Author Topic: Blood donation  (Read 88145 times)

SoreTween

  • Most of me survived the Pennine Bridleway.
Re: Blood donation
« Reply #125 on: 12 May, 2017, 06:16:58 pm »
Failed the haemoglobin test today :-(  That's an unwelcome first.
2023 targets: Survive. Maybe.
There is only one infinite resource in this universe; human stupidity.

offcumden

  • Oh, no!
Re: Blood donation
« Reply #126 on: 12 May, 2017, 07:05:34 pm »
I've been turned away from sessions 3 or 4 times over the years, usually in the summer when I'm doing more riding.  It seems this may be something called 'athletic anaemia'.  Some explanation to be found here (and elsewhere on the web): https://breakingmuscle.com/fuel/what-athletes-need-to-know-about-iron-deficiency.  I do sweat a lot, thereby losing iron apparently, and endurance exercise is supposed to increase your plasma stores, which has the effect of 'diluting' haemoglobin.

I've tweaked my veggie diet a bit to include fish, and more greens and dried fruit. Although I've been happy to do this, I find the advice to avoid tea and coffee around main meals a bit of a pain. My Hb levels do seem to be keeping up though, so maybe it works.


SoreTween

  • Most of me survived the Pennine Bridleway.
Re: Blood donation
« Reply #127 on: 13 May, 2017, 01:51:32 pm »
Thank you for that link, I had no idea it took so long to improve iron levels.  This is my first attempt at donation since I started going to the gym, the amount I sweat there is way above anything I do in the real world.  I'm not saying it is that, there's a few other things mentioned for me to think about and the Welsh blood service have a high threshold for the test.  The gym could be the proverbial straw, thinking back it was a slow sink last time.

I'll see what the test results show.  (Do they do a blood test if you fail in England?)
2023 targets: Survive. Maybe.
There is only one infinite resource in this universe; human stupidity.

offcumden

  • Oh, no!
Re: Blood donation
« Reply #128 on: 13 May, 2017, 07:57:17 pm »
I'm not really sure of the threshold levels, but it's certainly true that they are higher than those that would cause concern at a routine blood test at the doc's.

My last experience of this was about 11 or 12 months ago at a platelets session. When my blood drop failed to sink convincingly enough at the initial pin-prick test, they tested it with a portable piece of kit, which I believe gave a reading of 132 (mmols?), which was just acceptable.  However, a few days after my platelet donation I received a call to say that, on more thorough testing, I registered 129, and I was asked not to donate for 3 months; it's usually monthly for platelets. I'd been every month for nearly 2 years, which can lead to Hb levels falling but, as in my previous post, I think there may have been more to it than that.  After 3 months, and some dietary adjustment, it was up again (134?). 

It's a few years since I gave 'full blood', so things may have changed but, if you failed the drop test, I seem to remember that you were just asked to miss that one session.  Of course, full blood is only taken at 3 or 4 month intervals anyway.

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #129 on: 13 May, 2017, 08:11:15 pm »
We had a long discussion about this some time ago when I wasn't allowed to donate.

https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=5624.msg96269#msg96269
"No matter how slow you go, you're still lapping everybody on the couch."

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Blood donation
« Reply #130 on: 15 May, 2017, 12:11:32 am »
Haemoglobin is measured in grams per litre.
Men average around 150 and women around 135 g/l.

Blood banks have different rules for men and women.

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #131 on: 22 December, 2017, 01:51:18 pm »
Got my emerald award today.  :)

Salvatore

  • Джон Спунър
    • Pics
Re: Blood donation
« Reply #132 on: 22 December, 2017, 02:42:22 pm »
Got my emerald award today.  :)

Congratulations (from a mere silver)
Quote
et avec John, excellent lecteur de road-book, on s'en est sortis sans erreur

zigzag

  • unfuckwithable
Re: Blood donation
« Reply #133 on: 22 December, 2017, 08:50:56 pm »
the last time i went (about a month ago) a young chap couldn't pierce my vein. after some probing he asked me to arrange another appt once it fully heals. a bit of waste of my time, and a learning opportunity for him.

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #134 on: 25 December, 2017, 07:49:48 pm »
Got my emerald award today.  :)

Nice.  Congratulations.  About 6 months ago I was at a platelet session where one of the other donors was at 997.  The staff were planning a celebration for hitting the big one. Anything over 15 shows quite a lot of commitment, but that was something else.

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: Blood donation
« Reply #135 on: 26 December, 2017, 09:50:14 am »
I got to about 10 donations before I wsa told they didn't want my blood any more (rheumatoid arthritis, an auto-immune condition).
The loss of humanity I could live with.

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Blood donation
« Reply #136 on: 26 December, 2017, 01:42:08 pm »
I got to about 10 donations before I wsa told they didn't want my blood any more (rheumatoid arthritis, an auto-immune condition).

I had my Silver (I think I'd made 33 donations) before MS was diagnosed and I had to stop.

