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Give Blood!

What is your blood group?

  • O +

    Votes: 69 22.7%

  • O -

    Votes: 25 8.2%

  • A +

    Votes: 63 20.7%

  • A -

    Votes: 12 3.9%

  • B +

    Votes: 20 6.6%

  • B -

    Votes: 4 1.3%

  • AB +

    Votes: 13 4.3%

  • AB -

    Votes: 5 1.6%

  • Don't know

    Votes: 93 30.6%
  • Total voters
    304
my dad donates blood quite frequently; while i don't mind needles or getting blood drawn for the doctor i just don't like the amount of blood that they take take (i don't think i can handle it is what i'm getting at), besides i'm only 16 anyways and you ahve to be 17 in the US.

oh and in regard to the poll i have noooo idea what my blood type is:eek:
 
If the blood bank is SO sure that people who have The Ghey have tainted blood, why not let them donate into a separate bank just for Ghey afflicted people? (I'm kidding, by the way).

They test for everything anyway, why does The Ghey make any difference? Don't they have confidence in their testing???

No blood donations from me. :(
 
To clarify, because I think some frustration has been expressed in this thread, a current FDA regulation prevents "Men Who Have Sex with Other Men" from donating; it's not up to the discretion of the blood banks, many of which openly oppose the ban (including the American Red Cross, which has petitioned the FDA to ease this regulation).

More can be read here: http://www.fda.gov/cber/faq/msmdonor.htm
 
EricNau said:
To clarify, because I think some frustration has been expressed in this thread, a current FDA regulation prevents "Men Who Have Sex with Other Men" from donating; it's not up to the discretion of the blood banks, many of which openly oppose the ban (including the American Red Cross, which has petitioned the FDA to ease this regulation).

More can be read here: http://www.fda.gov/cber/faq/msmdonor.htm
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Ah that's good to know.

On another note I misread "faq" in that URL and was a little confused and miffed for a moment.
 
Usually that yucky feeling, and even fainting, after giving blood is because of dehydration. A lot of people, most Americans anyway, are chronically dehydrated. Try upping your fluids a few days ahead of time and see if that doesn't help the reaction you are feeling. I fainted a couple of times after giving blood and then finally realized what was wrong with me and fixed that. I always wondered why they didn't give us juice to drink before giving as well as after.:eek:
 
I am O- which I heard is the universal blood type since I am put on a machine that gets my plates and returns my water?

Haven't donated because I can't find local places (more did not put effort) in blood banks where I work at (west Hollywood, CA) no point going to local places to my house since I get home late. Also I never have issues donating just the nurses have a hard time finding my veins @_@
 
Corny riddles

Question: What blood type does a pessimist have?

Answer: Be negative!

- - -

Question: What blood test result does a hypochondriac expect?

Answer: A positive!

- - -

Question: What blood type is the most surprising?

Answer: Oh!
 
I should check into whether or not I'm eligible now. I spent some time in Portugal in 2001 and was inneligible after that time because it was in the height of the Mad Cow Scare. It's probably been long enough now I imagine, I think I remember being told 7 years or something. I also used to be under the weight requirement and ruled out because of that.

I worked for a year in a Trauma Center, that opened my eyes big time to just how important donating blood really is! I saw a ton of people who were given a fighting chance at survival because of a pint or two of O- while the surgeons patched them up and typed and crossed their personal blood types.

I also saw a few people who "didn't have anything left in the tank" by the time they got into the hospital and subsequently died.

If you have O- blood type, it's especially important that you donate if at all possible. That's the universal that anyone can derive at least some benefit from, and is the standard first few units given in a Trauma situation.

SLC
 
I just gave blood 2 weeks ago at a Work blood drive. I just got my donor card in the mail, but it says my cholesterol is 240!! I am 34--should I get my living will in order :eek:
 
Frisco said:
I just gave blood 2 weeks ago at a Work blood drive. I just got my donor card in the mail, but it says my cholesterol is 240!! I am 34--should I get my living will in order :eek:
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Some doctors use a cutoff that labels a total cholesterol of 239 as "borderline" and 240 to be "high", but it's best to be below 200, depending on HDL and LDL. You might have to give up eating brains 3 times a day, Frisco. It's not true that it makes you smarter. ;) Seriously, though, it's worth following up about it.

