Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
MacRumors 2025 Blood Drive!
- Thread starter Doctor Q
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
The results are in!
Check out the Blood Drive summary statistics in the MacRumors 2025 Blood Drive thread.
Thank you to all of this year's participants! You've helped people in need and also set a great example for others.
Additional statistics: Top Blood Drive Participants
Congratulations to these top donors to date, listed alphabetically:
Participated in at least 7 MacRumors Blood Drives: @7thson, @chaleyer, @Doctor Q, @G4-power, @hallux, @jbachandouris, @rcappo, @stridemat, @Timelordprime
10 or more more blood units: @BugeyeSTI, @Doctor Q, @FloatingBones, @G4-power, @hallux, @jbachandouris, @rcappo, @walterhpdx
10 or more platelet units: @7thson, @bunnspecial, @dWolfers, @dynamojoe, @ironpw, @Linda+, @phroggie, @skinuca, @Sleepy Helen, @Timelordprime
10 or more plasma units: @chaleyer, chaleyer's wife, @dWolfers, @KD7IWP, @TechnoMonk, @Timelordprime
30 or more total units: @7thson, @bunnspecial, @hallux, @KD7IWP, @Linda+, @phroggie, @TechnoMonk, @Timelordprime
Check out the Blood Drive summary statistics in the MacRumors 2025 Blood Drive thread.
Thank you to all of this year's participants! You've helped people in need and also set a great example for others.
Additional statistics: Top Blood Drive Participants
Congratulations to these top donors to date, listed alphabetically:
Participated in at least 7 MacRumors Blood Drives: @7thson, @chaleyer, @Doctor Q, @G4-power, @hallux, @jbachandouris, @rcappo, @stridemat, @Timelordprime
10 or more more blood units: @BugeyeSTI, @Doctor Q, @FloatingBones, @G4-power, @hallux, @jbachandouris, @rcappo, @walterhpdx
10 or more platelet units: @7thson, @bunnspecial, @dWolfers, @dynamojoe, @ironpw, @Linda+, @phroggie, @skinuca, @Sleepy Helen, @Timelordprime
10 or more plasma units: @chaleyer, chaleyer's wife, @dWolfers, @KD7IWP, @TechnoMonk, @Timelordprime
30 or more total units: @7thson, @bunnspecial, @hallux, @KD7IWP, @Linda+, @phroggie, @TechnoMonk, @Timelordprime
How to Keep Participating: June 2024 through April 2025
Blood, platelet, and plasma donors can continue to participate.
Record your donations on the Team MacRumors page. We'll tally your donations and count them for the MacRumors Blood Drive next May.
Blood, platelet, and plasma donors can continue to participate.
Record your donations on the Team MacRumors page. We'll tally your donations and count them for the MacRumors Blood Drive next May.
- Go to the Team MacRumors page and click PLEDGE TO GIVE BLOOD. Bookmark the page for the future.
- Fill in your MacRumors username as your first name and @ macrumors as your last name.
- In the comments field, tell us what type of donation and how many units, e.g., 1 unit of whole blood, 2 units of platelets, etc.
- The email address and zip code fields don't matter. MacRumors won't use that information.
I applaud all of you for donating!
I have never donated. Both my Mom and Dad needed blood repeatedly in their final months. I would like to start donating to give back, but frankly I’m pretty squeamish. I used to have to lay down to do the regular lab work at my doctors office. I’ve done it enough I can sit in a chair like normal people. I still have to close my eyes. My siblings jokingly say “b-word” instead of blood around me.
Is it ridiculous for me to even think about donating? I definitely know it’s a good thing to do. That’s certain. It’s the actual process that scares me.
I have never donated. Both my Mom and Dad needed blood repeatedly in their final months. I would like to start donating to give back, but frankly I’m pretty squeamish. I used to have to lay down to do the regular lab work at my doctors office. I’ve done it enough I can sit in a chair like normal people. I still have to close my eyes. My siblings jokingly say “b-word” instead of blood around me.
Is it ridiculous for me to even think about donating? I definitely know it’s a good thing to do. That’s certain. It’s the actual process that scares me.
