blood donors?

david1701

david1701

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David
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Anyone on here do it?

I'm thinking to go along on tuesday as they're on campus BUT I have a paid gig (togging) in the evening and I need to know if I'll be up for it, if not or its in doubt I'll hold off for the next one.

Also is having IBS an issue or is that one worth an email to the blood people?

David
 
As much as I want to I cant give blood because I am epileptic however the blood donor van came to my work a few weeks back. People seemed pretty fine after their donation and ready to work. Not sure about IBS.
 
Make sure you have pleanty to eat through the day (don't go on an empty tummy cause you'll feel faint afterwards) and have summit to eat afterwards, - you'll be fine, honestly. I used to give blood, I can't now cause it poses a risk to me (who'd have thought, bizarre I know). Just eat and drink plenty.

IBS shouldn't be a problem but double check. Other things to consider - have you taken any meds in the past 2 weeks (even paracetamol?) have you had a cold in the past 2 weeks? stuff like that. Bisexual and Homosexual men can't donate (which I think is scandless TBH) - there should be a list on their website TBH
 
I've given blood a few times and I always feel fine after...first cigarette after leaves me light headed, and I wouldn't recommend drinking for a day or so, but I don't see any reason why it's stop you togging...it never stops me fishing, put it that way :D
 
I gave blood for the first time before Christmas - go here:

http://blood.co.uk/can-i-give-blood/


and do the Donor Health Check. That will tell you if you have any issues that stop you from donating. They weren't worried about paracetamol, ibuprofen (I was having some tooth issues) but you MUST tell them if you have taken anything and let them decide.

I went at lunchtime and was pretty much 100% straight away, not even the slightest bit of dizziness. Went straight on to the theatre that night, no problems. They do tell you not to drink for 24 hours or so if you feel dodgy(but I had a sneaky drink and I was fine).There were 2 of us and both of us were ok. You need to drink plenty of water - they give you a big pint glass because apparently, it reduces the likelihood of you fainting afterwards, but like I say, I was fine. Others I know have been a bit dizzy, but that's usually because they sprint off afterwards and don't take care.
 
I think everyone that is fit and well should give blood, I had leukimia when I was 22 and the amount of blood i went through in transfusions was un real.

It takes six pints of blood to make one little bag of platelets (these are the things in your blood that help to stop you bleeding) and I used to have 2 maybe 3 of these a week.

That is without all the blood they need through out the other parts of the hospitals too.

I cannot give it for this reason but I would be first in the que if i could.

Spike

P.S bet if they offered money like in the usa there would be alot more donors
 
SpikeK6 said:
P.S bet if they offered money like in the usa there would be alot more donors
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:thumbs: I bet!

I thought the blood donor vans visiting work places was great. We have around 400 people in our call centre so they must have got quite a lot. However I know that a lot of people were turned away due to previous illness, medication, travelling in other countries. :(
 
Spike, you're probably right.

When I found out that I couldn't give blood I was a bit gutted TBH - but I did go there partly for my own gratification, LOL, needles facinated me, watching needles peircing the skin n stuff was waaay cool (yes, I know I'm a freak, no need to say it!)
 
I did check on the site before I posted, I just wanted some real people's thoughts re recovery

I'll email them about IBS though I doubt its gonna be an issue, I'll also ask if I can fill in the forms there as royal fail won't get them here in time :D
 
I normally give blood but just having had a tattoo, I can't for a while. I have had a drink that evening as well and it was a cheaper night!! I wouldn't recommend it though! They encourage you to drink water before you donate too
 
At my first donation there was the advice that motorcyclists should leave their bike at home for the first donation. It was a 15 mile round trip on a pedal cycle for me, which was no problem. It depends on the individual, and I suppose if there's no problem for your first there'll be no problem at a later date. When I moved on to donating plasma and platelets once a month, that was a 50 mile round trip by bike, which was fine so long as I kept my fluids up.
 
I do it. I got my 10th donation badge a month ago.
 
keep meaing to go next time there is an "outing from work". Havent given for a while due to tatoo's and other being ill.
See if they will still take me.
 
I used to give regularly and eventually got to about 20 pints donated. Only started going as they would come on site at work and you could normally manage to drag it out to a two hour skive.
However I stopped when the last time i went I was unlucky enough to get a 'trainee' to pop the needle in. And she missed the vain. Then instead of removing needle to have another go, proceded to wiggle the needle around trying to find said vein. Hurt like hell and left a lovely great black bruise on my arm for almost two weeks afterwards. So I stopped going.
I then started recieving what could only be described as pressure sales calls asking why I stopped going. Chances are I would have started giving again had it not been for the pressuring calls.
 
