WIBU to not give blood this time?

[OMGithurts]

I am a regular donor, booked in for Thursday. My DC have been ill (chicken pox, d&v) and now they have colds. I have had what I would normally call a cold but I have been running a higher than normal temp (not fever but a good 1 - 1.5°c up on my normal), sore lungs, hacking cough as well as normal cold symptoms. Tbh I have felt fairly dreadful, I just walked to Tesco and back and need a lie down. If I go by the guidelines for donating with a cold, I should be ok on Thursday, but if this was a viral chest infection, then the guidance is to wait 2 weeks. I don't want to make an ill person sicker, but donation sessions are hard to come by especially whilst working and looking after small children, and I'm O- so in demand.

Don’t. They probably wouldn’t be able to use your blood anyway due to too many white cells if you have any sort of infection.

No, no, no. For your own health. All fine if you are fighting fit but if not this could majorly set you back. Get well soon.

Definitely leave it this time. You aren't well enough to donate and your precious gift would only end up being binned.

Definitely wait - otherwise it’s only going to make you feel worse for longer and the donation could potentially be discarded depending on what antibodies are in your blood.

no , they would probably not let you give blood anyway. they have a duty of care to the donor as well as the recipient

Leave it this time. Someone will walk in off the street and take your place.

I’m O neg and don’t donate. I have some weird neurology type stuff going on that relapses and remits, undiagnosed. My medical record would look fine for me to donate, but I don’t want to pass this awful undiagnosed syndrome type thing onto someone else.

There will be other times to donate in the near future when your virus has gone.

Ah balls, what a pain to miss out for a fucking cold (albeit a fairly shitty one).

I never even thought about it making me feel worse!

Just go online to the Blood website and rebook for a few weeks time.

The next session locally is mid April

Ah balls, what a pain to miss out for a fucking cold (albeit a fairly shitty one).

I was stopped from donating due to a broken finger. The swelling meant I would have too many white blood cells for the blood to be able to be used. They said they could take it if I wanted them to, but it would end up in the bin.

Don't give it this time, just book for the next date. I was meant to in Jan but I have been having ongoing dental treatment now for a few weeks so I had to cancel and rebook.

They told me no donation is ever wasted they use them for research so I don’t think they end up ‘in the bin’. Although that is the Scottish blood transfusion service so maybe different elsewhere. I always get asked ‘are you feeling fit and well?’ If you can’t say yes then you can’t donate.

They do ask if you have been around infectious diseases so may not let you donate anyway because of the chicken pox exposure. You could always ring them for a check?

Please ring the blood service helpline and get advice from them. They are very helpful.