Author Topic: Blood donation  (Read 88129 times)

TheLurker

  • Goes well with magnolia.
Re: Blood donation
« Reply #25 on: 28 January, 2010, 12:19:13 pm »
Well, assuming the Hb isn't low again (twice in the last 18 months) I'm expecting them to take No. 45 from me next Friday.  We'll see.

I am however getting a little bit narked (but not rant level narked) with being chased by them when they told me very clearly to, "Go away and rest for a wee while to get the Hb levels back up before you make another appointment."  Yes I know ORh+ is very useful because, as it happens, I do remember my O level biology and all that 'universal donor' / 'universal recipient' guff. 

Sometimes one wonders if the left hand knows what the right hand is doing. Hey ho. Smile and wave, smile and wave.
Τα πιο όμορφα ταξίδια γίνονται με τις δικές μας δυνάμεις - Φίλοι του Ποδήλατου

hulver

  • I am a mole and I live in a hole.
Re: Blood donation
« Reply #26 on: 28 January, 2010, 03:09:01 pm »
Yes I know ORh+ is very useful because, as it happens, I do remember my O level biology and all that 'universal donor' / 'universal recipient' guff. 

I thought it was ORh- that was the universal stuff, because you can't give Rh+ to an Rh- person.

Or have I got it the wrong way around?

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #27 on: 28 January, 2010, 03:18:46 pm »
afaik, all Rh+ people can accept blood from ORh+

Rh- needs Rh-
<i>Marmite slave</i>

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #28 on: 28 January, 2010, 03:26:02 pm »
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.

Halfords are now doing blood donation?
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POTD. (decade) :thumbsup:

Martin

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #29 on: 28 January, 2010, 03:27:32 pm »
Yes I know ORh+ is very useful because, as it happens, I do remember my O level biology and all that 'universal donor' / 'universal recipient' guff.  

I thought it was ORh- that was the universal stuff, because you can't give Rh+ to an Rh- person.

Or have I got it the wrong way around?

ooh work related question makes a change having been off for a month;

group O can be given to anyone; otherwise you cannot give A to someone who is not A etc (apart from AB who can have anything)

Rh is a bit different (top marks too for calling it Rh not Rhesus the connection between the blood group system and monkeys was disproved decades ago but it persists in terminology)

Rh is one of the most immunogenic of the other systems; nobody is born with antibodies to Rh but if an Rh - person has contact with Rh+ red cells thru either pregnancy (across the placenta) or transfusion they are likely to form anti-Rh antibody (most commonly anti-D but there are 4 other antigens in the system)

anyone still awake?

so if you give Rh+ blood to an Rh- male (or female beyond child bearing age) they may make antibodies which will require them to receive Rh- blood for life; no big deal ( all blood is screened for these antibodies before a transfusion is given and if they are found the appropriate negative donor blood is selected; there are dozens of other systems but they mostly behave just like Rh)

but if it's a woman who then becomes pregnant they will pass the antibody across to the foetus via the placenta; if the foetus is Rh+ (having got the gene from dad; 85% of the UK possess the Rh or D antigen) it can cause jaundice and general bad things even requiring intra uterine (or soon after delivery) transfusion, phototherapy; plasmapheresis of mum to get the antibody level down etc.


so we try to match Rh to Rh whenever possible but big Rh- bleeds who will not have babies go to Rh+ to conserve stocks of Rh-

we would normally only give out O Rh- to a non O Rh- in a dire emergency when we did not know the patient's blood group (usually A/E situations) as it takes about 30 mins to determine blood type and antibody status. We can get the blood group from a blood sample in a couple of minutes if they are gushing.

Rh- to Rh+ is fine (apart from cases of anti-c but you don't wan to know about that)

ps anybody know how long major surgery bars you for? just had my call up and it doesn't say.


Re: Blood donation
« Reply #30 on: 28 January, 2010, 03:41:12 pm »
major surgery? If you've *received* a transfusion, I think you are barred for life.

"You should NOT give blood if . . . . .
You have received blood or think you may have received blood during the course of any medical treatment or procedure anywhere in the world since 1st January 1980."
<i>Marmite slave</i>

Martin

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #31 on: 28 January, 2010, 03:43:19 pm »
major surgery? If you've *received* a transfusion, I think you are barred for life.

"You should NOT give blood if . . . . .
You have received blood or think you may have received blood during the course of any medical treatment or procedure anywhere in the world since 1st January 1980."

I checked; I didn't receive any. Still had a large hole dug out though.

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #32 on: 28 January, 2010, 05:54:45 pm »
Martin, I suspect you will be caught by the waiting for a medical appointment other than a dental check-up. Which will prompt them to ask you more questions and probably send you to the long grass until your surgeon signs you off as fully recovered.

ps I think it was about 10 weeks from my orthopedic surgery to the next 1+1 donation. I was definately still in the physios care.

Martin

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #33 on: 28 January, 2010, 06:09:46 pm »
given that they found quite a lot of the red stuff when they opened me up (not including what inevitably comes out in ops) I think I'll just voluntarily defer for several months. A diet of pizza curry pasta and no meat doesn't help/

I think after 77 units I'm allowed a break

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #34 on: 28 January, 2010, 06:38:31 pm »
Think I must've done 40 or so by now, cycling gets in the way quite often- I'm going to donate in the gap between the last 'cross race and the first TT.

I'll donate close to work, are the blood service ever funny about people riding to and from the venue? normally I walk back to work and change into my lycra so they never know- this time the venue is a bit further away so it makes more sense to ride and go straight home.

I don't have a problem with riding, wondering if they might.

Chris S

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #35 on: 01 February, 2010, 03:16:33 pm »
Just got back from #9. Cue the dozies for the rest of the day... :)

There was a bleeder today - poor chap; blood everywhere  :thumbsup:.

