Giving blood - experiences?

[apprenticeison]

Do you give blood? I’ve long thought about it but had very heavy periods (now gone). Seeing the headings about the lack of blood I’m thinking I should. However I’m wondering if I’ll cause more issues than help: I’ve fainted when I’ve had blood tests, so nowadays I must lie down and stay horizontal for a while after. And that’s when I only give a small amount so reading that they take a pint makes me wonder if it’s a bad idea.

Anyone else have any experience or thoughts to share?

Mint Club ! 😖 Orange Club or Tuc biscuits are clearly the best.
OP - if you do start donating you may discover a lot of blood donor social media is about biscuit preferences ! My centre has crisps as well now.

Mint Club is clearly best, and often they are gone by the time I get there (usually one of the last of the evening.)

We have crisps, too.

They certainly seem to reject more donors than they accept. I am A negative - and have been a blood donor consistently in several countries. But when I arrived in the UK they refused to take my blood as I had lived in Africa and "might have malaria". I've never had malaria, and this is something you can screen blood for anyway. It's frustrating when you hear the many appeals.

I was advised not to continue giving blood (advised to pause for 12-24 months) because of adverse reactions afterwards. That was about 5 years ago and I was thinking of giving it another go because I know stocks are low.

But basically I was fine during the actual giving blood, it's pain free and very easy, but then collapsed afterwards. Nothing serious, but it's a lot of hassle for the staff and looks like I'm being dramatic to everyone else. Not to mention very embarrassing for me!!

I'm on 40 donations but am A- so no use in the current crisis. I have blood that's CMV negative so used for babies and that makes me feel extra special.

I always drink loads of water as it makes giving blood easier. I never watch the needle going in and have never had any problems, In fact because I travel a lot (for work) it normally takes longer to go through my travel history than it does for the actual donation!

I have found it fine

You can lie down as long as you need afterwards and then sit and eat biscuits and drink and recover after that - take a book

I've only ever given blood twice but I'm booked in to donate again on Monday.

It was several years between my two donations so I was very worked up prior to the last time however I shouldn't have been.

Everyone is so friendly and it's well organised. You can only donate every 16 weeks as a women.

My Dad recently passed away and had many units of blood prior to his death so I want to find out exactly how many units he had and donate that many (plus 1!).

I'm worried about how emotional I'll feel on Monday as the reason I donated before was because I wanted to help my dad (in a roundabout way). Hoping I won't cry too much.

Please just sign up and do it. You'll feel so great knowing you can help save someone's life.

I only started donating in my mid 40s. I try to go three times a year. I’ve had no problems, but I take very good care of myself eating and hydrating before and after. Mid/late afternoon suits me best as I can rest in the evening (not that I’ve ever felt I needed it, but it’s nice to mind oneself.)

Malaria screening has changed a lot over the years. At one point (after I had been travelling in malarial countries,) it seemed to be different every time I donated. It could still be the case - I haven't travelled much in recent years.

It may be frustrating, but I'd rather they were over-cautious than otherwise with bloodborne diseases. The rules are all based on research and get changed as knowledge changes.

I have done it about 8 times. Booking the appointment has never been a problem (and neither has location of the clinic or timing). But, I have heavy periods and I have been turned away for not having enough iron. And every single time I've donated they've struggled to find a vein. They never hurt me though, when they were trying to get more out of me. They stop the donation if the blood doesn't flow quickly enough and I've concluded that my body just doesn't want to give it up. It's a shame because I would have really liked to have continued. I never felt unwell at any time.

The only thing that left me feeling slightly bad about the whole thing is that nobody there has ever been able to explain if there are any health implications for me (having veins that are thin and inaccessible). I was left wondering if I'd be harder to treat if I had cancer, for example. But there's nobody to answer my questions (and even googling didn't help). It's left a lingering uneasiness.

Yup, I’m all for caution too. That’s why we screen for HIV and other blood borne diseases. But rejecting a donor because they “might” have something in their blood seems counter productive when they can easily test.

I gave blood once and felt like death for 3 days after. Tired, weak, sick. Straight after I felt faint and wobbly. I also had heavy periods and got very iron deficient. I don't have periods at the moment but am very reluctant to give it again but am O neg so feel I should.

