They don't want my blood

[saturn]

The first time I gave blood, as a teenager, I was fine during the donation but fainted an hour later ...

My teenage daughter has tried twice, first time felt faint afterwards and had to wait for ages before she could get off the bed, second time came over in a hot sweat and felt faint during the donation so they stopped. She wants to donate but has effectively been told "3 strikes and you're out" so doesn't want to risk it for a while.

[mcshroom]

Malarial areas, they used to take it anyway for plasma, has this changed? Have we not all really been eating horse instead of beef? (Have you noticed frozen steak and kidney puddings have all but disappeared from supermarket freezers,)  Are the Government not telling us something?  Do we screen USAnians for bubonic plague?  Half life of Cesium is 2,500 years but lamb is ok?  I used to carry a bottle of plasma around Africa in the early days of Aids. How times change.

I should recommence donating really as I am A res -ve.

The radioactive forms of Caesium from nuclear reactors are Cs-137 and Cs-134, the former has a half-life of 30.17yrs and the latter just over 2yrs.

[Canardly]

I should know better really shouldn't I  Must be Cs 134 I was referring to.

[Dibdib]

My donation last week was the first time I didn't get woozy and light-headed after donating.

I'd figured out that despite not feeling hungry, donating after work was too long after lunch. The application of some (strictly medicinal) CAEK at about four o'clock made for a much more enjoyable experience

[Wowbagger]

Yes, apparently we are all scottish/Irish Basques and the original cave painting lot

See? fboab always goes on about my Pikey roots.

I'd better buy some ponies to tie up by the road. Anyone want their driveway tarmac'd?

You are letting the side down if you are intending to buy the ponies.

I still have an autoimmune disease so they will never want mine. I just drop in here to be sociable and to see if I can scrounge a biscuit.

[nicknack]

I don't think they'll want mine any more now. Beta blockers and blood thinners and possibly a stent at the end of July may put them off extracting any more. Shame - I'd got to 74.

[Wowbagger]

That all sounds jolly drastic, Nicknack. Hope you are OK.

[nicknack]

Cheers, Wow. I feel fine but at the mo any strenuous activity is rewarded by gasping and having to sit down for a fair while to recover. Had an angiogram yesterday and found that that one of my arteries has a constriction which they're going to investigate further in July. It's a pain but at least I know what the problem is now. Hope you get your problem sorted out too.

[jsabine]

#25 today.

The staff had a right old whinge about the fact they didn't have any badges to give out any more and could only give me a poxy card (not *quite* their words, but near enough). Taken me almost exactly 10 years - I shall try to be a bit quicker with the next lot.

[Dibdib]

My donation last week was the first time I didn't get woozy and light-headed after donating.

I'd figured out that despite not feeling hungry, donating after work was too long after lunch. The application of some (strictly medicinal) CAEK at about four o'clock made for a much more enjoyable experience

Number six this evening.

Application of Medicinal Cake didn't seem to help - I had to have a little rest in the chair before they let me stand up, and then (embarassingly) another surprise lie down in the corridor on the way back from the loo. Could have been worse, I guess! Anyway, I'm home and fed (cheeky McDonalds - I figured red meat, salt and carbs wasn't a terrible idea)  now and feeling better. Still not 100% though, and I'll probably skip tomorrow's club ride just in case.

Booked in again for January.

[hellymedic]

Drink a large volume of a cold drink.
You are at least 400ml down post-donation and 200ml of tea might not give you the volume needed.

Down a bidon of sports drink or fizzypop.

[Chris S]

Did you drink the prescribed amount when you arrived? There should be drink/cups available?

Generally, I drink a pint of beer water before leaving home, then have a Big Cup of water when waiting for my slot. It does help.

[Dibdib]

I did - both a general effort to drink plenty of water throughout the afternoon, half a pint or so of Sunny D en route, and the big cup o' water they got me to drink before they drained me. They gave me half a punt of water and another pint or so of orange squash post-donation before I left, as well as raiding the biscuits.

[Chris S]

I've seen a few donators now.

The "grey shiny ones" not allowed to leave afterwards because they can't string a sentence together.
The "bleeders", standing there drinking their tea and eating their biscuit, completely oblivious whilst their claret drips from the end of their sleeve.
The "pukers" - not seen one yet, but I've seen the "Paper Bowl of Doom" being called for, to a bed over the way.
The "deniers" - they've been there nearly an hour and hardly a drop has showed itself.
The "enthusiasts" (myself included) - bled, fed and watered in under 20 minutes.
The "unavailable" (myself included) - failed the drop-test for some reason (Audax plays a guilty role here, for me).

Nowadays, I'm not sure I'm allowed to play the game at all. I've had plenty of invites - I'll have to find out if they want me or not...

[Martin]

I thought I'd been banned for life owing to having a spot on my neck (BCC which was removed 2 months ago) but it seems it's OK as it doesn't metastathingy;

so hopefullly just a 6 month respite 

[T42]

Ineligible: clopidogrel (a.k.a. skatapoesis) & a bunch of other nostrums.

[Dibdib]

I seem to be a bad luck charm for my donation session. Last time I fainted in a corridor and this time (accompanied by a strong burning smell) the electricity cut out. To the whole building.

While I was still plugged in.

 

Still, no harm done - I was finished, and with lots of smartphone "torches" they got everyone unplugged, plied me with squash and a Penguin, and evacuated everyone outside.

[mattc]

Still, no harm done - I was finished, and with lots of smartphone "torches" they got everyone unplugged, plied me with squash and a Penguin, and evacuated everyone outside.

Did you manage this before or after the freezing sleet arrived??

[Dibdib]

Still, no harm done - I was finished, and with lots of smartphone "torches" they got everyone unplugged, plied me with squash and a Penguin, and evacuated everyone outside.

Did you manage this before or after the freezing sleet arrived??

Thankfully it was cold, but nothing falling from the sky either when I went in or out. Most of the sleet fell here a bit earlier, about half three ish.