Jan 6, 2009
Giving blood
After becoming a blood donor at the state fair last summer, I’m finally getting around to donating again.
Do you give blood?
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© 2012 Abuyo. All rights reserved.
Jan 6, 2009
After becoming a blood donor at the state fair last summer, I’m finally getting around to donating again.
Do you give blood?
* * * * *
yes at NIH. I was pleasantly surprised at how much they accommodate their donors. Free reserved parking, right next to the building. this is a blessing if you have ever been to NIH main campus. They also gave free gifts, food, drinks. It was excellent.
I wasn’t able to for a long time because my husband traveled to Africa a couple of times and it seemed like I was pregnant for about forever there for a while.
I’m probably cleared to go again by now, though. Thanks for the reminder.
Nope, I’ve been to countries which have been deemed a malaria risk within the last year. I have to wait until at least August. Though there’s plans to potentially return to at least one of those countries this summer.
I do when it’s convenient, which is to say not much. I should definitely set the convenience bar lower!
I do! And I’m an advocate! My life was saved by blood donors after surgical complications a few years ago. You have no idea how important your blood donation is. At the risk of seeming self-promotional, I wrote about it here:
http://sojochick.blogspot.com/2008/02/something-to-say.html
Please keep giving and encouraging others to do the same!
Yes, albeit somewhat reluctantly. I am a runner and it messes with my training a little bit. However, it would be awfully selfish not to give when I can. Since I’m not running for anything but fitness it doesn’t really matter if I get slow for a few weeks.
No, too much medication. Having been the recipient of lots of blood once, it’s something I would like to do, but can’t.
I do. A couple times a year. I would give more regularly but a lot of times the locations/dates are not convenient for me.
I do give blood. My grandma and my uncle would have died so many times apart from blood transfusions.
Yes. My employer works with Memorial Blood Centers to bring in their bloodmobile about 4 times per year so that employees may “give at the office”.
I actually give platelets every other week. It takes two hours, but my body produces a lot.
Sometimes though, I struggle with pride when I go to donate:
http://teacupnotasledgehammer.blogspot.com/2008/12/platelets-and-pride.html
Yep. Incredibly addictive.
I have donated successfully a few times; I’ve been rejected due to low iron many more times.
I tried once, and my blood pressure dropped dangerously low (It’s low to begin with). I got the seeing spots and tunnel vision! They had to keep me on the bus to sip some juice for awhile. I do have the O-Negative universal donor type, which makes me feel worse for keeping it all to myself. Maybe I’ll ask my doctor if I can try again.
Nope– severely anemic.
I need to get back to giving regularly – I used to try to go as often as I could, it just hasn’t been convenient the last year or so, which is not a good excuse, but I’ve also been sick. And giving blood king of knocks me down for a couple of days. But that’s still better off than those needing blood :).
Just gave blood less than an hour ago – down by Bethlehem at the Twin Cities Red Cross!
Working in the hospital in critical care, blood is needed. There have been days when I have been to the blood bank over four times in one shift. A lot of blood is used everyday.
Donate blood.
Yes. I’m a fainter, but Memorial Blood Center is willing to work with me anyway. They always cover my arm with a paper towel and have me eat cookies or drink juice or pop while I donate. It helps a lot.
I started donating after meditating on 1 John 3:17, “But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?” I figured healthy blood might be considered part of “the world’s goods” and began donating despite the fainting.
I got hooked on it, and it eventually led to my becoming a kidney donor, which was the greatest privilege of my life. I wish I had 10 kidneys so I could give nine more away!
Well, Peter, it looks like we just missed each other, then.
I’ll be down at that Red Cross in about 20 minutes.
They won’t take my blood because I lived in England during the Mad Cow “crisis”. I gave regularly before that.
I’ve tried. The first time, many years ago, the nurse pricked my index finger, I saw the drop of blood on my fingertip, and Iistened to all the pumps around me at the blood drive. The next thing I knew, I was on the floor, and the nurse was yelling at me. So I’ve never given it, and I have to look away when the nurse takes a simple blood sample. What a wuss.
I need to try to give blood again. The last time I gave blood was on a beach project with Campus Outreach back in ’94. I’m glad I had one of my roommates with me on the bloodmobile ’cause I fainted upon standing and then woke in a combative state, hitting the nurses. They suggested I might be anemic. I was asked to take a few years off. I’m way past due.
Yes.
Yes. One of my daughters has an extremely rare blood type (AB-). So I always pray God will stir the hearts of those with the same type to do the same.
On top of that, it’s always been a great excuse for not losing those last few pounds – if you’re less than 115, that’s considered too light (I believe, rules may have changed).
So forget those New Year’s Resolutions – you need to give blood! (Just make sure you actually do it!)
nope. (i kinda go pale pretty easy just talkin’ about blood.) but, if you or the family ever need good blood, you just give me a holler. ok?
O positive, baby…
(o.k. i’d give it, but just in the time it took me to write this comment, all my joints turned into jello…can’t even make a fist…)
They keep turning me away because I’m always just back from some malaria place.
Still can’t due to travel to the UK of all places. You know … mad cow. Moooooo
Yes, but I have been sick lately so I haven’t been able to.
Until pregnancy, I gave regularly. I was even the office coordinator for getting the blood mobile to visit us.
I always knew it was important and figured the needle I ad to deal with wasn’t nearly as bad as what the recipient was having to deal with. Then, I watched my mom get 3 blood transfusions in a week last month and it renewed my commitment to it… if only I wasn’t pregnant!
i haven’t for a while because of various travels, but i should try again soon. i gave a lot in college and always got the same compliment on my excellent veins . . . weird, but i’ll take what i can get.
