Giving blood

[barq]

211 donations

Wow! That's really impressive.

 

[HJ]

I used to give blood, but after a trip Amazon rainforest (3 months half of it in a tent) I was asked not to try and give again.

 

[sheddy]

211 donations ? - I guess that makes you about 90 (max 3 per year ?)
Anyroad to find out where to go look at http://www.blood.co.uk/pages/search.asp and make an appointment

 

[strofiwimple]

I cant give blood-after a one night stand on holiday in wales (no it wasnt with a sheep) when i was a callow youth of 17 i contracted syphilis, i hope things have progressed since the early seventies as i remember being made to feel like a criminal by the hospital staff and the doctor seemed to take great delight in my pain as he took a sample from the urethra- off topic i know but i used to hate making up excuses everytime my workmates were off to donate blood.

 

[punkypossum]

I got banned as well...Went a few times with no problems, then couldn't go for ages as I had been to India and then had a couple of piercings...So when I next went, I had to go through the whole registration procedure again and happened to mention that I used to get palpitations when I'm really anxious. Had every test on the planet and have been told they are harmless, but it went down on my donation form as "heart disease" - which nearly did give me palpitations - and I got struck of the register. They won't let me back on, no matter what, although I had donated without problems before, and I used to be dead popular with blood type O Negative!

 

[SamNichols]

I'm group o+ too which I believe makes me a universal donor.

It depends if you're rhesus +ve or not. I am (as 38% of the population are), so I get bothered by the donation service all the time. I don't mind it, I have enough of it running through my veins that I can spare a bit every now and again. I myself tend to wind up the nurses by doing a vague stumble after getting up from the bed (which are really comfortable btw), giving them a knowing wink and then getting my cup of tea. Blood donation nurses love me.

As for the organ donation stuff, until recently I avoided it, until my grandmother had a corneal transplant recently. She got one, and then rejected it - she now only has one eye. If we are all willing to give our organs, then perhaps that won't happen again.

The homosexual rule is an absolute disgrace, especially as the number of heterosexual hiv sufferers now outweighs homosexual ones by a long shot. The NUS and other bodies are somewhat keen to reverse this rule.

Finally, if I'm not mistaken, not every single blood donated is subject to disease testing. I believe that they moderate them (i.e. test a sample of them, rather than every single one).

 

[punkypossum]

As far as I know, O+ are popular as donors because they are so common (like you said about 37-38% of the population). O- only account for about 7% in the Uk, but they are the universal donors, which means constant mailings and invitations from the blood donation service! When I was at uni, there were two of us in our student house with O- and we used to get about 5 times more mail than the other three - they were starting to get jealous!

 

[graham56]

211 donations ? - I guess that makes you about 90 (max 3 per year ?)

Not quite that old started donating in 76-2 per year-till 90, then from1990 until back of 1999 was donating about every 5 weeks. But as this was plasma each donation was the equivelent of 2 pints, so worked out at about 20 donations a year.

 

[SamNichols]

As far as I know, O+ are popular as donors because they are so common (like you said about 37-38% of the population). O- only account for about 7% in the Uk, but they are the universal donors, which means constant mailings and invitations from the blood donation service! When I was at uni, there were two of us in our student house with O- and we used to get about 5 times more mail than the other three - they were starting to get jealous!

The letter I got, which said: "you're special" in it, it stated that 37-38% are o+ve, with only a factor of that being rh+ve. If you're in both categories then you can donate to 97% of the population. According to the leaflet anyway, that's the only place I get my blood facts.

 

[punkypossum]

As far as I know, O+ are popular as donors because they are so common (like you said about 37-38% of the population). O- only account for about 7% in the Uk, but they are the universal donors, which means constant mailings and invitations from the blood donation service! When I was at uni, there were two of us in our student house with O- and we used to get about 5 times more mail than the other three - they were starting to get jealous!

The letter I got, which said: "you're special" in it, it stated that 37-38% are o+ve, with only a factor of that being rh+ve. If you're in both categories then you can donate to 97% of the population. According to the leaflet anyway, that's the only place I get my blood facts.[/QUOTE]

Hah!!! But according to the blood services website I AM OUTSTANDING!!!

http://www.blood.co.uk/pages/group_o_neg.html

Not that it matters, as they won't let me donate anyway

 

[Fnaar]

I first gave blood when I was 20... I fainted...they told me I was mildly anaemic, and advised me to drink Guinness! I haven't looked back since...

 

[starseven]

I gave blood for the first time last week, it took less than an hour to sign up , fill in the questionaire and give the blood. Straight out afterwards and a couple of pints (beer) with a curry. No problems , I still havent heard if my contribution is up to spec, but fully expect it to be finest quality.

 

[Paulus]

I gave blood from 1979 to 2005. The veins in my arm became kinked so they had trouble getting the needle in in the end so I had to give up. I used to go evey three months to my local centre at Edgware, ended up giving nearly 200 pints over the time and I never had any ill reaction to any donation.

 

[Dayvo]

I only went for the bourbons and cuppa tea!
About 30 times in England, all told - from 1978-1999

 

[chris42]

i give blood when I remember! have given about 6 times