If you can, please make donating blood a news year resolution...

[Thorilicious]

I've only been able to donate once this year, but was booked in for 3 appointments. These had to be cancelled due to Covid in the house, but that's 2 pints that could have saved someone's life.
I appreciate some people can't or don't feel comfortable donating blood, but if it's something that you've always thought about doing, make 2022 the year you sign up.
Plus, you get biscuits at the end of your session!

Thank you to everyone who does donate , My son is currently having a transfusion at the moment and on his 2nd bag now and will need more tomorrow . 💐💐

Yes, please do. Someone needs to take my space. I am banned, anaemia 🙄

@ChimChimeny, me too o neg was made up at my last donation that mine goes to neo-natal. Club bars are ace but after 58 donations, frankly I'm just in it for the gold badge now.

Would it be a waste of time me applying, I had a blood transfusion in 2016 and suffer on off with anemia?

I have just signed up off the back of this thread, but there are no appointments till April. Once I'm with my diary I'll get it booked in.

I know I'm O negative so have intended to do it for some time but never got round to it. It can be a New Years resolution

After spending 8 months eating weetabix etc every day to up my iron levels I gave my second donation last week. Getting that email saying where your blood has gone is amazing.

I am so grateful to people who donate as I needed a transfusion but can't donate myself as it was part of my cancer treatment. My DH donates tho as a way of paying it forward.

Just popping back to say that I have managed to get my first appointment in February at my most local (25 miles away but closer to work) donation centre

I'm a regular donor but can't give for 6 months as my iron was low when I went recently. The joys of perimenopause. I'm hoping to be able to donate again next year. Definitely give if you can, it's a great feeling when you get the text to say your donation has been used.

Glad yhe questions have improved. I gave all of my details then was told I would never be able to donate. Didn’t let me remove my details though.

Thankyou for this thread OP, I made my 23rd donation last week and had forgotten to book my next slot so I've done that now thanks to your reminder
I really wish I could persuade DH to donate again - he hates needles and I managed to get him to come with me and make his first donation 10 years ago when we were in the early days of dating and he was trying to impress me, I've not succeeded again since!

I'm off to donate again tomorrow. I'm an O neg person, it's not often I feel so useful! I always find the experience rather emotional. It's literally life saving for those people that need it.

I'm so pleased that this has been an encouraging thread. I have a bad needle phobia, but I just look away. The feeling afterwards is definitely worth it

Just been today. I look forward to it - I get to lay back and not do anything for 15 whole minutes (luxury!), they give you chocolate biscuits, you lose weight (I know it’s only temporary, but still…) and you get to feel virtuous for the rest of the day - what’s not to like?

They stopped doing the pop up blood donor shop in the local hall & it became too difficult for me to get to the new location. I want to but cant.

Went last week for the first time in a while. Looking forward to the text telling me where it's gone

I've had 4 blood transfusions in one go so I don't think I can but I massively thank those that give. I wouldn't be here today and DD would have never met me, I would have died after giving birth to her.

Temporarily banned due to being on medication, been off it for a year now and have another year to wait before I can get back to donating. When I can, I most definitely will as blood transfusions saved my brother's life.

I can’t donate as I don’t weigh enough, though I don’t fully get this. I’m not underweight just very short. Surely someone who is a lot taller than me and weighs enough to give blood but is underweight is equally unable to donate?

Thank you to everyone who does donate. No one wants to think about needing to be given blood but you just never know.

I'm all booked in for January.

I've struggled to get appointments and keep them since Covid but normally donate regularly.

I'll be getting back to donating as soon as I can after I've had my baby. I agree it's such an important thing to do and many more people should do it. Thanks for trying to spread the word op.

Booked in for pint 59 next week. My mum needed a transfusion when she had cancer (in the 80s) so I’ve always felt a debt of gratitude to the donors who saved her.

Anyone who expects blood (for themselves or their family) and who is physically able to give blood (as evidenced in this thread, many want to but can’t) then I think you have a moral obligation to donate.

May be a silly question but how would you know whether during routine surgery (say for appendicitis or tonsillitis) you received a transfusion?

They really don't make it easy though! I have tried a few times before, but iron levels weren't high enough. I have been taking iron tablets, multivitamin and having juice with iron rich meals to try and boost my levels. Not washing it down with tea either. But there are just no appointments near me at all. There used to be 3 or 4 places to donate within a 10 mile journey, but the only 2 available before July next year are over 20 miles away. That's not something I can do around work and kids. I am trying to give it away and can't!

I would love to. But I'm afraid my health condition prevents it.