OT: Blood Donations

[LBTC]

I had two not very successful attempts at giving blood years ago, then they stopped going to the community I lived in to save costs. I thought it was sad they stopped coming because, even though they always came at the height of flu season, the donations always far surpassed the goal!

Now, if DH and I want to give blood, we'd have to go to another community to do it. I have to be there in a couple of weeks, so I'll see how difficult it is for us to get in to the clinic....

Interestingly, my pets are blood donors. 'Cuda has given twice and Otto has given once - they saved the lives of other dogs and cats. With pets, they can't store the blood, so if they call, you know there is an immediate need.

I admire all of you for your blood donor efforts and for your knowledge.

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

[donnambr]

So I have a couple of rants about blood donation, at least where I live. First of all, while the rest of the medical world is getting their latex act together, the American Red Cross isn't. If I walk into the Red Cross in Portland or into one of those Bloodmobiles, I'm wheezing within 10 minutes. I don't stay long enough to see how long it takes before my airway totally closes up and anaphylaxis kicks in. Yes, they have nonlatex supplies (if you make arrangements ahead of time), but the air is full of latex protein, which is much more serious for the latex allergic than actually touching it and getting hives. Secondly, I have a history of cancer (that's not on the no-no list), and my veins are full of scar tissue. I just need a smaller needle and some extra time to get that pint out. They never seem to have the smaller needles, and none of the techs will believe me. I've had bad veins for 15 years now, you'd think I'd know a little about my own body, right? The phlebotomists where I get medical blood draws seem able to take my word for it.

I came from a family with a long tradition of being blood donors, to the point where we generally feel guilty for not donating - we're a bunch of O+ and O- folks. After 10 years of trying to navigate through this , I can only conclude that the Red Cross really doesn't need my O+ blood all that badly. It's too bad they're the only place in Portland that accepts blood donations. My aunt donates regularly at UCLA, and when she asked them, they told her they can accomodate donors like me quite easily.

I'm not saying don't donate, but I've given up, and that's really too bad. I'm disgustingly healthy otherwise, and have plenty of blood to spare.

[East Hill]

I know I plan on donating every 60 days until I die or develop some awful disease which precludes me from donating.

East Hill

And if I can't donate, I'm still going to make Mr. East Hill go down there until he can't either!

I know that me mum no longer can donate because she has diabetes, and isn't stable. They really miss her, she is AB+.



East Hill

[Kitsune06]

Alright, fine.

I'm scheduled to be tapped the 23rd over lunch. happy now?

[Aggie_Ama]

Oddly, you cannot donate if you have Crohn's disease that is active or you are on therapy. I cannot figure that one out, someone please explain it. My DH wanted to donate recently and I read that he could not. I can't donate for another few months due to a vaccine I got that I didn't need. Don't start me on that one, but I am excluded right now.

[Kitsune06]

Vaccines are *never* a bad idea. Don't *start *me* on it, but you don't just wander around waiting to step on a nail/cut yourself/etc etc to get your tetanus updated, don't wait 'till you have liver damage to get your hep vaccinations... etc etc. Not *one* that was created that society doesn't need (or didn't at the time- how common is polio now?)
Just saying.
...now for my rabies booster...

[Grog]

Oddly, you cannot donate if you have Crohn's disease that is active or you are on therapy. I cannot figure that one out, someone please explain it.

When you say "on therapy", do you mean "taking medication"? That would be why they wouldn't want your blood for the moment...

They might also worry that if you're already having a Crohn episode giving blood would further trouble your system, route precious bodily resources towards making new blood instead of keeping yourself together, etc...

[Dianyla]

Just saying.
...now for my rabies booster...

Amen, sistah. Funny enough - a few months ago I was considering getting a rabies vaccine that was "highly recommended" for travelling in Peru. It wasn't covered by insurance and would have cost $500!

[Kitsune06]

it's amazing the stuff not covered by insurance. I've read reports about multi-strain vaccines triggering autoimmune responses in people, but if you weigh the risk to the benefit... still you come out ahead.
I'm wondering if I would've had to pay an arm and a leg for my Hep B vaccines had they come out after I was in school. As it was, we all got herded down to the cafeteria and poked. One of my friends fainted. Poor chica.

[Aggie_Ama]

When you say "on therapy", do you mean "taking medication"? That would be why they wouldn't want your blood for the moment...

They might also worry that if you're already having a Crohn episode giving blood would further trouble your system, route precious bodily resources towards making new blood instead of keeping yourself together, etc...

I meant medicine, I refer to my husband's as therapy because that is what his gastroenterologist calls it. I understand the medicine and I guess the fact that giving blood would be rough on someone in the middle of a flare up.

