Author Topic: Blood donation  (Read 88130 times)

Blood donation
« on: 21 January, 2010, 03:07:57 pm »
First time back for years.
   
Not much changed, apart from using a wierd swipey thing to clean your arm.

Blimey! I don't remember the needle hurting like that!

I *definitely* don't remember getting 'blowback' round the needle. Nope, blood donation sessions didn't involve blood running down my arm before.
<i>Marmite slave</i>

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #1 on: 21 January, 2010, 03:21:29 pm »
Bah! No chance of a "blowback" at my blood drop-in.
You'd be lucky to even get a cup of tea and a poxy digestive out of them.

Quote from: Marbeaux
Have given this a great deal of thought and decided not to contribute to any further Threads for the time being.
POTD. (decade) :thumbsup:

CommuteTooFar

  • Inadequate Randonneur
Re: Blood donation
« Reply #2 on: 21 January, 2010, 03:22:33 pm »
Well done for doing it.  At my place of work (15 people) I am the only one who is willing to donate. (One is forbidden due to health reasons).  Unfortunately the last 5 times the vampires have stopped locally I have had a cold.  I think it is not a coincidence that the office installed air conditioning around the same time.


Re: Blood donation
« Reply #3 on: 21 January, 2010, 03:32:38 pm »
I used to be a frequent donor. Stopped when I started cycling so much, as it always takes me a while to recover.

So this was my 23rd donation (but the 19th on their records; records used to be regional).

I'm going to look into blood component donation. Should have less of an impact on my health than whole blood.
<i>Marmite slave</i>

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: Blood donation
« Reply #4 on: 21 January, 2010, 05:14:34 pm »
They don't want mine and I don't care!
The loss of humanity I could live with.

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #5 on: 22 January, 2010, 03:46:08 pm »
Blimey! I don't remember the needle hurting like that!

That'll be the alcohol from the wipey thing going in with the needle. Suprised me just how much it did hurt (donation #1 two months ago, no previous donations due to anti-inflammatory drugs, visits to Malarial countries and, more often than not, apathy). Appointment #2 is booked though.
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #6 on: 22 January, 2010, 08:32:42 pm »
You'd be lucky to even get a cup of tea and a poxy digestive out of them.

Blimey, mine have started offering cakes in addition to the biscuits  :thumbsup:

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #7 on: 23 January, 2010, 05:51:44 pm »
Blimey! I don't remember the needle hurting like that!

That'll be the alcohol from the wipey thing going in with the needle.

I think it was the clumsiness of the woman who put in the needle. I don't normally ever bruise, and my elbow is gradually turning black.
<i>Marmite slave</i>

Speshact

  • Charlie
Re: Blood donation
« Reply #8 on: 23 January, 2010, 06:11:33 pm »
As I go through the tick list before you are allowed to give blood I always wonder what percentage of the population is actually eligible to give....and whether I live too unadventurous a life
The National Blood Service - Can I Give Blood

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: Blood donation
« Reply #9 on: 23 January, 2010, 06:13:10 pm »
I had to stop when I started cycling a lot.  I need every corpuscle I can lay my hands on, just to get over the hill halfway to work.
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #10 on: 23 January, 2010, 06:19:30 pm »
As I go through the tick list before you are allowed to give blood I always wonder what percentage of the population is actually eligible to give....and whether I live too unadventurous a life
The National Blood Service - Can I Give Blood

Interesting that test.   My specific exclusion is not included.

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #11 on: 23 January, 2010, 06:34:45 pm »
It's quite a long list of exclusions.

Quote
Have you had a serious illness or a procedure in the past or are you on medication at present?

For this one, a yes gets you rejected - all medications?? How far back? I don't take any meds but I have had meningitis as an infant. If I include that, I'm out.

Quote
Have you been outside the UK (including business) in the last 12 months?

What, away from the UK at all?

Quote
If you have travelled outside Europe or to Ravenna province in North-east Italy, then you may not be able to give blood. For more information please call our 24 hour Donor Helpline

What's the problem with Ravenna, out of curiosity?

Quote
Have you ever stayed outside the UK for a continuous period of 6 months or more?

Another "no thanks" for me there.

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #12 on: 23 January, 2010, 06:43:24 pm »
It's quite a long list of exclusions.

Quote
Have you had a serious illness or a procedure in the past or are you on medication at present?

For this one, a yes gets you rejected - all medications?? How far back? I don't take any meds but I have had meningitis as an infant. If I include that, I'm out.

Quote
Have you been outside the UK (including business) in the last 12 months?

What, away from the UK at all?

Quote
If you have travelled outside Europe or to Ravenna province in North-east Italy, then you may not be able to give blood. For more information please call our 24 hour Donor Helpline

What's the problem with Ravenna, out of curiosity?

Quote
Have you ever stayed outside the UK for a continuous period of 6 months or more?

Another "no thanks" for me there.

Answering "yes" to any of those questions doesn't automatically lead to an exclusion. Mostly it's for common-sense reasons - f'rinstance, they want to know if you've had any medications in the last five days so that if you've taken paracetamol they mark your donation accordingly so that it doesn't go to a person who has a paracetamol allergy.

Similarly, tell 'em that you've been outside the UK, and all they'll do is ask "where?" and check it off on their list of "places to watch". Most places are absolutely fine (Ravenna had a problem with Chikungunya Fever, according to Mr Google).

