Giving blood :)

feathertouch
feathertouch Posts: 156 Member
in Chit-Chat
Hey everyone!

I just wanted to spread the attention of giving blood :) It's a very important thing and more than likely at some point in life you yourself may need to have blood given to you, if not then great but wouldn't you feel better knowing that just by giving blood saves another persons life.
I'm giving blood this morning and hopefully you will give blood too at some stage :)
It's my first time and I'm terrified of needles hahaha hopefully I won't faint :P

peace out and give blood :)
xxxxxx
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Replies

  • needernt
    needernt Posts: 675 Member
    I normalyy do kind of therapy 3 times a year by sucking blood form my back betwen two sholders.
    leeches are also famous for that
  • stagknight
    stagknight Posts: 130 Member
    I used to but have reached my life time limit, they won't take any more and retired me with a nice little badge.
  • Jester522
    Jester522 Posts: 392
    If I donate 5 times at work I get an extra vacation day :)

    I donate regularly.
  • lisha7997
    lisha7997 Posts: 185 Member
    I grew up in Europe so I'm not allowed to donate. :(

    I was going to be a bone marrow donor.
  • RiverMelSong
    RiverMelSong Posts: 456 Member
    I signed up recently and will be giving blood for the first time next week!! :)

    Edited to say that I am also an organ donor :) Have been since I was 18.
  • kit_katty
    kit_katty Posts: 992 Member
    I used to give regularly, but then they wouldn't take me because of my heart. Sigh. But I do think it's extremely important to donate. Good for you!

    Be an organ donor too, people! Save lives!
  • chubby_checkers
    chubby_checkers Posts: 2,352 Member
    I'm an organ donor but have never been able to give blood. Too young, anemic, tattoo, etc. I did have to have a transfusion about a year and a half ago so thank you to everyone that donates! I like living and you helped me do that. :flowerforyou:
  • brevislux
    brevislux Posts: 1,093 Member
    Throughout my adult life I've been hovering below and over 110 pounds. So all in all, I managed to give blood only once because often I wasn't allowed to donate.
    I am an organ donor though, I give blood when I can.
  • cabaray
    cabaray Posts: 971 Member
    I used to but have reached my life time limit, they won't take any more and retired me with a nice little badge.
    I didn't realize there was a lifetime limit. Interesting!
  • MySunshine76
    MySunshine76 Posts: 389
    I used to but have reached my life time limit, they won't take any more and retired me with a nice little badge.
    I didn't realize there was a lifetime limit. Interesting!

    I have never heard anything about a lifetime limit either, that wouldn't make any sense given your body doesn't stop making it.

    I, too, am an organ donor.

    I occasionally give blood, most of the time I donate platelets though. It's every two weeks, technically you can give evry 7 days, but they like you to wait 2 weeks. My next appt. is Nov. 12. My birthday, hopefully, what I give will help someone. That would be an amazing birthday present. (For those who are interested, platelets are used alot in cancer patients. They need platelet donations so bad, because the shelf life for them is only 5 days. You should look into it.):smile:

    Giving life only takes a little time.
  • Marathon_Maniac
    Marathon_Maniac Posts: 10 Member
    I give platelets and whole blood <3

    Sign up with the Red Cross or at a local hospital (I donate to the Kraft Blood Donor Center in Boston, MA)
  • Marathon_Maniac
    Marathon_Maniac Posts: 10 Member
    I used to but have reached my life time limit, they won't take any more and retired me with a nice little badge.
    I didn't realize there was a lifetime limit. Interesting!

    I have never heard anything about a lifetime limit either, that wouldn't make any sense given your body doesn't stop making it.

    I, too, am an organ donor.

    I occasionally give blood, most of the time I donate platelets though. It's every two weeks, technically you can give evry 7 days, but they like you to wait 2 weeks. My next appt. is Nov. 12. My birthday, hopefully, what I give will help someone. That would be an amazing birthday present. (For those who are interested, platelets are used alot in cancer patients. They need platelet donations so bad, because the shelf life for them is only 5 days. You should look into it.):smile:

    Giving life only takes a little time.


    Donating platelets take a little longer however you recover quickly. And Its every 4 weeks as opposed to 6-8 for whole blood.
  • rgf95
    rgf95 Posts: 2,675 Member
    It is teh best thing you can do to help others. Started 20 years ago as a dedicated donor for my infoant grandson [1lb 12 oz at birth]. Felt really great to know he had my actual blood not just my blood line. Then I thought ... That's too selfish. Give to those you don't know. Still feeling great about being a donor... Grandson is now a healthy young man. Make a difference? Donat!!
  • MySunshine76
    MySunshine76 Posts: 389
    I used to but have reached my life time limit, they won't take any more and retired me with a nice little badge.
    I didn't realize there was a lifetime limit. Interesting!

    I have never heard anything about a lifetime limit either, that wouldn't make any sense given your body doesn't stop making it.

    I, too, am an organ donor.

    I occasionally give blood, most of the time I donate platelets though. It's every two weeks, technically you can give evry 7 days, but they like you to wait 2 weeks. My next appt. is Nov. 12. My birthday, hopefully, what I give will help someone. That would be an amazing birthday present. (For those who are interested, platelets are used alot in cancer patients. They need platelet donations so bad, because the shelf life for them is only 5 days. You should look into it.):smile:

    Giving life only takes a little time.


    Donating platelets take a little longer however you recover quickly. And Its every 4 weeks as opposed to 6-8 for whole blood.

