Blood donation

poke987

I'm a universal donor, with unfortunate "bad" veins. Being overweight made donations very difficult.... On more than one occasion I ended up poked thru and terribly bruised. Ended up not going after multiple times when they had tom"dig". An added bonus to my weight loss is the returned ability to give! Any concerns with donating at a deficit? I gave 6 weeks ago with no trouble, but it made sure to have a big lunch... More carbs than I'd usually do. Then I ate a packaged cookie bar type snack while I sat for my 15 mins. Adding those to my day made dinner hard since I prefer a larger meal later in the day. No biggie as it isn't often, but thought you wise folk might have some other ideas. Thanks!

tmaryam

I don't know if this will help because the principle is different, but I have a problem where I don't produce enough blood. (Most adults my size have 5 liters of blood, I have 3 liters.) To treat the low blood pressure, my cardiologist suggests 7-8 grams (that's not a typo) of sodium per day followed by LOTS of water and gatorade to retain it, that way I build up the fluid volume in my bloodstream. So I imagine when "normal" people give blood, that is how I feel every day, so I think extra sodium and fluids could help the dizziness and drop in blood pressure at least. Of course this was prescribed to me by a cardiologist, and I have a healthy heart and kidneys to handle that sodium intake, so please check with your doctor. And bless you for donating. I always wished I could!

missiontofitness

Have you tried hydrating before you go? I've heard that it's a good way to help open up your veins a little more. It sounds like you have a good plan with the food, though. Whenever I have to have blood drawn at the doctor, I've learned to bring fruit or a snack with me after.

Now, if only they could figure out how to invent needles that don't stink/hurt when they go in!

poke987

Yes, hydration is key for me! I drink a ton, and that helps. Guess ill do extra carbs before I go and enjoy the sugar snacks they provide. I didn't plan my workouts well for the week, and did my longer run last night, and I'm still sore from lifting Tuesday so today will be my day off. Too bad i didn't think that out. Oh well, I'll just enjoy the extra calories for today!

FindingAmy77

I give platelets every two weeks. i just make sure i drink a lot of water before and after and eat a good meal before going. i don't eat or drink their stuff except for the water bottle. It helps me to schedule my appointments for right after breakfast or lunch. this way i am fueled up and my calories are still in control. the only thing is giving platelets causes a nasty taste in your mouth so i do eat like 10-12 tums when i am there. i just prelog them before i go.

leggup

I have had trouble donating in the past. I am O- and negative for CMV, so they want me in every 16 weeks for my double red donation. I have rolling veins like crazy, so I can relate to heavy bruising and failed donations. Usually there's one vein that's better than the others in your dominant arm. For me, it looks like the one in the center is the good vein, but this is a lie. The money vein is the one on the inside of my elbow. Hurts like a *^*(%)&%.

As for your question, I hyper hydrate the day of the donation. Starting 5-7 days before, I spinach-load. The most common reason I fail is not having enough iron do donate double red. I also eat about 60-80% of the day's allotted calories before the donation and take advantage of the cookies/snack bars in the recovery area to get my blood sugar back up. I find that am not tired or anything after doing a double red. I keep my fluids way up the following days, but have never felt a deficit was hard to maintain.

Whole blood donations are another story. I don't do them anymore because I would be exhausted and drained for a week after.

tabbyblack13

My dad is O- and he swears he's getting stalked by the red cross. I ended up with O+ so they don't bug me as much. The last time I dontated was years ago, the blood was flowing but it was doing it slowly. So the tech decided to move the needle in my vein to get a better flow. The flow stopped and the bag was only 2/3 full. I was so pissed off about wasting my time and the blood that I never dontated again. I also had a 2 inch diameter bruse that sayed there for weeks and it was tender too.

Satiable

There's no need to eat a huge meal before (or after) donating! I have minuscule veins, but donate whole blood every 12 weeks without any trouble or special/heavy meals. All I add to my usual diet is:
- Something salty, 2 or 3 hours before donating, to help me retain water. A handful of pretzels works.
- At least 2 litres of water in the 3 hours before donating.
- A tangerine in my pocket, to eat afterward.

For the sake of more than anecdotal evidence, I looked up a couple of how-to-give-blood sites. They all recommend eating something beforehand, but a small something should be fine.

Congratulations on using your weight loss to do such a great service!

jlahorn

My dad is O- and he swears he's getting stalked by the red cross. I ended up with O+ so they don't bug me as much.

I was getting nearly daily calls from the Red Cross for a while, and when I finally got fed up and expressed frustration (I already donate every 2 months!), the guy on the phone told me to tell him to remove my phone number from their records. They don't really have a Do No Call list, so the only way to get them to knock it off is to have them remove your number and then refuse to provide it every time you donate.

I actually really like donating. I do not need daily reminder calls. Grawrawrawr.

Bounce4

I do not know what the 'official' word is but I have had not trouble when donating at a deficit. I do eat the cookie or drink the juice (which ever they give) but other than that I don't make any special adjustments. I've never had a problem when I donate though.