A couple of my friends found out that they had low blood counts when they didn't pass the screening for a blood donation. Trying to donate blood alerted them to get a proper checkup and find out what's going on.
 
Frisco said:
I just gave blood 2 weeks ago at a Work blood drive. I just got my donor card in the mail, but it says my cholesterol is 240!! I am 34--should I get my living will in order :eek:
Click to expand...

Were you fasting for 24 hours before donating blood? I doubt it.
 
I've got no idea what blood type I am. Apparently I take after my Dad who has a rare blood type, but I'm not sure what that is. Anyway, I'm too young to give blood...I'm quite sure you have to be at least 16 or 17. When I'm older, I might do it.
 
Thanks again for donating. I work in the lab that sends out your units to the patients.

Sometimes we have patients who have received over 60 units in one night. Torn inferior vena cava from a car wreck if I recall.

Most people don't know its not just the blood that we use when you donate. From that one unit of blood, it is processed and can be made into many different parts. It can be spun down and separated into platelets, plasma and packed red blood cells. All from the same unit you donated.

When patients receive a "unit" of blood at the hospital, it is actually just packed RBCs at ~250ml, with 20-30ml of plasma.
 
Funny story. I have Type O neg and wanted to give blood a few years back at a blood drive. I was born in Germany and didn't move to the states till I was a toddler. According to the blood drive nurse I am forbidden to give blood since I may have encountered Mad Cow beef at some point in my early childhood...I was like WTF? Scared the dickens out of me and went and checked with my doc...no worries from his POV. To this day though I CAN NOT give blood at blood drives because I've been 'flagged' in their system.
Oh well, guess they don't need me to help save lives....they act like I have the T-Virus or something....:rolleyes:
 
nobunaga209 said:
Funny story. I have Type O neg and wanted to give blood a few years back at a blood drive. I was born in Germany and didn't move to the states till I was a toddler. According to the blood drive nurse I am forbidden to give blood since I may have encountered Mad Cow beef at some point in my early childhood...I was like WTF? Scared the dickens out of me and went and checked with my doc...no worries from his POV. To this day though I CAN NOT give blood at blood drives because I've been 'flagged' in their system.
Oh well, guess they don't need me to help save lives....they act like I have the T-Virus or something....:rolleyes:
Click to expand...
I know right! Just one handskie and I'm off the list for life.
 
nobunaga209 said:
Funny story. I have Type O neg and wanted to give blood a few years back at a blood drive. I was born in Germany and didn't move to the states till I was a toddler. According to the blood drive nurse I am forbidden to give blood since I may have encountered Mad Cow beef at some point in my early childhood...I was like WTF? Scared the dickens out of me and went and checked with my doc...no worries from his POV. To this day though I CAN NOT give blood at blood drives because I've been 'flagged' in their system.
Oh well, guess they don't need me to help save lives....they act like I have the T-Virus or something....:rolleyes:
Click to expand...
The FDA vehemently protects the safety of the U.S. blood supply; for diseases like BSE (mad cow) for which their is currently no test, the "better safe than sorry" method is used. While it's true that your risk for BSE is extremely low and there's no medial reason for you to be concerned, this restriction is statistically warranted.

TuffLuffJimmy said:
I know right! Just one handskie and I'm off the list for life.
Click to expand...
That alone would not be considered sexual contact based on FDA recommendations. Naturally, you would need to check with the specific blood collection agency as they each have their own set of restrictions.
 
EricNau said:
That alone would not be considered sexual contact based on FDA recommendations. Naturally, you would need to check with the specific blood collection agency as they each have their own set of restrictions.
Click to expand...
Meh, no use in checking now. I'm already on the list and I've done a lot more since that...
 
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