    It does take longer than giving whole blood, but it's still only an hour or two, at most. (And it doesn't take that long every time) And here in South Carolina, it's every 2 WEEKS (for women), every 7-10 days for men, and whole blood donations can be done every 56 days, no less.
  • stagknight
    stagknight Posts: 130 Member
    There is no limit any more, it was at the time they stopped taking my donations at 60 donations, as I was a plasma donator it racked up quickly, but when they relaxed the rule I never re-registered, I am on medication now so am happy to stay retired.
  • grim_traveller
    grim_traveller Posts: 625 Member
    I've been doing platelets for a while now, and around here you can donate every seven days, and a maximum of 24 times a year --about once every two weeks. And depending on your health, size and platelet count, you can donate a single, double or triple unit each donation. I'm big enough to do triples, and passed the three hundred unit mark a while back.

    And they bring you cookies if uou want!
  • jubeesh
    jubeesh Posts: 156
    I am actually headed to go donate right now. :)
  • Brianna72994
    Brianna72994 Posts: 887
    I want to give blood but I'm terrified of needles :(


    I am an organ donor though
  • travisseger
    travisseger Posts: 271 Member
    I went over the 5-gallons donated mark just last week. I urge everybody who can do it to do it. It really is an easy and fairly painless way to help a lot of people.
  • painthoss
    painthoss Posts: 63 Member
    I stopped years ago. I'm not afraid of needles or injections. My veins are small and they roll around. The phlebotomists come at me with those firehose needles, have me levitating on the table in pain as they dig the needle around looking for my widdle vein, which they perforate. Sorry, they chirp, and then they do it in the other arm. I end up with huge painful bruises on both arms.

    'Not this time, these people are experts, they know what they are doing!" I am told.

    After a certain number of identical iterations, I finally wised up and stopped succumbing to peer pressure.

    Many people do it with no problem, and I'm glad of it, it's a great program.
  • ddipert
    ddipert Posts: 103 Member
    I have O neg, so the Red Cross goes after me like a vampire. One nurse wanted to put me on a rack to stretch me so I'd be tall enough to give platelets.
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
    I've been planning on giving blood, I need to find out when they're next doing it here.

    My mum is in remission from leukaemia, and she had loads of blood and platelets transfusions, and I am so grateful to the people who donated them.
  • ddipert
    ddipert Posts: 103 Member
    I've been planning on giving blood, I need to find out when they're next doing it here.

    My mum is in remission from leukaemia, and she had loads of blood and platelets transfusions, and I am so grateful to the people who donated them.

    On the Red Cross web site they have a section where they can tell you where you give your zip code, a mileage range and a date range and they tell you all the drives in that area. Maps and everything. Then you can make an appointment. Makes it really easy. I like to go to this one church nearby that always has homemade soup (and homemade goodies) for after you give to build your strength back.
  • ahviendha
    ahviendha Posts: 1,291 Member
    Okay yes I know this comment will give people the giggles.

    Why do they take so much it has you feeling dizzy/nauseous for a few days afterwards??? I want to give blood but I don't want to have to alter my diet and exercise regime to do so! At work this girl gave blood and ended up passing out and hitting her head (same day as her donation). I'm sure that's an anomaly but THAT is what I'm talking about!
  • beckyboop712
    beckyboop712 Posts: 383 Member
    I grew up in Europe so I'm not allowed to donate. :(

    I was going to be a bone marrow donor.

    My Boyfriend's dad got a bone marrow transplant just 6 months ago from a guy in Germany....Check again.
  • texnurse
    texnurse Posts: 33 Member
    My life has been saved 3 times now because of much needed blood transfusions when I had Cancer, now that I am a survivor I donate several times a year, every chance I can (my body willing) Thank you for your post and encouragement, you have a beautiful heart, people just like you SAVED my life.
  • tigerlinly
    tigerlinly Posts: 219 Member
    like u i'm scared of the needles but at my local blood bank the tech the does my stuff 95% of the time does it to where i barely feel it from pricking my finger to stickign the needle inmy arm. i dontaed Monday and for the 1st time in 3 years she had a slight problem and it hurt when the needle went in but no to the point it was about 15 years ago when i quit going til about 3-4 years ago when i started going again. back then the tech when she stuck my arm stuck it in wrong then she wouldnt leave it alone. my blood vessel wound up busting and i had a bruise from the elbow where she stuck to my wrist that is why i found the tech i use now she makes it easier on me they recomend giving 3 times a year i'm due to go back to donate around Christmas eve which will be my 5th time this year to give. if waiting for a blood drive it isnt neccesary all u have to do is go to your local blood center and say i want to donate
  • microwoman999
    microwoman999 Posts: 545 Member
    The last time I ever donated blood was when I was disrespected and hurt by doing so. I asked the person that was going to take my blood to change her gloves because she had just stuck 2 other people with the same pair. She asked me why and I told her. She got huffy changed the gloves and did as I asked. When she removed the needle it was pulled out pretty roughly (not saying this could not happen any other time) but left a massive bruise on my arm after that. Also the head of the unit came over to ask what the problem was before I left and I explained this. When I finished he told me that it was for the safety of the staff (BULL) and that if the gloves were not contaminated it was ok. Well first of all I was there giving my blood willingly for others and second of all you can't see germs. Take care while donating and make sure they are using proper procedures! It should be for your safety too. You don't know what other people who donate may have no need to take a risk! Have them change their gloves!
  • kathleennf
    kathleennf Posts: 606 Member
    Hello folks:
    I'm a surgeon and just wanted to thank all you blood and blood product (platelets etc) donors out there! If you didn't donate I wouldn't be able to do my job...:smile:
  • Coryd2012
    Coryd2012 Posts: 132 Member
    gave blood for the first time last week cant wait to do it again

    i am an organ donor and a bone marrow donor

    my daughter had cancer so she had to have blood all the time she also had a bone marrow transplant this is why i do it because so many people did it for her:smile:

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