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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:
TalkinPeace2 · 08/02/2012 22:43

I have no problem with needles - when I was preg they used to take vial after vial from me to callibrate the machines
BUT
I cannot give blood due to very odd levels of uric acid that the nurses admit would nadger up whole batches.

Original poster
PurplePidjin · 08/02/2012 22:44

oikopolis, please can you pass the mind bleach?

OP posts:
IUseTooMuchKitchenRoll · 08/02/2012 22:44

Mind bleach needed over here too!

oikopolis · 08/02/2012 22:45

hahahaha

i remember Germaine Greer saying in one of her books that the test of whether you're ok with your body as a woman (or something) is whether you'll lick menstrual blood off your finger without boaking.

I thought "God i'm great me" when i read that

IUseTooMuchKitchenRoll · 08/02/2012 22:46

Germaine Greer talks crap then! Grin

NunWithADirtyHabbit · 08/02/2012 22:51

I have HA and can not bring myself to give blood - i am not scared of needles

IUseTooMuchKitchenRoll · 08/02/2012 22:52

What's HA?

IDoNotLIKEFun · 08/02/2012 22:56

Kayano needle -phobia, great. Now we know what do we do? Do we not give life-saving blood-products?

AuntingCarse · 08/02/2012 22:57

That's the thing that fucks me off the most you know; I would not be alive today if I had not received blood when I had my DS 15½ years ago, and again when I had my DD3 almost three years ago, and a few times between the two. My DS would absolutely not be alive either, without his transfusions between 0 and 24 months, and nor would my DD2 with hers (ongoing) over the past 17 years.

That's three of us (well, four really, DD3 would not be here if I'd not had mine) that are here, alive and mostly well, thanks to transfusions. Yet we are unable to return the life saving good that others have done for us. Sad

My oldest DD is now 18 and she has just given blood for the first time. She will carry on as long as she is able to.

IDoNotLIKEFun · 08/02/2012 23:06

I have tasted my menstrual blood. Why would you not? It's lovely and sweet, as it happens Grin

Anyway. Give fucking blood if you cunting well can, you naice ladies.

NunWithADirtyHabbit · 08/02/2012 23:11

Sorry IUse HA is Health Anxiety - I am convinced that if they have my blood they will find out I am dying from some disease (and no I am not joking) - it is shitty and makes me feel like crap

iceandsliceplease · 08/02/2012 23:12

Thank you, OP, you've finally shamed me into organising it! I've always wanted to, and felt I should (I'm RhNeg, and O-), but the only sessions were too far away, wrong time etc etc... just looked and there's a session next week. In the school over the road. I only have to cross the road to do it. The session runs until 19:00, so I can go when DP gets back from work.

If anyone wants to publicly guilt trip me on here to ensure I go, it's on 16th Feb. In fact, if you want to give blood, but are nervous, guilt trip me here and I promise I will tell you all about losing my blood virginity. I've done the usual blood tests, and don't have a phobia, but I will be honest about it.

TheSecondComing · 08/02/2012 23:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

KD0706 · 08/02/2012 23:16

I acknowledge that a lot of people could give blood but don't. But I'm not convinced by the statistics - how do they calculate how many people are 'medically capable' if donating.

I've been rejected because I had a cold - so presumably in the winter a heck of a lot of people are unable to give blood.
I've also been rejected because I had an outstanding hospital appointment - I was told that if you're waiting to be seen by the hospital for any reason you can't donate. So are the statistics taking into account every person in a hospital waiting list as being incapable of donating.

My friend can't ever donate as her DH in his youth injected drugs. Again, is this taken into account - I would doubt it.

I completely accept they have to be careful, but I do think there are so many hoops you have to jump through to have your blood accepted, that the stats probably over estimate the amount of people whose blood would be accepted.

DilysPrice · 08/02/2012 23:22

Of the people I know I'd say the majority can't give - too thin, too pregnant, too gay, too African, back surgery, exotic holidays, transfusions, blood pressure medication, business trips to the states.....
I am almost unique in having no long term couldn't give last time because they were running half an hour late which wouldn't allow me enough time to do the school run, rescheduled for today but then got norovirus. By the time I actually get to donate again it'll have been over 6 months between donations - which is a problem since those calories are a vital part of my weight-maintenance routine

DilysPrice · 08/02/2012 23:24

...in having no longterm disqualifications ...