No, it's not ridiculous. When I was in college, I had a single vial of blood drawn for some tests to allow me to study abroad. I got about 10 feet from the building housing the health center before I had to sit down on an outdoor bench to stop the world from getting fuzzy. So I'd say I was pretty close to your scenario of having to lay down to get the lab work done. For me, I've come to understand how much of it is really in my head and I found the formula that works for me to counteract it. All the blood draws from organ donation have helped me work up to blood donation, too. (I think part of it is just building up enough good memories of when things went OK.) What has helped me is to make sure to keep talking to the phlebotomist and to keep joking while things happen. Even though I've come a long way, I still open with, "Now, may I swear when the needle goes in?" And I still never look! I've also learned more about the process, which helps with fear of the unknown. (That squeak that the tubes sometimes make is apparently a good thing?!) All this to say, if you do try to donate, do so with some tricks up your sleeve: bring a friend to help talk you through it, make sure you're in a good head space, and be upfront about the fact that you've had some trouble in the past. There's no shame in laying down for the donation. And there's also no shame in realizing that you are better equipped to give back in other ways. As silly as it may seem, I may never be able to grow my hair out to donate because it's a sensory nightmare for me, and I'm OK with that.
Sorry for the essay! I hope it helps...
That helps a great deal! Thank you! I do try to get a conversation going during a blood draw. It keeps me distracted. I didn’t even know if they would have a place to lay down. I had to have a couple of surgeries in the past year and I was surprised how little it bothered me. Of course I was unconscious during the hard part. haha. Bringing a friend is something I hadn’t thought of!
You're certainly not alone in being afraid to donate blood. Nobody likes to anticipate pain, even if it's quick and for a great cause. This is human nature, one of our techniques for self-preservation. When having blood taken at a doctor's appointment is necessary, people may grit their teeth and bear it, but when it's optional, like a blood donation, they postpone it indefinitely.
Ironically, phlebotomists at blood donation centers, as specialists, tend to be more experienced at minimizing discomfort, and helping fearful patients, than the nurse at the doctor's office.
I remind myself that stubbing my toe on the leg of my desk hurts more than the jab at the donor center, and that the difference is that I don't know the toe stub is coming.
There's also one way to feel good about helping without getting jabbed. If you remind someone else about donating blood, and they donate because of it, you've added to the blood supply just as if you donated it yourself.
Ironically, phlebotomists at blood donation centers, as specialists, tend to be more experienced at minimizing discomfort, and helping fearful patients, than the nurse at the doctor's office.
I remind myself that stubbing my toe on the leg of my desk hurts more than the jab at the donor center, and that the difference is that I don't know the toe stub is coming.
There's also one way to feel good about helping without getting jabbed. If you remind someone else about donating blood, and they donate because of it, you've added to the blood supply just as if you donated it yourself.
Thanks! That’s helpful. It’s not really the pain that concerns me. It’s being in the whole environment for more than just a couple of minutes. I had my regular blood draw yesterday. It wasn’t bad. I joked with the guy about being squeamish and he was excellent. He kept me talking and was very friendly. It’s probably the bigger poke that’s needed to give blood that scares me. Plus seeing other people in the room donating. Even with fasting before the poke yesterday I didn’t get dizzy or woozy.
So sorry for disappearing on you. Life's been busy. Where I live, the Red Cross is the only organization that collects blood, so I can only speak to that. They've always been able to accommodate laying down for the donation, even in their mobile units.
The poke is definitely bigger. I certainly don't care to know how much bigger! But it's not all that much more bothersome. Definitely don't look at it lol. And if you don't want to see a ton of other people, then you want to donate at the center, rather than at a drive. Blood drives tend to fill up; the center is pretty calm. My last appointment was the last slot before close on a Wednesday. I think only one other person was there and they were not within my viewing angle.
Let us know if you ever take the plunge. I'm rooting for you if this is something you want to do.
I used to donate regularly then they moved the donation centre a couple of miles further away. When they finally moved it back I found out I’m no longer allowed to donate.
Well, shoot! I'd encourage you to check back periodically. They change the eligibility rules all the time.
I think atrial fibrillation is a fairly permanent block unfortunately
Donated today. One of my most painful in memory. The phlebotomist didn't open the clamp on the collection bag, the pressure during and just after the stick caused quite a bit of pain that she initially thought was due to scar tissue. They were about to pull the needle and cancel the donation, then they found the closed clamp. 10 minutes later I was moving to the canteen for a snack and bottle of water. I had several people around me until things settled down and I was flowing, wanting to make sure all was good.
Thanks. My pain tolerance has proven to be pretty high. The person starting my donation, the one that had the trouble, has started me previously and she even commented that I usually tolerate it pretty well so when I expressed pain she knew something had to be pretty wrong.
Pain tolerance - I recently had a cyst removed from my back, it had gotten infected so the wound needed to be packed rather than being closed up. My mom (since I'm single and live alone) was doing the post-care and I never really had pain from that, even with gauze being shoved in the wound.
My pain tolerance is downright weird. Rip an organ out and I’m more or less OK. But give me stitches and I scream like a baby.