I'm not allowed to donate anymore for a really dumb reason (not just in my opinion - the related professional medical body describes this particular exclusion as 'an overreaction based on zero evidence of risk') but I did for quite a few years. If you think you're likely to be wobbly, just let them know and ask them to go slow on sitting you back upright/move you on to the tea and biscuits.

I tried to give blood once. Never again. Too many stupid questions!

1. Where did you get it?
2. Whose blood is it?
3. Why is it in a bucket?

Same for donating organs. You donate a kidney and they're happy, you donate 3 or 4 and they again start asking so many flippin' questions!

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

In all seriousness I haven't donated blood before. I've heard the country is soon going to run out of O negative, so they're asking for people to go along and donate.

I would really like to give blood but it’s hard to get appointments here and the nearest location is somewhere I’d have to use my car to get back from. I worry that I’d feel faint and not be able to drive. Really wish they would use locations accessible on foot or public transport

Gave blood for the first time in 20 years last month. Absolutely no problems whatsoever. Really easy, pain free and lovely staff. My blood donation centre is easily accessible and I had no problem making an appointment. I’ve got my next appointment booked

Orange Club for me. Whoever thought mint and chocolate should go together?!

My husband donates blood regularly and has never had an issue. He is fine as long as he doesn't watch as the blood is taken. He says they usually like you sit down and have a drink and snack in the waiting room before you leave and hopefully they will keep an eye on you if they know you have fainted previously when having blood tests. I sadly can't donate as I had a blood transfusion as a child and, due to the infected blood scandal, blood recipients between certain years are understandably precluded from giving blood. Good luck.

I have regularly donated blood for over 50 years. When I lived in the city it was easy to get appointments at the local centre, and when I moved to a more rural area donation was still easy as the mobile van used various village halls.

Then they stopped using village halls and used a more central point (fire station - they moved the engines out for the day!)

It was really difficult to get an appointment they were overloaded with people willing to donate. The Blood service suggested I could donate at a medical unit the far side of the city over 20 miles away.

All the people who I chatted to over the tea and biscuits said they would have to give up and these were people who had been committed donors over decades.

I believe they also no longer go to barracks the way they used to.

This is the reason they are short of blood 🩸.

Sorry for the rant but donation is a wonderful altruistic gesture if you can get there give it a try.

I started donating a couple of years ago and do so 4 times a year. I always book my follow up straight after donating. I am 58 and most donors seem to be my generation or older. There's never a problem making appointments but I live rurally so have to drive. I have never yet failed the pin prick iron test - often this is the worst bit pain wise.

My parents were JW and my dad refused blood transfusion following a bad accident. Donating blood to use for transfusion was an emotive issue but after their deaths I made my own choice to try and help those in need in this life.

I treat as a special event. I love the preparation - I take supplements anyway but eat steak in advance and on the day breakfast on 2 smoked salmon steaks! After donation I have 2 packets of Seabrooks crisps and a kitkat or club or even both even though I am not remotely dizzy. Then I get an email to thank me and saying where my donation has gone. Lovely. Positive for me and potentially life saving for someone else.

@ButtSurgery i do understand that but if they are desperate for donors it seems a bit extreme x however my four months is up and I’m donating again next week - hope they have club biscuits out this time ☺️

What's the alternative? Let's say your blood donation had a disease in it that was passed to a very ill person. That's not a good outcome unless there is absolutely no alternative, perhaps in a war zone. At present they have better and safer alternatives available!

I gave blood twice and made me bad afterwards.

Went to the first session. Afterwards, I never felt so nauseous and couldn't use my left arm/hand well for the rest of the day and the next. The arm and hand had a shooting pain sensation and had limited movement in arm, wrist, hand and fingers

Thinking to myself, that was a one off and went again 3-5 months later and the same thing happened.

I have a massive fear of blood and remember going to the Granada Studio Tours around the age of 9 and blacked out over when a fellow tour member had fake blood put onto them.

The upper age for new blood donating is 65. That should be upped to 70-75 as there are healthier people 65-75 than some in their 50s. As you see on SM "great gran Janice, 58" and looks a lot older than my 73 year old mum.

My mum was 67 when she had to stop giving blood as she had breast cancer, It was the most minute tumour - only discovered as she had a mammogram to check out a haematoma on the other breast. Good job the radiologist said "whilst you here, may as well check the other one" as my mum was about halfway between the call up screenings.