Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Blood Donation

Do you donate blood?

  • Yes

    Votes: 67 44.7%

  • No

    Votes: 83 55.3%
  • Total voters
    150
Status
Not open for further replies.
cycocelica

cycocelica

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Apr 28, 2005
1,801
4
Redmond, WA
How many people here give blood regularly?

I personally do and think that is probably one of the best things someone can do for the world. Granted some people have a fear of needles but if you dont I really believe everyone should. One small prick can save a life.

If you actually can't because of age or you are anemic then that is understandable. But when you do reach age and are able to, you should.
 
Even if you have a fear of needles, you don't have to look. I have a friend who used to hate needles but his office was 'giving blood' and as a manager, he had to go lead by example. He told the nurse he was nervous and scared of needles and ended up with 2 of them holding his hand the whole time. He's used that line every time since.:rolleyes:
 
Oryan said:
No. Every time I have bloodwork done I pass out.
Click to expand...

use a recliner, you wont pass out if you do.

and i don't donate blood, as i only let very few people draw my blood and i have been sick for 16 months, no one knows why so don't want to risk it
 
My dog is a greyhoud and has like, super blood. She donates once every six weeks ...


EDIT: Yeah. On that page I just linked you to. That's not me.
 
No idea if I'm allowed to or not, but I don't :\ I, too, pass out when needles are involved though, so it wouldn't exactly be convenient. Still, we all find ways to help society in our own ways - giving blood is certainly one of them.
 
Stinkythe1 said:
How come people are not allowed to?
Click to expand...

Lots of reasons. Some to do with health - weight, anaemia, pregnancy, whether you've had a blood transfusion, whether you're on medication.
Some to do with lifestyle - if you're in a high risk group for a blood-related illness (which rules out gay men for example) or have travelled overseas in recent years to an area where you may have contracted a bug.
 
Stinkythe1 said:
How come people are not allowed to?
Click to expand...
Various reasons – personally, I'm diabetic and, while my blood might be perfectly good stuff, the National Blood Service is concerned about potential problems for donors themselves – there is the possibility that that donating blood could affect a persons blood glucose control, or aggravate any undiagnosed diabetes-related conditions such as neuropathy or heart disease.
 
Oh you can be gay, but if you have ever had sex with another man, you are not allowed to donate. I've had one sexual partner my entire life, tested begative for AIDS four times in the last six year, but they just can't afford "something" possible sliipping through, I guess.

I still think it is a little silly, though. Not to turn this thread political - sorry.

I used to give blood regularly through my 20s. Miss being able to help out.
 
I donated one time when the Red Cross came to our school. Me and my friends are thinkin, "nice, we get to get out of class". Back then I never ate breakfast, so half way through the day, I go to donate blood, and I almost pass out.

Wierdest feeling in the world. As the blood was going through the tube, I was like "this ain't so bad". Then my stomach started turning, literally I felt the liquids in my stomach start churning, so nauseous. I kept telling the lady to stop, and she was all like "only a little bit more" :D . After it all I was like dead, mopin around, just dazed. I don't think I'll donate blood again.
 
I've been donating since high school, 25 years. I wonder how much I've given? As of late they've been taking red blood cells. It takes longer, but it's twice as much usable blood and you don't get as tired as when you give a pint. It's kind of wierd, because they take out blood, then it puts fluids back in...it's real cold, too. It does two cycles, about 35 minutes.

SamIchi eat a good breakfast and lunch, then donate. You'll be fine. In college it took less alkeehall to get a buzz on after I gave blood. So that was always fun!
 
iGary said:
Oh you can be gay, but if you have ever had sex with another man, you are not allowed to donate. I've had one sexual partner my entire life, tested begative for AIDS four times in the last six year, but they just can't afford "something" possible sliipping through, I guess.
Click to expand...

As a fresh faced 18 year old about to give blood for the first time and reading through the forms I thought this was completely effing outrageous. :mad:

Anyways....as it happened I couldn't give blood then anyway because I'd had my ears pierced just before, so when I finally got round to it a couple of years ago I went along and it was fine - didn't really hurt or anything. And you get a biscuit. :) However, I felt really weak that evening, developed a six by three inch bruise down my arm and had a cold for 2 weeks afterwards. So I haven't been back since. I'm sure the cold was probably a coincidence, but I don't really want to risk it in my final year of my degree. I don't mind the bruise too much, especially as I do bruise easily :eek: and tend to get a bit of a bruise from any blood test. It's just the randoms coming up to me at college asking if I'm on heroin that start to grate a bit after a couple of weeks....:p I think I may have attached a picture of said bruise to a thread about giving blood here before, but I shan't inflict it on you all again.

edit: I'm A positive, whatever that means....
 
Lau said:
It's just the randoms coming up to me at college asking if I'm on heroin that start to grate a bit after a couple of weeks....:p
edit: I'm A positive, whatever that means....
Click to expand...

Once when I was giving blood at Uni, I had a newb doctor taking my blood and he couldn't find a vein (odd since I've got really fine skin and I can see my veins at the inside of my elbow!) He tried three times on one arm and then twice on the other before a nurse took pity on me and did it herself, first time. But it left me with two massive bruises on each inner arm along with a few stickmarks. It was summer and I was wearing T-shirts. How suspicious did I look!

I'm B+
 
Not allowed to... I lived in England too long and now the ARC is concerned that I and everyone in my immediate family might be carriers of the prions associated with NVCJ syndrome (mad cow disease).
 
Applespider said:
Once when I was giving blood at Uni, I had a newb doctor taking my blood and he couldn't find a vein (odd since I've got really fine skin and I can see my veins at the inside of my elbow!) He tried three times on one arm and then twice on the other before a nurse took pity on me and did it herself, first time. But it left me with two massive bruises on each inner arm along with a few stickmarks. It was summer and I was wearing T-shirts. How suspicious did I look!

I'm B+
Click to expand...

That's actually really funny, because I'm exactly the same. I definitely inherited my mum's Scottish skin! I look like a bloody road map (literally :p ) with ridiculously pale skin and my entire nervous system clearly visible under my skin all over. The veins on the inside of my elbow look like trackmarks (again - at school "you been injecting heroin then?" :rolleyes: ).

It's odd, because they never seem to use the really visible veins. When I gave blood there was a really experienced nurse who said the visible vein near the surface was too "unstable" and used a different one. A nurse who gave me a blood test I had last summer did the same thing.

Unfortunately the same nurse didn't take the needle out of my arm when I gave blood though, it was a newb too! It hurt when he pulled it out, and he said "Christ, sorry" which kind of implied he'd done something wrong. But he was very attractive and friendly, and I had a chat with him about design while I was doing it, so it wasn't all bad. :D
 
i want to, but as of right now i'm not allowed.

since it hasn't been a year since my last tattoo or six months since my last piercing i'm not allowed to donate blood, even though i want too. silly. but i understand.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back