AIBU to think that 95% of people...

[PurplePidjin]

...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

www.blood.co.uk

I don't have a significant fear of needles but I have found that even when having blood tests I tend to get very nauseous. When I went onto the Anthony Nolan register we had to send off quite a few samples for testing and I really freaked out the practice nurse by keeling over immediately afterward (it was only about 60cc too ).

Then when I was matched I had to give a bunch more and it was really a pretty horrible experience as the plebotomist had to poke away before he managed to hit my vein and I really did feel very ill indeed (including almost passing out on the way home). So it is my experience of blood tests that has stopped me donating, because it is difficult to voluntarily opt to do something that makes you feel really ill, even if you know that it's a good thing to do. However I've had other blood tests that have been very like jabs, just that initial unpleasant poke really, so I totally understand that if that is your experience you woudln't empathise much.

I'm now in the CJD risk group (which i think is a bit daft given that very very few people have actually had new variant CJD, and the initially predicted epidemic has not actually happened) so I can't give blood or bone marrow at least in Canada where I live now)

Jasper the OP asked why people who aren't phobic don't give blood. So of course there are many non-phobics answering her question!

RedWhiteStar I assume you know that many women don't have smears, even though it would be in their interests to do so, for mental and physical reasons. Telling them to just get over it frequently doesn't do a great deal to persuade them. So I don't know why you think its going to help here.

Mrs DV to clarify, I've never tried as I've always known how unreceptive my veins are. But the stuff you posted about your daughter- not the stuff you posted about it not hurting, when I know full well it will- has made me think about going after I have my baby and seeing whether they want me, less than useful blood type or not.

I used to give blood and have no problem with needles but I suffer from Vasovagal fainting and it tends to scare the nurses when you go white and pass out.

But, my experience when I did give blood that it was always really busy and I always had to wait for ages. That doesn't tie in with the claim that we're short of blood donors. If we were short then it would be easy to get an appointment to give blood and you wouldn't have to wait very long if you just turn up.

nocake - that's not how it works I'm afraid, they don't have staff lolling around just waiting for people to stroll in, they have the minimum amount of staff and facilities they can manage with. A lot more people would have to donate before they'd up staff numbers permanently.
Even with long waits and inconvenience, it's only two or three times a year, and most of us can manage to fit it in. If I were to need blood products I'd expect it to be available, therefore I donate.

here's the current stock levels

Some might look quite high at first glance, but when you look at the second graph of 'how many days this lasts' - eight days isn't long.

Plus the third graph is very telling - current levels are lower than a few months ago (possibly due to exemptions due to colds etc.)

Nocake I agree with Wizbang, it might look like a lot of people to you but it really isn't.

And, if someone needs blood, they are likely to need a lot of it. It's not one donor = one receiver. Donors can only give a small amount, 450ml I think. So if someone needs blood they are likely to be given the donations made from lots of people. So it could be 10+ donors = one receiver.

They are also likely to need more blood at certain times, bank holidays etc, and blood only lasts a few days, so they can't stockpile.

I always make an appointment to donate and even then I am sometimes asked to wait. But however busy it seems, it really is comparatively very few people who are there waiting to donate.

Oh and if any MNers are within a reasonable distance of Oxford, there is a permanent donation suite at the JR which is open til gone 7 some days so there's lots of flexibility there.

On the issue of needle phobia it is very real and horrible to have to deal with.

DS has severe needle phobia, and still has to have regular needles. It involves sedation and us pinning him down. It is a very real condition which is completely different to not liking needles. Anyone who just doesn't like needles shouldnt compare themselves to those who do have genuine needle phobia. It's insulting.

Needles aren't a nice thing to have but it is necessary that we donate blood. I do have a question though, having had a transfusion will I ever be able to donate? I'm aiming to gt my weight up so that I can give, but I just wondered if this would always prevent me donating or if it's like a temporary ban for a few years? We're useless as a family, we've all had transfusions but none of us can give back. It's so very frustrating. DH will never be allowed but I'm hoping that I might be able to.

My DH gives blood very often. I used to but cannot due to a life saving transfusion after giving birth. I will always be grateful to blood donors though. A massive thank you to everyone here who is a donor (or has been in the past). I was called up for bone marrow match once but in the end wasn't the best match.

flang at the risk of sounding snarky, I think it is irresponsible of you to make statements referring to blood donation i.e. it hurts when you have never done it.

You are talking about a blood test which is a different procedure undertaken by different HCP.

There may be people out there wavering about giving blood because they are worried. Then someone strolls along and tells them it hurts so much it makes them throw up. Only they didnt actually give blood, they had a blood test.

And you told me not to universalise?

If your veins are crap the are crap and that isnt your fault. If you cant give blood for that reason there is no shame. When people aplogise to me for not being able to give blood (because, bless them, they do) I tell them not to worry, their job can be encouraging others to donate.

