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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think that 95% of people...

290 replies

PurplePidjin · 08/02/2012 19:14

...do not have a significant phobia of needles?

So why do only 4 or 5 in 100 of us who are medically capable actually bother to give blood? Where are the rest of them?

It took 30 minutes of my afternoon, and they deliberately stay open late so people can pop in on the way home from work and have an excellent excuse to slob on the sofa for a bit

Oh, and apparently the registers are now cross-referenced do my Anthony Nolan sample is relevant to both Grin

www.blood.co.uk

OP posts:
Sparklingbrook · 08/02/2012 19:17

Oh yes Purple 'Needle phobic' people. Angry Like the rest of us love to be jabbed with a needle. Grin

When I was working we used to have the blood bus come and do the lot of us in one go. Nowadays I go, but make an appointment. The worst bit is the pint of water you are made to drink. Grin

Shutupanddrive · 08/02/2012 19:17

There are other reasons apart from needle phobia that means a lot of people cannot give blood. I have done a few times in the past but not lately as not long had an op and it's difficult to find childcare (you can't take them with you)

LineRunner · 08/02/2012 19:18

I have tried numerous times, but on each occasion my blolod wasn't wanted because I'd had an ear pierced or had been a bit unwell or ventured south of Hebden Bridge or somesuch.

Shall I try again?

Sparklingbrook · 08/02/2012 19:19

Yes do LineRunner. You can always ring them up first and run anything past them to check.

SquishyCinnamonSwirls · 08/02/2012 19:19

I take my 9yr old dd with me, they make her a cup of tea and give her a biscuit and a bag of crisps while she reads her book :)
I've got an appt in a couple of weeks to donate again. The last time it failed as the nurse didn't find a vein on her first 3 attempts and then my veins kind of shut up shop.

dilbertina · 08/02/2012 19:20

I'd be very happy to give blood, but can't as Type 1 diabetic. I am currently living in France so doubly not allowed as I might have eaten a mad-cow burger.

benne81 · 08/02/2012 19:21

Once I wasn't allowed because they said I didn't weigh enough - I've got no excuse on that front now though!

Shutupanddrive · 08/02/2012 19:21

I took 5yr old ds with me and they did let me that time, but told me they don't usually allow it and to not bring him next time

Original poster
PurplePidjin · 08/02/2012 19:22

Sparkling, it's always warm and tastes slightly chlorine-y!

I deliberately put medically capable in because that's the statistic I was told today - only 5% of those able to give actually do. So I thought I'd do a spot of awareness raising here (and on farcebook)

LineRunner, yes please do! 6m after a piercing iirc Smile

OP posts:
OtterNonsense · 08/02/2012 19:22

You can take children with you to ours. They have colouring books and squash and biscuits for them.

Sparklingbrook · 08/02/2012 19:24

Having a bursting bladder helps to take my mind off any needly things Purple. The water is horrid, I may take my own next time. Smile

Original poster
PurplePidjin · 08/02/2012 19:24

dilbertina, you're clearly excused

Congrats, benne!

Shut, there's always someone with a child in tow at mine, no one bats an eyelid Smile

Lovely, friendly staff, never met a grumpy one even when it's really really busy

OP posts:
Original poster
PurplePidjin · 08/02/2012 19:26

Hold your nose and gulp Wink

OP posts:
ReduceRecycleRegift · 08/02/2012 19:26

most people in my family can't give blood, but TBH it's a bit dreary to tell every tom dick and harry about my mothers childhood illnesses and my own need for transfusions (which means I can't give blood). The only person in my whole family who CAN give blood is DH.

I gave blood once when I still could, was treated horribly, told I was being silly for saying I didn't feel well enough to sit up yet, they couldn't get a whole unit out of me but kept trying, pretty much laughed me out of the stretcher onto the street. Where I passed out alone at a bus stop. So I stopped giving. I was phobic of THEM putting needles in me because of their crap care!

But I think you'll find that many people just CAN'T but don't want to be boring by wittering on about why. You do, that's great! just get on with it!

Ghoulwithadragontattoo · 08/02/2012 19:27

I gave blood this afternoon. They let me take my 2 year old in with me and he sat eating raisins in his pushchair. A lady came in just after me and had her three DDs all sitting alongside her bed. The kids all got stickers too :)

I feel a little tired this evening so am going to take it easy but no biggie. Please give blood.

greensnail · 08/02/2012 19:27

I've been having trouble finding a session I can make due to childcare so haven't started up again since my pregnancies. You've just reminded me about it though so I'll have a look and see if I can find a session for when my parents are visiting, when they can look after the dc.

molly3478 · 08/02/2012 19:27

There is no way I can give a pint.Most times I have been to the doctors they cant get any or minimal amount out of me. They said next time to ask for the black needle as its thnner so I did nd it still took them 5 times of repeated stabbings to get it out of me and even then the amount was tiny but she said it was ok as it was only the pregnancy ones.

Mandy2003 · 08/02/2012 19:28

I cannot actually understand Why-the-flying-Fuck Type 1 Diabetics (I'm one too!) cannot donate blood?? Surely if their HBA1C results (long term blood glucose levels) are normal, and if blood glucose at the time of donation was normal, why not accept our blood?

Unless there's something they're not telling us about the synthetic insulin we have to take Hmm

Sparklingbrook · 08/02/2012 19:29

I often think you should be able to give blood while visiting people in hospital. You are sat there anyway.

Kayano · 08/02/2012 19:29

Everyone surely knows about my needle phobia on mumsnet! It's all I seem to talk about!

The most annoying thing ever is ignorant tools people who say 'well no one likes needles...' or the classic

'just don't look'

Well that can do one IMO and are
Unlikely to have ever had a phobia. I suffer anxiety, panic attacks, hysteria. It is the worst thing ever and being aware of how irrational it is makes it even worse!

It took me months and months of therapy and hypnotherapy to even look at a needle before ttc.

I am hoping to continue treatment after baby is here so I can give blood one day. I would love to donate. I have a donor card but need to work on donating blood .

It's the worst thing ever

PoweredbyHotMarmite · 08/02/2012 19:30

I've done it a few times but have also fallen foul of the weight rule so haven't done for a bit. They can actually be quite fussy...

ReduceRecycleRegift · 08/02/2012 19:31

its probably to do with covering things that haven't been discovered yet, that's why I can't, incase the blood I had (which was screened for all the things we know now it needs to be screened for) had something in it that hasn't been discovered yet.

My mum gave blood before it was known that its very bad for people who had a childhood illness she had to give blood. So they eliminate people with questionmarks now if that makes sense

Original poster
PurplePidjin · 08/02/2012 19:31

Wow, you really had a nasty experience, Reduce Sad

To re-iterate (is that meant to have a hyphen?) this thread is intended for discussion of why 95% of those able to give blood, don't. There are many many reasons why people can't and I didn't intend to pry into anyone's confidential medical history.

'Twould be nice if a couple more folk were aware of how important it is Smile

OP posts:
EverybodysSnowyEyed · 08/02/2012 19:32

I can't because DH was brought up in a country with a high prevalence of HIV. He hasn't lived there for over a decade.

But neither of us can give blood now

foreverondiet · 08/02/2012 19:32

I try and give, but only now as its easy as its only 15 mins walk from where I work. If you don't have childcare it can be hard (pushchairs not allowed in mobile units). But if it wasn't easy I wouldn't bother, didn't give for nearly 6 years due to 2 pregnancies. lack of childcare and no where convenient.

FWIW I DO have a phobia of needles but always ask for local anesthetic!