Do you donate blood?

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  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
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    unfortunately (according to the nurse), I need mine too much as I have anemia .... maybe I need to go back and re check (as its been a few years) I dont think I have anemia any more :) (result of a better diet possibly) :D

    Anemia is generally a temporary condition. I'd go back and have them screen you again if your diet has improved.
  • Sister_Someone
    Sister_Someone Posts: 567 Member
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    No. Never have, never will.

    I'm sorry but I'm someone gets blood drawn for tests every month and I'm still terrified of it all the same. I just don't see myself letting someone stick another needle in me if not absolutely necessary.
  • SweetNaughtyLips
    SweetNaughtyLips Posts: 374 Member
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    I tend to pass out when I donate blood, so I do not donate as often as I'd like to.

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  • CountryBoy65
    CountryBoy65 Posts: 908 Member
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    Saying that you are too scared of needles to donate is bull****...

    If you were in hospital, and needed blood, you wouldn't turn around and say, umm, excuse me, i don't want the blood coz I'm too scared of needles. Man up, don't look and get on with it...

    The feeling you get from it is amazing!

    ^-THIS. Amen sister. I am scared ****eless of needles and get claustropohobia everytime I have that damn thing in me, but I do it anyway cause its important.
  • Hev_uk
    Hev_uk Posts: 82 Member
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    I donate in the UK. My mum needed blood and my dad has always donated. Had to stop because of exotic foreign travel and a tattoo but now I try and do it 3 times a year. I feel good when I do it as I know I'm giving something back.
    I don't like how it can sometimes take up to a hour to go from the start to leaving and then face I often feel pretty rubbish for the evening after
  • stephm112
    stephm112 Posts: 297 Member
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    Yep I started donating after having my daughter. My midwife said I should as I'm O- which is basically universal blood. Can be given to anyone and only about 6/7% of people have it. I feel very smug indeed when I donate and love having a chat with the nurses. The tea and biscuits are also a plus and at christmas we get mince pies. Ohhh yesss!!!
  • katy4399
    katy4399 Posts: 136 Member
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    Someone may have already said this, but you also burn calories (About 500) donating blood (That's the amount of calories your body burn regenerating the blood).
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
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    I asked them if there were not some sick Mexicans around here that were running a pint or so low that could use my blood, but they didn't think that was funny.

    I have rarely run into screeners with a sense of humor about blood safety. I take that as a good sign. :)
  • EmRobo
    EmRobo Posts: 146 Member
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    Yes, two to three times per year, and I also just learned from my friend BerryH that it can burn 600 to 650 calories for your body to replace the removed blood - bonus!

    really???
  • Grandysl
    Grandysl Posts: 189
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    I do often. We have regular drives where I work, so it makes it easy. I hate the finger prick, and love the goodies they give sometimes. The red cross t-shirts are great workout wear!
  • hostile17
    hostile17 Posts: 54 Member
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    I would but gay blood is bad blood here in the UK. Sadly even someone who lives a healthy lifestyle can't give blood if they are gay.

    Example: two men meet, are virgins, have sex but are ineligible despite being monogamous.

    Another example: a woman can have unprotected sex with a random man every day for a year and be accepted. Unless... one of them as had sex with a man. I wonder if the average woman asks about all previous sexual history before commencing love making? I can see it now... "Before we start, have you slept with any men in the last year?"

    I would happily donate otherwise, but clearly they've got plenty to go around with the above policies in place!
  • Sockimobi
    Sockimobi Posts: 541
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    Further to blood donation, guys 18-30 who are fit can check this out:

    http://www.anthonynolan.org/What-you-can-do/save-a-life/Are-you-fit-to-spit-.aspx


    Think it's UK only? My fella is on the register.
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
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    No. Never have, never will.

    I'm sorry but I'm someone gets blood drawn for tests every month and I'm still terrified of it all the same. I just don't see myself letting someone stick another needle in me if not absolutely necessary.

    I just hope you never go to the hospital and need some and they don't have it.

    I work on a volunteer committee at work to try and increase workplace blood donation, and the New England blood supply hit two days last summer for about a week and a half (in other words, they had a TWO-DAY reserve of blood based on average usage), and skirted 1.5 days for a day or two. I had a friend whose back surgery had to be put off for a month because the emergency reserves of blood were too low to support the two pints she'd need.

    With the vanishingly small percentage of people who actually give blood, it's amazing there's a solid supply at all. And if people really understood how close the bloodbanks get to running out every year, I think the numbers would go up.