I used to, back when I worked at an office with regular Bloodmobile visits. Each time I did, though, I got closer and closer to fainting. (I get woozy just IMAGINING the feel of the blood rushing over, under and into that needle in my vein!)
They also stopped setting up shop in the vacant 2nd-floor office, and stuck to sticking you in the ‘mobile itself. Lightheadedness I can deal with; lightheadedness combined with claustrophobia is just too much for me.
I’m O+, and while it’s good blood for sharing, I don’t feel anywhere near the guilt I would if I were O- and hadn’t given for the past two years. ;)
I can’t, even though I’m O-, b/c I might be a mad-cow!
no. travel to Haiti every year so can never give blood.
no. every time I try I’m turned down. have since stopped trying.
I just went to donate around Christmas-time and was denied because of a mission trip to India this past summer.
I have to wait a year before I can donate.
Abraham, even your response to Peter’s post was 22 words. Is that a coincidence or does your mind think in 22-word increments? :)
Would like to suggest that people also consider giving to local Children’s Hospitals because when they have to use blood donated for adults, they have to throw much of it away.
Once. My doctor said was a “bit too generous”. I’m anemic.
Now I can’t. I travel and I depend on IV iron myself.
Can’t. Too many meds. Anemia. I’m recovering from chemo and radiation, but I received blood transfusions during treatment (and saw many cancer patients that received it, too), and I am thankful for those of you that do give blood!
I have my “2 gallon” pin! (That included lots of pheresis donations, which count as more than one pint). They didn’t want me anymore, though, when I came up ANA+. Who can pass up juice and cookies afterwards? Also, you get to watch a movie while doing pheresis. Had to stop when I turned up ANA+.
Once in a blue moon…that’s how often I’m not pregnant or breastfeeding! lol
You know what i’ve been thinking of giving blood for quite a while, yet never get around to it.
I really should just go
Nope, I would if I do have a rare type, and someone will have to drive me home.
MMMM! I need to find out what type I have to know whether it is rare or common one. If common one then I don’t need to worry about. But if that is rare, I will be glad to give blood but with warning.
I passed out way too easy. Every time I have my blood work, I have to remind them to talk about something else like puppy or kitten or something wonderful and pleasant.
We all need to encourage one another to give blood if they can! Thank you, Abraham.
May the Lord Bless You,
‘Guerite ~ BoldLion
I used to donate until I was put on a rejection list for having lived in the UK too long. The UK’s problems with hoof and mouth disease means the blood centers in the US don’t want any.
Absolutely. For the past few years (3 or 4) I’ve given every 8-12 weeks at a local United Blood Services Center.
It’s a great gift you can give to another and I’m told it’s good for your body, too.
When I had little kids, I made the discovery that Bloodmobile time=mini-spa time! Think about it-adults only, reclining on a comfy couch, treats, pampering and appreciation-and all they ask is a measly pint of blood! You know you’d give much more than that some days for a bit of respite from mommyhood…
(Thanks for the reminder about the nearness of the Red Cross to BBC-I usually wait for the blood drive, but decided I could give more often and was pondering where to go.)
I can’t. I lived in Europe in the 80s and I might be a mad cow. Moo.
I have always had a hard time with needles. I feel faint when I have to give 7 tubes of blood for a pregnancy work up. I’d feel really guilty for not giving blood, except that I had Hepititis A as a child and they won’t take mine. (Whew!)
I would love to, especially since I’m O negative. But I have some anemia to kick first. I hope they let me after it’s taken care of.
Last time I tried I couldn’t fill the bag and then I passed out. But I enjoyed the OJ and cookies. :) Since then I’ve been a recipient so when I’m done breastfeeding I’m going to try again.
Yes. But not since my pregnancy and since I had the baby (nursing mom).
Yes. In fact I got to give blood in the Dominican Republic recently and it was a great experience (though much more lax than here in the states, very well done none the less).
Yes, as often as I can, for Bloodsource regularly comes to my place of work and since I am as rare as they come (AB-), I give when I am not traveling.
Use to be a more frequent donor..3 gallons and counting..i love the little debby snack cakes they give you after you donate..
I donate plasma. Or sell it. Whatever.
Used to, but can’t anymore. I fainted twice while giving plasma and they politely told me to never donate again….
Up until that time, I had never fainted before. Now I can faint fairly easily depending on the topic being discussed or picture seen….
bah!
I want to, but I’m not qualified.
I used to and I would like to, but since I lived in Europe in the 80′s I have been banned – Mad Cow fear.
Its sad. I would love to give but can’t and my husband who can give, won’t. Sad.
I have done for a few years, now giving packed cells every 4 months. I hate needles, but if you don’t watch it’s not unpleasant, and I’m getting increasingly comfortable. Recently I learned that it may have positive cardiovascular effects on the donor by getting rid of excess iron http://archives.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/04/26/give.blood.wmd/
And there is even some research that it has anti-aging effects in men over 50.
hey, just spotted this post — good work bro. We need more blood donors. And certainly giving blood opens wide the doors for conversation about the gospel. But first and foremost, such a personal gift to strangers is itself an act of love…. db
I’d also like to put in a plug for becoming an organ donor. And be sure to tell your family.
Not that I’m hoping for anybody’s demise, but if you’re gonna die anyway, I could sure use your lungs.
This is a good post! I donate blood and am listed on the organ registry – I would do this anyway, but being a medical student I am privileged to get to know some of the people who’s lives this is saving!
After having given blood for the first time last Valentine’s Day…I couldn’t again until last month; I was anemic for almost a year and finally, FINALLY my hemoglobin is up again.
I’m O-, a universal donor, so it was frustrating not being able to donate.
I’ll be able to give one more time before traveling to India; then, I’m pretty sure I’ll have to wait another year due to traveling out of the country. Bummin’ already.