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #137 on: 27 December, 2017, 12:16:42 am »
Did about 18 donations but was rejected due to borderline anemia and then various medications/health concerns. Still at least in Wales I'm a presumed organ donor😁
Any bits you want? (Apart from missing ball bladder!)

Free to good OR bad home. NSA.

" One Cup Of Tea Is Never Enough But 2 Is One Too Many " - John Shuttleworth

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #138 on: 27 December, 2017, 12:59:36 am »
*ball bladder* ffs . Right autocorrect! That's it! I've told you before (insert rest of rant, I can't be arsed!)
" One Cup Of Tea Is Never Enough But 2 Is One Too Many " - John Shuttleworth

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Blood donation
« Reply #139 on: 27 December, 2017, 01:04:35 am »
*ball bladder* ffs . Right autocorrect! That's it! I've told you before (insert rest of rant, I can't be arsed!)

'ball bladder' did make I larf...

Then I thought foopball originated by kicking a filled animal urinary bladder...

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #140 on: 27 December, 2017, 01:10:47 am »
*ball bladder* ffs . Right autocorrect! That's it! I've told you before (insert rest of rant, I can't be arsed!)

'ball bladder' did make I larf...

Then I thought foopball originated by kicking a filled animal urinary bladder...
To someone who has experienced the fun and mirth of epididymitis this is a less than joyful imagining young Helly 😨😨
" One Cup Of Tea Is Never Enough But 2 Is One Too Many " - John Shuttleworth

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Blood donation
« Reply #141 on: 27 December, 2017, 01:47:08 am »
Apologies!

I am sure the bladders' erstwhile owners were beyond pain before they were repurposed.

arabella

  • عربللا
  • onwendeð wyrda gesceaft weoruld under heofonum
Re: Blood donation
« Reply #142 on: 03 January, 2018, 12:43:21 pm »
Got my emerald award today.  :)
Congratulations!

Nice.  Congratulations.  About 6 months ago I was at a platelet session where one of the other donors was at 997.  The staff were planning a celebration for hitting the big one. Anything over 15 shows quite a lot of commitment, but that was something else.
they count them both together then?
I don't qualify for anything other than the 3 whole bloods/year (lightweight and female) so aiming for 100 (whatever that is), or to donate 1 arabella weight of blood, or at least a hundred weight (cwt).  Emerald is next but not for another 5 years or so.
Any fool can admire a mountain.  It takes real discernment to appreciate the fens.

offcumden

  • Oh, no!
Re: Blood donation
« Reply #143 on: 03 January, 2018, 03:56:56 pm »
Reaching 1000 is pretty extraordinary - well done, that person!

Platelet donation makes point-chasing easier, with at least 2 for each session, and the possibility of monthly, or even fortnightly, donations - depending, I believe, on your platelet level. Also, they've recently started asking people to donate plasma at the same time (making 3 points a session), and are talking about bringing this up to 4 by taking red blood corpuscles(?). So, you could theoretically accumulate 100 a year, and qualify for some sort of PDRTY award ;D

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #144 on: 04 January, 2018, 12:04:47 am »
OK I'll ask, what does PDRTY stand FOR? Google didn't find anything about what this means. Why use acronyms like that? If ppl can't understand or translate it then there's no communication. No communication then what's the point?

Auntie Helen

  • 6 Wheels in Germany
Re: Blood donation
« Reply #145 on: 04 January, 2018, 05:20:58 am »
I guess he was coining an Audax-style ‘Platelet Donation Round The Year’ award.
My blog on cycling in Germany and eating German cake – http://www.auntiehelen.co.uk


offcumden

  • Oh, no!
Re: Blood donation
« Reply #146 on: 04 January, 2018, 09:53:04 am »
I guess he was coining an Audax-style ‘Platelet Donation Round The Year’ award.

Yep.

Sorry if it was confusing, but I'd mentioned points-chasing earlier in this thread, and assumed, perhaps wrongly, that readers would be familiar with AUK acronyms.  I often have to look up stuff like DAMHIKT - which is within the ken of google - but I can't expect it to know what I'm thinking.

SoreTween

  • Most of me survived the Pennine Bridleway.
Re: Blood donation
« Reply #147 on: 25 May, 2018, 04:40:11 pm »
Woo hoo! Blood sufficiently magnetic to donate today  :) Just over a year since I failed the test. I had another go 9 months ago and failed there too. Happy.
2023 targets: Survive. Maybe.
There is only one infinite resource in this universe; human stupidity.

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #148 on: 11 June, 2018, 06:23:39 pm »
Blood drop failed the copper sulphate solution test but came out as fine (156g/L) when tested with the little red machine that goes *ping*.

Need to arrange next one but I think I'll wait until a few weeks after Swim Serpentine as I'll inevitably have a cold for a couple of weeks after that...
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #149 on: 17 September, 2018, 08:14:24 pm »
Need to arrange next one but I think I'll wait until a few weeks after Swim Serpentine as I'll inevitably have a cold for a couple of weeks after that...

On cue they've been badgering me by email and phone. (I could have donated from the 16th). Have arranged next appt for early October which should give me time to recover from drinking some of the Serpentine.
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."