout than women because womens bodys are better equiped to coping with blood loss due to "the monthly whatnot".
Click to expand...

And this also means the whole blood loss=new blood benefit is greater for men.
But to be honest, the only part of the process that has ever made me feel woozy is if I watch them stick me. I can watch everything before and after the stick, but not the actual penetration. Pretty common according to the medics.
 
Yeah, thats just your primal instincts kicking in. Your body is designed to defend itself or simply switch off when there is no way of avoiding injury.
 
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