    Imagine being in a car accident, and your next of kin being told "We're out of her blood type and we have to airlift the blood in from 150 miles away, so hopefully she can live for two hours on artificial plasma, but it's not looking good."
  • Erica002
    Erica002 Posts: 293 Member
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    You people are awesome. I would if I could, but I can't.
  • Luvlee85
    Luvlee85 Posts: 120 Member
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    To all those that donate blood, I just want to say THANK YOU. At the age of 25 I needed 3 emergency blood transfusion due to being severely anemic and on the brink of passing out. I use to give blood all the time but had to stop. You all are amazing!!!
  • frixtine
    frixtine Posts: 965 Member
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    I'm A+ and before I moved here (super rural) I used to donate platelets every two weeks. I only occasionally got turned away if I was anemic because of my TOM. I loved it. It was 2 hours of peace. No husband nagging, no child saying mom, mom, mom. The nurses were as nice as could be, let me watch whatever I wanted on TV, sometimes I'd read, we'd talk and laugh. I loved it. There is a medium sized city about 45 minutes away, and I'm going to see if they have the facilities to do it there so I can get started again.

    It made me feel good because I was giving something that couldn't be bought in a store or produced in a lab or anything like that. This was strictly a gift that one human could give of themselves to another. When I started, it was because someone my husband works with had a son with leukemia. Sadly, he passed. Then another little boy turned up with a brain tumor, then someone else had lung cancer. Where I live, if you use someones name, it takes money directly off their bill when you donate in their name, so I was helping healthwise, and financially as well. Little things like that, that make you smile are definitely worth it!
  • Drudoo
    Drudoo Posts: 275 Member
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    I'll be honest...I look forward to the free Nutter Butters following donations. Ive even given double units before when I was bigger. I try to give every 8 weeks if possible. I missed about a year following a trip to China but i've gotten back on the wagon.
  • kyle4jem
    kyle4jem Posts: 1,400 Member
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    I would but gay blood is bad blood here in the UK. Sadly even someone who lives a healthy lifestyle can't give blood if they are gay.

    Example: two men meet, are virgins, have sex but are ineligible despite being monogamous.

    Another example: a woman can have unprotected sex with a random man every day for a year and be accepted. Unless... one of them as had sex with a man. I wonder if the average woman asks about all previous sexual history before commencing love making? I can see it now... "Before we start, have you slept with any men in the last year?"

    I would happily donate otherwise, but clearly they've got plenty to go around with the above policies in place!
    Yup... I was happily and gladly a blood donor until the late 80s when the Blood Transfusion Service introduced this ban.

    It's a stupid piece of policy because all blood is screened now before use and as I'm A- (which is apparently quite rare - only 15% in Scotland, not sure of England's stats) I would love to give blood. :grumble:
  • ScientistStudy
    ScientistStudy Posts: 249 Member
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    YES! I did as soon as I turned 17 :smile:
    My dad always did (he was a firefighter so they all used to go together) so I always wanted to. Needles don't bother me in the slightest.

    My twin sister can't donate because she has a heart murmur so I consider myself lucky.
    I am blood type RH O+


    I hope you guys read this because another major reason I have continued to donate and always do so when possible is my 23 month old niece.
    She has Diamon Blackfan Anaemia so needs blood transfusions ever 4-5 weeks.
    My sister made a website about it for her textile crafts project at university:

    http://www.wix.com/leighlalovesyou/thebloodbagproject#

    It's to promote donating blood but also if you can't you can help us by getting crafty!
    Check out the website for more details, basically there is a template to make a blood bag out of whatever materials you would like. They are going in an exhibition and will help raise money for DBA UK :bigsmile:
  • ScientistStudy
    ScientistStudy Posts: 249 Member
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    I would but gay blood is bad blood here in the UK. Sadly even someone who lives a healthy lifestyle can't give blood if they are gay.

    Example: two men meet, are virgins, have sex but are ineligible despite being monogamous.

    Another example: a woman can have unprotected sex with a random man every day for a year and be accepted. Unless... one of them as had sex with a man. I wonder if the average woman asks about all previous sexual history before commencing love making? I can see it now... "Before we start, have you slept with any men in the last year?"

    I would happily donate otherwise, but clearly they've got plenty to go around with the above policies in place!

    I think it's changed and you can donate.. you just can't have sexual relations for a year. Fair to say I don't blame you for not donating in that case haha.

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