Do You Give Blood

Author
Discussion

paul.deitch

2,085 posts

256 months

Tuesday 8th January 2013
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Used to, but Germany doesn't accept blood from anyone, including Germans, who lived in the UK during the mad cow episode. Shame as I would have liked to continue.

Dunclane

1,221 posts

168 months

Tuesday 8th January 2013
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longshot said:
Dunclane said:
I signed up last year but haven't given any yet. I should do though as I am O Neg
I'm O neg too.
I thought is was really common and din't go very often. I go as often as I can now.

Now you can make an appointment, you can be in and out in 30 to 40 minutes.
I think there is only about 6-7% of us special bleeders in the country with O neg?

monthefish

20,439 posts

230 months

Tuesday 8th January 2013
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Used to (religiously) but the attitude and staffing levels of the 'donation' centres really annoys me, and after one particularly bad incident, I haven't been back.



longshot said:
I notice that the Blood Transfusion Sevice are having a bit of a push at the moment to get more people donating
This really, really annoys me. In my area, the events are grossly oversubscribed with very long waiting times, so instead of plugging the budget into advertising (with a success rate of probably less than 0.1%) they should be directing the budget towards actually getting the donations from those who already willing.

blueheron

461 posts

144 months

Tuesday 8th January 2013
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rovermorris999 said:
Make sure you have eaten a decent meal before donating and have the drink offered before the donation and hopefully no wooziness will occur.
The 2nd time I did.. the first time I thought that jam on toast and squash (plus the squash on offer whilst waiting for my turn) would be sufficient. Then again it was a short notice decision to donate (ended up with the afternoon off work so just decided to try donating without an appointment).

Won't be doing that again tongue out

blueheron

461 posts

144 months

Tuesday 8th January 2013
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Dunclane said:
I think there is only about 6-7% of us special bleeders in the country with O neg?
You are indeed special: http://www.blood.co.uk/special-appeal/

Your blood can be given to anyone smile

Blood stocks: http://www.blood.co.uk/StockGraph/stocklevelstanda...

anonymous-user

53 months

Tuesday 8th January 2013
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Sadly no.

I panic at the mere thought of an injection...

furtive

4,498 posts

278 months

Tuesday 8th January 2013
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Yup, booked in for Thursday actually.

BlackVanDyke

9,932 posts

210 months

Tuesday 8th January 2013
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They don't want mine (no wonder) but I'd be proud to if I could and kinda feel ashamed that I can't.

Animal

5,246 posts

267 months

Tuesday 8th January 2013
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Yes! You get free biscuits and everything...

longshot

Original Poster:

3,286 posts

197 months

Tuesday 8th January 2013
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Anyone been on the new tilty chairs yet?

I went on one last time I gave. A bit weird but nicer than the bunk beds.

S2Mike

3,065 posts

149 months

Tuesday 8th January 2013
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Have been giving blood since I was 18 but with health or travel complications, dodgy places with potential diseases I have only managed 30 donations.
Thanks for the reminder I will find a session and give, I am one of the rare AB positive people, 3% of the population.
Just booked appointment for 30th January.


Edited by S2Mike on Tuesday 8th January 16:37

nosittap

381 posts

144 months

Tuesday 8th January 2013
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I'm not allowed to, shame really since I'm O Neg too.

It's silly really, I cracked my head open when I was a child and a blood transfusion saved my life, so naturally when I turned 17 I wanted to give some back, but because I've received blood I'm not allowed to give.

I did check with my GP recently and he said I could have some blood tests run to get my blood 'certified' but it wouldn't be worth the effort for the sake of 2 litres of blood a year. Apparently they're not 'that' short.


longshot

Original Poster:

3,286 posts

197 months

Tuesday 8th January 2013
quotequote all
monthefish said:
Used to (religiously) but the attitude and staffing levels of the 'donation' centres really annoys me, and after one particularly bad incident, I haven't been back.



longshot said:
I notice that the Blood Transfusion Sevice are having a bit of a push at the moment to get more people donating
This really, really annoys me. In my area, the events are grossly oversubscribed with very long waiting times, so instead of plugging the budget into advertising (with a success rate of probably less than 0.1%) they should be directing the budget towards actually getting the donations from those who already willing.
Make an appointment, then you can jump the queue. You can complain while you're donating lol.

I'm curious what the bad incident was.
When I donated for the first time, they missed the vein and left me there with this huge needle stuck in my arm tissue, in absolute agony for about 20 minutes, squeezing like fk with only a trickle of blood coming out.
Only when they saw how little blood had come out did they realise what had happened.
It was such a releif when they took it out.

I did forgive them though. smile


Edited by longshot on Tuesday 8th January 16:30


Edited by longshot on Tuesday 8th January 16:31

Triumph Man

8,670 posts

167 months

Tuesday 8th January 2013
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longshot said:
Anyone been on the new tilty chairs yet?

I went on one last time I gave. A bit weird but nicer than the bunk beds.
Last time I did I was on one of the tilty chairs. Yeah, like you say, a bit weird!

Also last time I went, some right grumpy tosspot was there. He may be giving blood, but he was still a tt.

grumpy52

5,565 posts

165 months

Tuesday 8th January 2013
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Used to as much as I could but now I'm not allowed due to the medication .which i will be on for life .

Miguel Alvarez

4,944 posts

169 months

Tuesday 8th January 2013
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A few times but not recently. Had the wooziness once as well which everyone in the office kindly reminds me about. Since moving offices I've not done it.

Not complaining as such but its another one of those industries/situations where I'm sure they'd get more people if the hours weren't during office hours.


S2Mike

3,065 posts

149 months

Tuesday 8th January 2013
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I did have a faint moment once, and a gorgeous Nurse grabbed me pushed me onto a bed pulled my shirt up and put a wet cold towel on my back, quite exciting!!

PinkRinse

365 posts

168 months

Tuesday 8th January 2013
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I tried to several times a few years ago and when they did the little finger prick test to see if my blood was good enough they always wanted to take a "proper" sample from my arm and I was always flat rejected for being too anemic but then I'd get a letter a few weeks later telling me that my sample was further analysed and was actually fine. I gave up trying after the third attempt.

Took those revolting iron tablets for nothing!!

A doctor tried to take the sample once and I felt him prodding about in my arm once he got the needle in. Woooosh went the cold-ness throughout my body and I was quickly scooped on to a bed to recover & the nurses muttering that doctors should never be left to take samples lol

andym1603

1,798 posts

171 months

Tuesday 8th January 2013
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Gave my first lot in 2011 and am handing over my 7th "pint" tomorrow. Come out looking
like I've had major surgery as I am allergic to the glue on plasters, tape etc so they
use that self sticking bandage that they seem to use yards of it at a time.

furtive

4,498 posts

278 months

Tuesday 8th January 2013
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longshot said:
Anyone been on the new tilty chairs yet?
I read that so wrong