Maybe you could do that?

reindeer how is DS doing with the phobia? Any improvements at all?

Its so sodding unfair on the kids and unutterably crappy for the parents who have to witness it.

Waves at MrsDV

Some improvement has been made, he is very slowly starting to come round to the idea, which has been worth the months of therapy! He is not needing sedation but we still need to hold him down sometimes. Rally annoys me when grown adults pretend to have a condition which they have no idea about its true effects. Needles really arent that bad, but when it's a real phobia it's a different kettle of fish.

Do you know if I will ever be able to donate, as I've had a transfusion? I would love to donate as its such a vital necessity and everyone who can, definitely should donate.

I would love to give blood but am not allowed as I had Hep C which has been treated and is undetectable in my blood.

You cannot give blood if:

"You have received blood or think you may have received blood during the course of any medical treatment or procedure anywhere in the world since 1st January 1980."

Sorry reindeer . I think you already do your bit tbh. Dont feel bad.

Oh bum, I thought there might be a timescale to it.

DD3 is nearly 9, I thoiught I could be back in the game soon.

Mrs DV while I appreciate that you don't agree with what I'm saying, it isn't universalising. Universalising is assuming that your experience applies to everyone, and there's just no way I've done that. Quite the opposite.

Additionally, this thread makes it clear that some people do find it painful. Even if you entirely ignore my contributions, flying in the face of logic as it would to suggest that a person's experiences of blood removal from reluctant veins can't be relevant to other blood removal procedures, other people have said it hurt them when they donated. Nobody is suggesting you should care, but its a fact.

I'm actually trying to help here by the way. You're a more powerful and legitimate advocate for blood donation than me, a person who realistically won't manage it unless something changes in the next few months. I want there to be as much blood as possible. People clearly listen to you. I have. That's why I hope you present your message in the way that's most likely to have an impact. You could tell people why blood donation is worth it even if it hurts, so they can be prepared. And encourage those who can't give blood to be responsible in other ways if possible, eg organ register, placenta donation for stem cell research, consider donating body to medical science.

Thank you for the lecture Flange.

Shame you are not quite so pedantic about the your own posting style.

This thread was an attempt to get more people to donate blood, not a platform for you to share anecdotes about how poorly you got after having a blood test, in doing so misleading others into thinking your experience was related to donating blood.

Thus potentially deterring other posters from dontating themselves.

I am done with this discussion now. It is pointless and irrelevant.

It would be far less so if you had any experience of donation to share. Whilst I wouldnt be particularly happy about someone posting horror stories of vomiting and poorly arms after blood donation (I mean really - what would be the point?) I wouldnt dream of dismissing your claims.

And for goodness sake - do you not think I have done all of those things on your list for the last 7 years?

Many women on this board, like me, will be losing so much blood through peri-menopausal extremely heavy bleeding that we cannot give blood. And by extremely heavy, I mean mooncups overflowing fairly regularly, not able to leave the house some days, having to sit on towels.

It's not uncommon, I have found, through reading posts here.

Mrs DV, the OP of the thread asked why non-phobic people don't donate. People in that category who answer that question aren't going OT. And I'm not lecturing you any more than you have me, or the general population. I don't think misleading people, which you have done, is a good way to achieve your aims. It worries me that people who expect a pain free experience and don't have one might be less likely to donate again than they would be if they'd known what to expect and been able to prepare themselves. This is a guess of course. But so is your idea that people reading me saying it hurts some of us will be put off.

However, I wouldn't want you to stay off a thread on this issue, because your contribution is important. If you want to keep posting and would continue to do so if not for me, just say so and this will be my last word on the thread.

Not phobic, medically capable people, flangelina. I have explained several times as well as putting it in the OP

At what point has any misleading information been put on this thread? I've learnt a lot most of it about how much information people ignore when they're determined to make their point

I donated 25 pints until I had a transfusion in 2004 and again last year. Pees me off that I can't any longer but I lobby family to donate all the time. DH can't, but 18yo dd could....I'm on her case!

OP, the misleading info is the categorical claim that it doesn't hurt. When it clearly does hurt some people, some of whom have shared their experiences in this thread. Of course there's been useful information too. And its inspired me to double check I'm definitely unable to donate, so that's worthwhile.

It doesn't hurt me. It does hurt you. It certainly hurts a fuck of a lot less than watching someone die in protracted agony.

And its a metric shitload more pleasant than getting inked

I tried once, my blood is too sticky or something, they gave up and threw away what they had got. Shame because I am Blood Group A.

I'd like to give blood.

I dont have a phobia of needles but I have a phobia of blood/injury that stops me from being able to give blood.

I have tried to tackle this through CBT but not very successfully. If I ever become free of my phobia i will definitely give blood.