Blood Donation

fiver

Well-Known Member
I was wondering what they were doing with all the blood.
now that i think of it that might be the only way to actually get a covid test around here.
 

RBHarter

West Central AR
9 possibly 10 universal donors in the immediate family and they can't take a drop of mine . Bunch of negative ninnies , I'm positive . 0 the joys of bad blood jokes . I couldn't give for a long time because of my BP then the meds . I guess that doesn't matter anymore .
In 88/89' I pumped 72 units of plasma and about 10 units of whole blood since then . There was a biannual blood drive in our area , but I was disqualified as above for 8 of the 15 years . I had a bad go the last time I pumped . It took forever to fill the bag and an hour to quit bleeding . I bruised like .......I don't know but it was ugly . I sat up did all the stuff , got my goodies and lost 10 min sometime between closing the truck door and my partner getting a new nailgun in the tool room and getting in the truck ....... Best guess they used an 18ga needle and cut the vein . No clue why I crashed the heat probably . I've shyed away since then . The vampires seem to have trouble with me these days and when they do get it , it runs slow .
 

462

California's Central Coast Amid The Insanity
The local blood center closed about six years ago, or I'd still be donating. I gave almost five gallons of whole blood, but after a nurse discovered the rather fat vein, in my right arm, I switched strictly to platelets and had standing monthly appointments for 12 years.
Though a platelet unit's volume is less than a pint the blood center considered it a pint, so the 144 units equals 17 gallons.
The platelet draws took about 1 1/2 hours and I did a lot of one-arm reading.
 

StrawHat

Well-Known Member
Did the platelet thing during my first marriage. Mother ex law got platelets infused. I drove her. After the first time just waiting, I said why not donate. Did that for several years. First two arm then one arm.

For the last 25 (+/-) years Herself and I have been donating 6 times a year. What can I say, I like the cookies!

Kevin
 

jonjon

Active Member
I did the platelet thing once, never again,made me feel "strange" like never before. Local blood center developed an attitude and I figuered I wouldn't bother them with my old blood any more.
 

popper

Well-Known Member
Mosquitoes don't even like mine so nope. Did a quart when GK had heart surgery but it glows anymore so they won't take it. Boss did try to induce me to give once but the practitioner said nope after I told her what I take.
 

Missionary

Well-Known Member
Was at the drivers license place last time up and they had a double deal going. Organ donate and blood. When asked what diseases I have had I started with cholera and the ladies eyes got big. I next told her typhoid and her eyes got even bigger. Her next question was "where have you been"?
Peru for 30 years. She calmly smiled and said, "Sorry sir but we cannot use you as a donor".
 

Rick H

Well-Known Member
I started giving in the army. I was lucky enough to be stationed state side and figured it was the least I could do to donate blood. Somehow it just continued, a pint here and a pint there, someone's family member needed blood, city would put a blood drive etc. Somewhere along the line the Red Cross sent me a card saying I had donated over 5 gals.

I'm not sure if they will still take it. I haven't given since I retired.
 

Joshua

Taco Aficionado/Salish Sea Pirate/Part-Time Dragon
Last time I donated at work it took two hours for them to decide if they even wanted my blood.

The question that slows them down is “Does your sexual partner/s have a blood disease.”

What they are looking for are hemophiliac’s that have had transfusions a long time ago. Back when they didn’t test the blood as well as they do today.

What they get in answer to their question, is my wife’s clotting disorder that caused her to stroke out.

This was the second time I was delayed by one of their questions. So I have given up.

Josh
 

RBHarter

West Central AR
Donated a few times , made it kind of a regular thing for a while then they told me my BP was too high , I got it regulated then they wouldn't for the BP meds I was on . A couple of years past and then I could even with the meds so I gave a couple . I don't know what happened but the last go left me light headed , dizzy and generally sick to my stomach for several hours . It's been about 8 yr since then seems like my hands are always full and on a mission when I come across a drive .

In his last 3 years my Dad probably used up 1/3 of what I've given unless you count the plasma I sold in a bad year . Full unit twice a week for most of 5 months . That probably all ended up in lipstick , Revlon owned Plasma Alliance then I was told . Probably ought to look around and see if I can pump a pint to replace one in the hurricane stock .
 

MikeN

Member
I started donating after I retired 10 years ago. Next time will put me over the 4 gallon mark. My only hitch is sometimes my pulse is a little under their book minimum (needs to be 50 or above). If I go outside and brisk walk for 10 minutes all is well.
 

JonB

Halcyon member
I started giving blood several years ago while I was on a diet. I figured a pint is a pound the world round. So each pint I gave was one less pound I had to carry around.

It's difficult to find my veins in my chubby arms. Sometimes they have no problems, sometimes they can't find it and the "expert" is called in to find it, the "expert" never ever has a problem finding the vein. Then one day, the first lady can't find the vein and turns my arm into hamburger trying multiple times, then they call in the "expert" and she proceeds to turn my other arm into hamburger. That was the last time I gave blood.

Recently, I considered giving blood again, because they were testing your blood for Covid19 antibodies for free...But since my recent knee replacement surgery, I have to wait a while longer before I am eligible.
 

Ian

Notorious member
Take it easy, Jon. My RBC and hematocritin were low enough still last week that I had to get ugly with the ER doc to avoid a transfusion. I have no idea how much blood I lost during surgery 2.5 months ago but they didn't give me any to replace it and I'm still weak, anemic, and feel like death eating a cracker by lunchtime every day. I tried to donate after 9/11/01 (like everybody else, but months later when they really needed it) but they wouldn't take it because of a tattoo.