Donating blood burns 600-650 calories!

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  • RadioactivePirate
    RadioactivePirate Posts: 212
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    Regarding MSM donating blood...

    The Red Cross's hands are tied in this situation. I believe they have come out in favor of lifting the lifetime ban, but the requirement is from the federal government. Boycotting the red cross does nothing to change this, and is only in fact hurting people who need blood.

    It would make a lot more sense for the requirement to be a ban on people who have had unprotected sex (outside of a monogamous relationship). That's the REAL risk factor for HIV transmission. Gay men may be more likely to have HIV, but being gay is not itself a risk factor. Having unprotected sex IS. The Red Cross knows this. Don't boycott them. They're trying!
  • corneredbycorn
    corneredbycorn Posts: 267 Member
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    The red cross actually told me to stop donating. My blood flows so slowly that it takes over 20 mins to get a pint. This means it has too much coagulant in it and therefore can not be split. It can only be used whole. But the last two times I gave I went over the allotted amount of time, they were having to weigh the bag trying to get the right amount, and that meant they had to trash my donation. It was not usable. Totally stinks because I would love to do this but I can't. Plus I usually pass out.
    I would have told them to put it back. :P
  • RachaelKaye4
    RachaelKaye4 Posts: 57 Member
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    BUMP! :)
  • louised88
    louised88 Posts: 159
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    In Canada they won't accept blood from Homosexual donors. Not high-risk homosexual donors-ALL homosexual donors.

    Therefore they don't get my calories.

    it's the same way here in the U.S.
    it's a shame really :( there are so many people out there willing to give blood and help others, and they turn you down due to your sexual preferences.

    Same in Ireland. (Well, not homosexual people, but sexually active gay men, who have EVER had sexual contact with another man, even if a condom was used. It's a disgrace.) It's difficult, because I feel like if I am healthy enough to give blood, I should give blood (it's not the fault of the people who need blood), but I find that really difficult to reconcile with my opposition to such discrimination.
  • Katxith
    Katxith Posts: 7
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    Info for anyone who's interested http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2333882/Donating-blood-good-YOUR-health-receiver.html
  • CostaClause
    CostaClause Posts: 2 Member
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    I'm with him... How does sitting in a chair with an IV draining your arm burn 600 calories?
    How do you burn cals sitting on a chair with a blood draw in you is what I want to know.
  • CostaClause
    CostaClause Posts: 2 Member
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    You're not "child sized" or "too small"... you're FUN sized!! :)
    I wish I could donate, but my veins are too small and roll too much to deal with the cannula.

    My wife is a phlebotomist, and a damn good one at that. I bet she could stick you, and you wouldn't even know it.

    Yeah, I wasn't the original one to post this, but do you have any idea how many times I have heard that? I usually have to walk out with cotton balls and band aids on both elbows PLUS my hand.

    My wife is the one they call to stick babies, cancer patients, morbidly obese people, dying people with virtually no blood pressure, and people that no-one else has been able to stick. There are regular patients in all the locations she works that refuse to be stuck by anyone but her. If she can't stick you, I'm pretty confident in saying that no one can :laugh:

    Can you have her in my doctors office next month?

    I was in the hospital as a child and got to listen to two phlebs: we will have to take it out of her hand! Her hand, you can't do that, it will hurt! 30 some years later, I can tell you the hand hurts less than the digging!

    :laugh: Sure, if I ever get her home. During the blizzard the hospital has asked her to stay over so they know she'll be on hand, and so they don't have to worry about whether she can make it in. Yeah, never mind her family, guys, we need her too!

    I believe you about your wife. But, I also have very small veins. And anytime I have been in the situation of needing an IV, my veins were even smaller (from dehydration and/or blood loss). I can not tell you how many nurses (and I mean male and female nurses) were so cocky that they could do it, as they stabbed me and stabbed me and stabbed me until they finally had someone else come in (I still have scars). And they always need to put it into my hand (sometimes with insulting me for being small and saying I am child sized, like they are mad at me).

    My midwives were amazing after I had my second baby at home. They worked for a long time to get the I.V. in because I had lost too much blood and the bleeding was not stopping. And once the IV was all in, she explained that if I have any more kids I need to tell them in advance to make sure I have an IV already in before I deliver.

    I also can not give blood because I'm too small.
  • hmg90
    hmg90 Posts: 314 Member
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    Regarding MSM donating blood...

    The Red Cross's hands are tied in this situation. I believe they have come out in favor of lifting the lifetime ban, but the requirement is from the federal government. Boycotting the red cross does nothing to change this, and is only in fact hurting people who need blood.

    It would make a lot more sense for the requirement to be a ban on people who have had unprotected sex (outside of a monogamous relationship). That's the REAL risk factor for HIV transmission. Gay men may be more likely to have HIV, but being gay is not itself a risk factor. Having unprotected sex IS. The Red Cross knows this. Don't boycott them. They're trying!

    I do understand why gay men are not allowed to donate blood, yet I do understand that they feel discriminated against.
    Gay men do have HIV more often than straight men or women do. That is fact. It is not homophobic to say it. It is silly to deny it for politically correct reasons.
    And a lot of people are scared ****less by the fact that there are those who have been transmitted with HIV through blood transfusions in the past. Yes it is rare but it has happened.

    Denying those who have had unprotected sex is of course logical, but impossible to do in practice.

    People are also worried about needles being used that are not sterilized/clean. And they cannot risk losing blood donors due to fear.

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