OT: Blood Donations

[Kitsune06]

Um... yeah. I had a less than stellar experience. I'm bruising all over my elbow- I mean 2" up from where I was stuck-all over. Hurts to straighten my arm, etc etc. I mean, I'm not a wuss. I have a decent pain tolerance, but when straightening out my arm means pain and my fingers tingling, that's not a good thing. No insurance means I ice it and hope for the best. It's getting better, tho.

Fainted this weekend and came close to doing it a second time. Overdid it. Never given blood so I don't know my limitations.

You know what? I'm gonna give blood @ the hospital, too. Seems a much better option.

[Dianyla]

But that wasn't the weird reaction, LOL I'm used to fainting at the sight of blood, mine or anyone else's. Here is what had me troubled about the whole experience.

For about a week after I felt totally drained in fact for two days I hardly got off the couch I had NO energy and was extremely tired. I wasn't sick, no fever or aches or pains just terribly drained. My hubby referred to it as me being a quart low! LOL

For months after the Red Cross kept calling me to donate again and I kept refusing because it really didn't fit into my schedule mostly being that I didn't have time to feel rotten for a week after donating. I told them I had a bad experience and got a number of a nurse to call at Red Cross but haven't called the nurse yet. I wonder if there is really a reasonable reason for my reaction?

It sounds like you were borderline anemic and losing that extra unit of blood just pushed you over the edge. The symptoms you describe are consistent with low iron/anemia. As I mentioned earlier in this thread, my big beef with blood banks is that the rudimentary "drop test" that they do to check your iron will allow a lot of borderline people to donate anyways, resulting in this kind of situation.

Get to your primary doc and have your ferritin levels checked. Iron deficiency anemia is very common among menstruating women, as well as common among athletes. Menstruating female athletes get a double-whammy. You may need to supplement with iron pills, but don't start doing this without a doctor's advice because an iron overload can be toxic.

Until you know that your iron levels and red blood counts are good again, just say "no thanks, I'm anemic" when they call.

[bikerchic]

Dianyla I hear what you are saying about being borderline anemic I wondered if that was the case for me, however I take soooo many supplements and my iron intake is just what it should be to prevent anemia. I also stopped taking calcium three days before my blood donation because I was told to do that, not sure why? LOL

As far as menstruating.....I haven't in several years post menopause 55 year old here, LOL.

I am going to talk to my Doctor about this soon because it might be of interest to her.

I'll be sure to use that line, "no thanks, I'm anemic" good advise and thanks for the reply.