I was a regular in the late 80s early 90s but they stopped visiting our village and sadly I stopped afte I had kids and all the usual stuff that gets in the way, and funny it isnt advertised here much in N Lincs to keep it in our heads......... could be something to do with advertising in only clean druggie free areas, something to think of.......we need to move
 
MagicMynx said:
Bisexual and Homosexual men can't donate (which I think is scandless TBH)
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Not wanting to turn this into a flamewar or anything... the differentiation isn't against people with those sexualities, but men who have had certain forms of sex with men (MSM).

I see entirely where both you, and the gay community is coming from in objecting to this, and how it could be seen as discrimination, but the above is an important distinction to make: this is a statistics game... it obviously costs a lot to draw, store and test the donated blood, so 'just throwing it away' will carry a cost too, so they want the highest % chance that blood donated is 'good' so that they don't have to dispose of it.

Therefore, much like eliminating people who have recently(ish) had a tattoo, had surgery, ever had some diseases, or even have a cold, they deny these people from donating because they have a proven statistically higher % chance of carrying certain diseases, either that could be communicable to the recipient, or cause potential harm to the doner, namely in this case HIV. (the prevalence in MSM is sadly and shockingly high - about 1/20th UK gay/bisexual men are infected :/ :( )

This, in addition to the other screening questionnaires, barring a whole wide range of people, will reduce the cost to the blood service due to throwing away blood, reduce the risk of harm to the donor, and further reduce the risk of incorrect test results causing something being passed from a donor to a recipient undetected.


I'm sure that the NBS, and the many other blood services around the world who screen out men who have had sex with men, have carried out detailed cost:benefit analysis to take all of this into account, and this has sadly led to this being upheld :/
 
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My god, I dont hear much of the AIDS scare from the late 80s anymore but the figures in the link are scarey to say the least, it looks like HIV is starting to take another grip or its been there all the time but we have become blind to it, isnt there any way forward for a cure yet or are we still looking for antidotes as I have heard zilch about HIV for 20 yrs now
 
I'm a regular donor, O negative blood. I have given my donation at work and carried on during the day with no issues. As previously said, eat plenty before and after and make sure you take plenty fluids.
The type of needle they use was changed recently, so it's even less painful than it was before. It feels like a scratch really. It helps if you take a tennis ball with you to fiddle with during the donation. Apparently they are no longer allowed to use their own little gizmos in case of infection or something. The actual donation process takes less than half an hour.
Specify your right arm for donation, as your arm may ache a bit after and you don't want to be holding a camera for any length of time with a sore arm.
 
Tazmaniandevil said:
I'm a regular donor, O negative blood. I have given my donation at work and carried on during the day with no issues. As previously said, eat plenty before and after and make sure you take plenty fluids.
The type of needle they use was changed recently, so it's even less painful than it was before. It feels like a scratch really. It helps if you take a tennis ball with you to fiddle with during the donation. Apparently they are no longer allowed to use their own little gizmos in case of infection or something. The actual donation process takes less than half an hour.
Specify your right arm for donation, as your arm may ache a bit after and you don't want to be holding a camera for any length of time with a sore arm.
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good plan, but right arm? I use my right arm for my camera, sometimes one handed depending on lens (ie 50.1,4 not 70-200L)
 
I donate regularly and its a breeze.

I've had the odd occasion where it hurts a little more than usual, but even that isn't too bad.

You should be fine afterwards, just keep up the fluids and food.

Its good advice to give the donation from your "non-camera" arm as sometimes it does ache a little.

As for IBS - thats no problem at all, that won't stop you being able to donate. When you are there they will ask you all the health questions and you can tell them what medicines you take and they will decide from you answers.

Good on you and Good luck :thumbs:
 
-RV- said:
I donate regularly and its a breeze.

I've had the odd occasion where it hurts a little more than usual, but even that isn't too bad.

You should be fine afterwards, just keep up the fluids and food.

Its good advice to give the donation from your "non-camera" arm as sometimes it does ache a little.

As for IBS - thats no problem at all, that won't stop you being able to donate. When you are there they will ask you all the health questions and you can tell them what medicines you take and they will decide from you answers.

Good on you and Good luck :thumbs:
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that seems good it's diet/stress controlled/triggered
 
Never felt bad after giving blood, but had a damned sore arm with extensive bruising.
 
I clocked up my tenth donation last time too.

I don't find it easy. I don't particularly like needles and I have appalling circulation and very small veins so I have been turned away due to them not being able to find a vein.

I managed it last time although it was a bit embarrassing as it was coming out of me so slowly that the alarm kept going off. I thought they were going to give up at one point but I managed to make it through to the full pint.

They told me last time they'd changed the needles to make them more comfortable and they go in more easily and I must say they prodded me for about 5 mins before finding a vein and I couldn't really feel anything.
 
yep i to give blood too and never had any problems though i once saw a lady collaps after giving blood but she was soon up and about
 
will having a mouth ulcer affect it ya reckon? I can either go or wait till it clears up and then go
 
Yeah try and do it when I get the time. My personal best is filling a bag in 5 minutes 9 seconds.
 
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