So that's one bleeder and one fainter I've seen in nine sessions.

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #36 on: 01 February, 2010, 03:44:02 pm »
I'm off to number 4 this Sunday.

The first time i went there was one person that fainted and at the second donation there was a claret fountain incident during tea and biscuits.

These seem like anomalous occurrences after reading the statistical info at the beginning of the session.  But after reading about Chris S's experience perhaps its just that the bleeders and fainters just don't get recorded very often.

Data recording's a bit slack..

How long do people take to pump a pint?  4 minutes and 8 seconds is my current record...

Chris S

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #37 on: 01 February, 2010, 03:47:26 pm »
I've never timed mine, but they often remark how quick it is. It's because I cycle to the session (10km each way) so I'm all pumped up and raring to bleed.

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #38 on: 01 February, 2010, 06:14:20 pm »
Think I must've done 40 or so by now, cycling gets in the way quite often- I'm going to donate in the gap between the last 'cross race and the first TT.

I'll donate close to work, are the blood service ever funny about people riding to and from the venue? normally I walk back to work and change into my lycra so they never know- this time the venue is a bit further away so it makes more sense to ride and go straight home.

I don't have a problem with riding, wondering if they might.

I used to be quite open about my plan to ride the A38 from the centre of Birmingham back to the University campus in Edgbaston. It's only about 3 miles but full on urban duel carriageway for the whole trip and not entirely flat.

They were quite happy from the donating front but always doubted my sanity about the route.

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #39 on: 01 February, 2010, 07:49:12 pm »
Ta,

I'll ride then.

Chris S

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #40 on: 01 February, 2010, 07:52:02 pm »
Bloody Hell!

A blood donation when well into a weight loss phase is a shock.

I'm wiped! Mrs S had to cook extra pasta tonight.

arabella

  • عربللا
  • onwendeð wyrda gesceaft weoruld under heofonum
Re: Blood donation
« Reply #41 on: 03 February, 2010, 10:44:16 am »
I rang up to make an appointement in Nov and got told I'd be turned away if I turned up, without even a having the Hb test done ('cos I 'failed' it 10 days after LEL).  So I'll wait for them to summon me again, presumably next August.  Knock on is I won't try so hard to get to 100 as if low Hb can happen once etc. (only forty mumble at the moment anyway, about where I should be given my age and being out of UK/gynacological banned for approx 9 years at various times).

Wonder why surgery is 10 weeks whereas even a natural birth is 1 year.  Oh well, it  would have been difficult donating with a very small person in tow anyway.

edited to remove possibly misleading figure
Any fool can admire a mountain.  It takes real discernment to appreciate the fens.

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Blood donation
« Reply #42 on: 03 February, 2010, 01:30:55 pm »
Arabella, it's a question of iron reserves. Even if you don't bleed much when giving birth, a small person has been formed, consuming much 'slack in the system'. The small person will have made itself a liver and all other organs out of you or your food.
After the small person escapes, you need to rebuild your reserves.

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #43 on: 03 February, 2010, 07:17:22 pm »
No 90 today - the century is in sight(2 1/2 years away)
HGb level 15.9 (Vs 13.5 "pass mark")
Had daily Ferrograd for last 5 days
and yummy black pudding and extra helpings of green veg over last few days

Martin

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #44 on: 03 February, 2010, 07:24:21 pm »
Wonder why surgery is 10 weeks

where did you hear that?

being O neg (rr K- CMV- to boot; prime baby blood material) I get badgered all the time; they rang a couple of days ago so I told them my recent woes and they said "that's OK as soon as the hospital sign you off come in and roll up your sleeve"

Fortunately I can test myself at work before the next time; Hb any less than 14.0 and it's no show

arabella

  • عربللا
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Re: Blood donation
« Reply #45 on: 04 February, 2010, 11:08:38 am »
Wonder why surgery is 10 weeks

where did you hear that?

Hmm, must have made it up, will edit to not confuse anyone.

Thx for explanation, Helly.
Any fool can admire a mountain.  It takes real discernment to appreciate the fens.

Karla

  • car(e) free
    • Lost Byway - around the world by bike
Re: Blood donation
« Reply #46 on: 04 February, 2010, 12:25:59 pm »
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.

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).
Whereas whenI tried (back in 2004) less than 6 months after I'd been to Kenya, I was rejected out of hand.  It's perfectly understandable, but is an interesting inconsistency with your treatment. 

A year later, I received transfusions and now I can't donate.  It's quite annoying actually, I feel like I'm in a debt that I can never pay back.

Paul

  • L'enfer, c'est les autos.
Re: Blood donation
« Reply #47 on: 02 March, 2010, 01:08:21 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

I'm not sure that it's just the alcohol. I gave on Sunday, and it was by far the most painful donation in the last 10 years. I told the nurse so, and (in addition to the alcohol thing) she said that they had concerns about the quality of the kits/packs they are using. Specifically, they think the needles aren't as good as they have had in the past. Their concerns were initially ignored, but she said that she thinks a review might be on the cards now.

I've emailed the blood service to complain. I think that if I'm giving up my time and my blood, foc, then they could at least make the process as painless as possible. If others have noticed a deterioration, can I suggest that they also email the service?
What's so funny about peace, love and understanding?

Paul

  • L'enfer, c'est les autos.
Re: Blood donation
« Reply #48 on: 02 March, 2010, 01:09:50 pm »
No 90 today - the century is in sight(2 1/2 years away)

Chapeau.
What's so funny about peace, love and understanding?

Re: Blood donation
« Reply #49 on: 02 March, 2010, 03:34:06 pm »
Might have just been unlucky and hit a nerve? Could be less sharp needles though I guess.