Strawbezza · 08/02/2012 23:26

Glad I have read this thread. I've given blood about 25 times, but on my last visit (Jan 2010) I was told my iron levels were dangerously low. That led to me having a hysterectomy in Apr 2010 (anaemia was due to constant heavy bleeding), and they said I could give blood again within a year. Just realised that year was up in Apr 2011 and I haven't been back!

SlinkingOutsideInFrocks · 08/02/2012 23:27

I was in the 'could but can't be arsed' camp until after MrsDeVere posted a thread on here a few weeks back, so went along and gave blood for the first time 3 weeks ago.

It was great! They were so, so grateful and the whole experience was lovely. I have nice, visible, easily accessible veins and am healthy and able. Barely needed to sit down afterwards and would never have known I'd given blood if not for the needle going in, I felt so normal during and afterwards - as I say, a prime candidate for donating. They called up a few days later to make sure I was OK and to answer any questions and truly couldn't have been nicer (am not in the UK).

I have enquired about giving platelets (and plasma) as my Mum had many, many platelet infusions when she was ill with a blood-clotting disorder, and you can give those more regularly, so I'm signing up.

I needed the shove, and hopefully this thread has the same effect on even one or two people. :)

Backtobedlam · 08/02/2012 23:36

Same for me Slinkingoutsideinfrocks...meant to give blood for ages but had not got round to it. Went for the first time after reading a post on here and it was surprisingly easy! Will now be a regular donor, and hopefully a bit more relaxed about it next time.

Keep raising awareness and posting about giving blood, it does work, and if every post encourages only one or two people to start giving regularly you will have made a difference.

messymammy · 08/02/2012 23:37

Yes, I agree. I'm always nagging dp to it, I feel it's important, a "social obligation". You can be sure that most people (without religious objection) would jump at the chance for a transfusion if it was neccessary. I also bet they would get over their needle phobia in a second

FarloRigel · 08/02/2012 23:44

Can I just say a massive thank you to everyone here who has donated? My 5yo DD is only alive today due to 21 transfusions she needed following her diagnosis with leukaemia. It's people like her, I'm afraid, and thousands of other cancer sufferers on chemotherapy who receive multiple transfusions whilst fighting for their lives with almost no immune system left after the ravages of chemo on their bone marrow who cause the blood transfusion service to be so careful whose blood they take. You may have an infectious disease that is a mild sniffle to you, but it could be fatal to a chemo patient. I know cancer-survivor kids who have had over fifty transfusions, and they are only alive and getting to grow up today because so many people give, and because the restrictions are so careful. So, to all those wonderful blood donors out there, thank you so much for giving me the last two years with my beautiful girl. I could never tell you how much it means.

musicposy · 08/02/2012 23:59

I suppose they have to be careful but I wish they would let more people donate.

I gave blood for years but then I had to go on thyroxine (which I've been on for a long time now) and when I went along they said no. Sad I'm not sure why this affects it as it is only a replacement hormone. As I am rhesus negative A, I'm quite a rare blood group so it would be good if I could donate again.

joanofarchitrave · 09/02/2012 00:11

I've done it a fair bit in the past. Always find it a royal pain and am sure that I'm a pain too as I request an anaesthetic every time since a doctor with extremely heavy hands gave me a socking bruise in the elbow trying to get in. Have been lazy since ds was around as the only time I went when he was small they were distinctly Hmm and certainly didn't try to help keep an eye on him (no real reason why they should I suppose, i was just surprised). I've only been once since.

FarloRigel · 09/02/2012 00:12

I'm on thyroxine too but they still take mine; you're allowed to give again (in Scotland anyway) as soon as you've been on a stable dose for six months. If your dose keeps changing they won't take it. You should maybe phone them and see what they're saying now?

musicposy · 09/02/2012 00:30

My dose keeps on changing, the wretched GPs can't seem to get it right but won't refer me to the hospital where I used to be until they got it sorted and signed me off. Sad

Mind you, I have had periods of stability in the past and I'm sure I will again in the future - I will definitely go back and ask as soon as that's the case. Because they said no once I assumed they never would.

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