I was lucky enough to be stateside by 1980, so I'm still eligible. AND thanks to the previous posts I logged into my blood donor site and they do have a section for cholesterol results!!! Who knew these things existed!!! It must be fairly new because none of my previous donations are listed and there is a note about yesterday's donation and how it takes 3 days usually to have your data show up on the site.

I will get cholesterol testing now with my donations - fascinating!!!

cstehansen wrote: »

I used to give blood 3-6 times a year. I had a gallon pin from 2 different groups and was close to or over that amount with another. Then, they changed the requirements and I am no longer able to donate. I lived in Germany on a US military base in the early 80's. Apparently, during that time our beef was coming through the Britain so Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (mad cow) is a concern. From what I can determine from limited research, the only way to know if you are infected is autopsy of the brain since not everyone infected develops symptoms and those that do can develop them decades later.

This change really sucks from a supply standpoint because I am pretty sure military personnel and their families probably give at a higher rate than the general public given more have personally been affected by the need for the donations. The areas affected in Europe are ones where a high percentage of military were stationed in the 80's. I know both my parents and both my brothers used to donate regularly as well until this change. I'm not sure if my sister did.

@cstehansen - My biggest worry when I first started donating was transfusion contamination. I had multiple blood transfusions in the late 70's (before they screened for HIV and a number of other things) due to an amputation (finger, partial) and subsequent failed reattachment/removal surgeries. Because of this, I was considered high risk for the first several donations until screenings (multiple) cleared me. I still am not sure what repercussions I may have suffered as a result of this trauma. Since then, I started failing the hemocrit/iron screenings, and then my hypothyroidism was so bad, along with my insulin resistance, that it will not advised until I got my health better managed.

In the last several years, I struggle daily with dehydration issues and such, so I've actually gotten scared of whole blood or even plasma (untried) donations...and haven't in years. I think I'll look about for the next donation and try to "get back in the saddle" of the process. Considering that obviously, early in my life, blood donations saved my life, I need to get back in the loop of donating...to pay it foward.