Kit- I got a nasty deep bruise from a Hepatitis Vaccine. I got the vaccine because my husband was misdiagnosed with Hepatitis instead of Crohn's. Since I hurt for 4 weeks after the vaccine, I am little annoyed about getting it.

That being said, I was mad at myself for being behind on my tetnus shot when I cut my toe on some rusty rebar!

Enough thread hi-jacking. I commend all of you who are able and willing to donate blood, you saved my mother-in-law this summer when she needed a blood transfusion before her emergency hysterectomy.

[Grog]

Amen, sistah. Funny enough - a few months ago I was considering getting a rabies vaccine that was "highly recommended" for travelling in Peru. It wasn't covered by insurance and would have cost $500!

If you insurance covers your medical treatments when you're abroad, I'd suggest giving them a call and asking them about this. Who knows, maybe they'd rather pay $500 up front than deal with the (much more expensive) consequences if you were to catch the nasties once in Peru!!!!

It's too late now, but I'd be curious to know if that would work... But then, I'm just a Canadian enjoying (mostly) free health care... (Few vaccines are free though, even here...)

[Dianyla]

If you insurance covers your medical treatments when you're abroad, I'd suggest giving them a call and asking them about this. Who knows, maybe they'd rather pay $500 up front than deal with the (much more expensive) consequences if you were to catch the nasties once in Peru!!!!

It's too late now, but I'd be curious to know if that would work... But then, I'm just a Canadian enjoying (mostly) free health care... (Few vaccines are free though, even here...)

Yeah, I even challenged them on that. I said sarcastically "Oh, but if I were to go get bitten by a dog and came in within 12 hours you'd give it to me for free right?" and the nurse said "yeah, pretty much!"

I'm sure if I'd been travelling for work they might have covered it. But personal pleasure travel is right up there with elective surgery when it comes to insurance coverage.

[Kitsune06]

I did my part. Got a ways to go to catch up to my Dad's 15 gal. of O-.

[bcipam]

So I have a couple of rants about blood donation, at least where I live. First of all, while the rest of the medical world is getting their latex act together, the American Red Cross isn't. If I walk into the Red Cross in Portland or into one of those Bloodmobiles, I'm wheezing within 10 minutes. I don't stay long enough to see how long it takes before my airway totally closes up and anaphylaxis kicks in. Yes, they have nonlatex supplies (if you make arrangements ahead of time), but the air is full of latex protein, which is much more serious for the latex allergic than actually touching it and getting hives. Secondly, I have a history of cancer (that's not on the no-no list), and my veins are full of scar tissue. I just need a smaller needle and some extra time to get that pint out. They never seem to have the smaller needles, and none of the techs will believe me. I've had bad veins for 15 years now, you'd think I'd know a little about my own body, right? The phlebotomists where I get medical blood draws seem able to take my word for it.

I came from a family with a long tradition of being blood donors, to the point where we generally feel guilty for not donating - we're a bunch of O+ and O- folks. After 10 years of trying to navigate through this , I can only conclude that the Red Cross really doesn't need my O+ blood all that badly. It's too bad they're the only place in Portland that accepts blood donations. My aunt donates regularly at UCLA, and when she asked them, they told her they can accomodate donors like me quite easily.

I'm not saying don't donate, but I've given up, and that's really too bad. I'm disgustingly healthy otherwise, and have plenty of blood to spare.

For alot of the reasons you stated - I don't donate to Red Cross - I donate blood at my local hospital (the one I would have surgery at if injured). I can make an appointment, am treated like royalty, the chairs are comfortable, nurses courtious and efficient. Don't give up - try something else... Really no hopsital in Portland takes blood????

[bikerchic]

I have O- blood and when a cry from the local Red Cross went out a few months back for my blood type I said what the heck and did my part.

I did have a weird reaction after giving blood, for one I fainted right after it was all over, darn! I was doing so well and was so proud of myself up to the point when she took the needle out and put a cotton swab on my arm and told me to raise my arm over my head. Suddenly the room started to spin, I got really hot and the next thing I remember was waking up laying down on the cot with a very concerned gentleman talking to me trying to see if I was "coming around" as he said.

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?

I'm thinking the only way for me to find out if what I experienced was just a fluke is to try it again and I did have an appointment set up for donating in January, got to the place at my scheduled time and there was no one there! No one even called me to let me know they had canceled that day, what's with that?

Anyway it will be a while before I do it again and next month I have a Doctor's appointment which will probably lead to surgery and I'll discuss donating blood for my surgery with her and let her know about my previous experience and go from there.

Just curious if anyone else experienced what I did after giving blood?