 :)
Have you seen my blog? It has words. And pictures! http://ablogofallthingskathy.blogspot.com/

Adam

  • It'll soon be summer
    • Charity ride Durness to Dover 18-25th June 2011
Re: Blood donation
« Reply #13 on: 23 January, 2010, 06:46:50 pm »
It's quite a long list of exclusions.

Quote
Have you had a serious illness or a procedure in the past or are you on medication at present?

For this one, a yes gets you rejected - all medications?? How far back? I don't take any meds but I have had meningitis as an infant. If I include that, I'm out.


They wouldn't reject you automatically just for answering yes, as it all depends exactly what you've had and when.

On their FAQs, about half way down there's a link for a list of medications to check if they'd stop someone donating.
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.” -Albert Einstein

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #14 on: 23 January, 2010, 06:51:38 pm »
It's quite a long list of exclusions.

They aren't exclusions, only questions that need following up and discussion with someone knowledgeable. Something that can't be assessed with a simple yes/no on a website.

I've had a skin graft and been on heavy anti-inflammatories that previously excluded me from donating (15 years ago). I've lived outside the UK for longer than 6 months in one go (lived in the US in 2001). I'd also been out of the UK in the last 12 months (France).

Most importantly I'd spent 2 months traveling around South America in the last 12 months (Chile, Argentina and brief visits to Uruguay and Brazil). The Brazil trip took me into a malarial zone.

So that was 3 or 4 questions that get me "rejected" according to the online test.

All this triggered was someone asking me about it in person, asking if I'd had any problems, or slept in mud huts (Chagas disease and Malaria) and then deciding that it was still ok since it been 10 months since I'd been back from S America with no problems. They just submitted an extra sample of my blood for a Malaria test (as well as the usual things they test for).
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #15 on: 23 January, 2010, 07:00:27 pm »
They aren't exclusions, only questions that need following up and discussion with someone knowledgeable

Thought that might be a possibility. I tried putting in the "wrong answers" for most questions, out of curiosity, and I'm sure the wording of some of the rejections might put some people off investigating further:

Quote
Thank you for your time... but it seems that you are not able to give blood

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #16 on: 24 January, 2010, 03:21:48 pm »
They wont take mine. Not only do I need it more, but it's contaminated with drugs.

My dad's given around 80 pints. I reckon he's done my duty.

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #17 on: 24 January, 2010, 03:29:57 pm »
The vampires of the Gwasanaeth Gwaed Cymru had another pint of mine on Thursday.  

I try to give them a pint every time they come over this way and never feel any ill effects.  They do very good tea and as many good quality biscuits as you can eat, and unlimited Kit Kats!  :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

FatBloke

  • I come from a land up over!
Re: Blood donation
« Reply #18 on: 24 January, 2010, 05:03:55 pm »
   
Blimey! I don't remember the needle hurting like that!



They used to give you a bit of local anaesthetic before putting the big needle in. They stopped that about 6 years ago.
This isn't just a thousand to one shot. This is a professional blood sport. It can happen to you. And it can happen again.

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #19 on: 24 January, 2010, 05:15:59 pm »
   
Blimey! I don't remember the needle hurting like that!



They used to give you a bit of local anaesthetic before putting the big needle in. They stopped that about 6 years ago.

Depends on location. I've been giving blood for about ten years, and have never been offered an anaesthetic.

Worst donation I ever made was in a mobile unit. The nurse attending was so busy gossiping that she spilled someone else's blood everywhere (which she mopped up with a tissue - the part of me that used to work in a haematology department in a hospital winced at that), and then forgot to wire up my needle correctly so that instead of draining my blood, she forced air into my veins. Which was excruciating. I've refused to go to the mobile units ever since.
Have you seen my blog? It has words. And pictures! http://ablogofallthingskathy.blogspot.com/

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #20 on: 24 January, 2010, 05:31:25 pm »
They still do give the anaesthetic if you ask for it. I haven't bothered for about the last 20 donations.

I now have a small cyst-like lump on the tendon near the needle site. I'm wondering if the nurse totally missed the vein first time and jabbed the needle into my tendon.
<i>Marmite slave</i>

Androcles

  • Cycling Weakly
Re: Blood donation
« Reply #21 on: 27 January, 2010, 10:55:01 pm »
Due to go next week.  Not been for a year or so, seem to be stuck at 40something donations for ages now, seems like I'll never get to the 50.
Wave upon wave of demented avengers march cheerfully out of obscurity into a dream

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #22 on: 28 January, 2010, 09:41:27 am »
I bow in respect to your blood donating-fu.

40 is quite an achievement. Aiming for 50 is definitely black-belt territory.
<i>Marmite slave</i>

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #23 on: 28 January, 2010, 09:50:39 am »
They seem to think I am already past 50, but I recon 7 years at 3/year and 4 years at 6/year* puts me just shy.

*That was 4 years in Birmingham going to the permenant centre and component doning, 1 + 1, platelets and red blood so the 4monthly visit counted twice.

Unless something goes horribly wrong, or they find an alternative tech, I should have another 30+ years of donations to go.

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #24 on: 28 January, 2010, 10:00:58 am »
I went last night for number 22.  I started in 1984 because I needed to know my blood group.  The low number is explained by years out of the country followed by years of always seeming to have a cold when the blood bus came around.  Never had an anaeshetic but procedures have changed over the years; the most recent being to invite you to drink a big glass of water while you are waiting.

Tonight I will go for a ride to meet the Thursday pub ride to replenish some more liquid.