Blood donation

[ImperialPleather]

I’m so fed up of being told to donate blood? It’s happened 3 times in the past week I’ve been shamed for not giving blood.

I have no good reason to not give it other than I don’t want to but given I have bodily autonamy AIBU to think it’s no ones damn business?

It’s amazing some people give so well done to those who do!

The gift of blood is amazing. I’m O- so very important that I donate my blood. Please anyone considering giving blood, please do.

This is in the news today - Contaminated blood: What caused the NHS scandal?

i read It is good for men to donate, so they can replenish their blood, with periods women dont need to.
although i guess menopausal women benefit.

I nearly always react badly (anxiety, nausea, light-headed/fainting) but have the rare Ro subtype blood which is used for sickle-cell treatment so the NHS is crying out for it.
I told the appointment line operator that the nurses suggested I stopped donating and he said the nurses can't stop you donating if you're eligible and don't mind feeling like crap. Basically, because it's in such demand it's worth taking up more of the nurses time in order to get a pint.
If it wasn't for the subtype then I'd have quit on my second donation because I hate it, but then I think about what those little kids are going through with sickle-cell disease and think that the crushing embarrassment of being a snowflake in front of all the other donors is a price worth paying.
I love it when the text message comes through telling me my blood has gone to University College Hospital - they have a sickle-cell treatment clinic so I get to imagine someone walking out of the door with another few months of pain-free living!

Last donation my blood went to Royal Marsden which made my day

Blooto I don't know you but I

I want to give blood but I'm not allowed as I don't weigh enough. I wonder if they could take half a pint instead.

I'd like to donate. I'm outside the UK though now so not allowed to. I'm O as well. I presume I couldn't donate bone marrow either?

Yep just looked it up in Australia.

does not exclude donors based on UK residency, donors are recruited through the Blood Service which does exclude people who lived in the UK between 1980 and 1996 for a cumulative period of 6 months or more.

I love getting the texts saying where and when your blood was used

@Blooto I have the Ro subtype too, and a husband with Sickle Cell. I hate needles and have really deep veins so it is nearly always painful, but it is always worth it in the end . I started because of my husband if I'm honest, just happened to have the subtype, and I don't carry any traits.

My blood always goes to inner/north London hospitals. It hasn't yet gone to the hospital my husband gets treated at, but it goes to Homerton a lot!

The Seabrook crisps are the highlight of the day for me

I am a regular donor.
My DH died of leukaemia just before his 29th birthday.

In his 5 year battle he had endless life saving and life prolonging blood donations for which I am forever grateful.

I have seen the other side and I donate as regularly as I am allowed.
I love the text saying where the blood goes but agree with PP's-can be hard to get an appointment and they don't make it easy but it's worth the effort. And I love

My mum was telling me the donation used to come to her place of work (70s?). I wonder if they still do that sort of thing now, I think they'd maybe get more donors that way, as it wouldn't take up as much of people's time.

Body autonomy is your reason? Well you should feel ashamed in this case; that will be why being "asked" feels like being "shamed".

I hope you make it known that in the event of an accident/illness requiring a blood transfusion, you will not accept one.

Or would you be happy to just take take take and not give?

Honestly, give yourself a shake. People are dying, they need blood. And you're giving it "oooh, body autonomy, body autonomy, it's my blood, I don't want to!"

Well done, good for you.

That’s a bit of an aggressive statement though yourestandingonmyneck because there is plenty of blood. They will tell you if they’re in short supply. Instead they’re generally very open about how fussy they can afford to be in this country with the blood they take due to the amount available. There is no need for everyone to donate, to be honest.

I think if you have a big enough work location with suitable facilities, they can arrange visits to work sites. We've asked for it here, but security say it would be too difficult to organise, and what if US managers came over at short notice and wanted to use the main conference suite (which is the obvious ideal space.) But they do go to a nearby business park, I think.

@Passthecherrycoke, no, there is no need for everybody to donate, agreed, but I dislike selfishness covered up with flimsy reasons.

I think the OP is selfish and I've said so. I believe the suspects as much herself and that is why she has has posted, looking for people to tell her it's ok to be selfish.

But how is it selfish? It’s her blood.

I’m too small to give blood (weight wise) and I’ve definitely felt judged in the past

I had the opposite this week - I was talking about it to someone and she was surprised I was heavy enough to donate. I am about a stone over the weight limit!! And nobody but nobody at a session has ever asked me how much I weigh! I clearly look fat enough to do it most of the time :)

I used to give blood regularly, up until I gave birth to my son 20 years ago. I developed HELPP syndrome and needed a transfusion of platelets. The rules are that if you have received a transfusion since 1980, you can no longer give blood, as a precautionary measure, in case you have variant-CJD.

I find it a bit ironic, but mostly frustrating, that I can no longer donate for this reason!

I agree with standing on neck. If you can you should. Don't get the body autonomy nonsense

“If you can you should.”

But they don’t need all the blood from anyone who can. It would just be wasted

Pretty sure they don't waste blood. I'm always getting emails saying they are running low of my blood type. Maybe op's blood is one that is needed more but I guess she'll never know.

@Passthecherrycoke but what if everybody took that attitude? Then there would be no blood for people who needed it.

Also, there are many posts further up from people who work in healthcare clearly recounting situations where there isn't enough blood to go around and people have to be triaged to determine who gets it. Can you imagine being in that situation? Either being the person who has to decide who receives life saving blood; being the person in need of blood; or watching a family member who desperately needs blood and can't get it?

And as regards "how is it selfish? It's her blood?" - that's exactly how it is selfish. Nobody is denying it is her blood. Of course it is. But not giving help to those in need, when you have something that can help them, and have no reason other than you "don't want to" - how can that be anything but selfish

They would waste blood if everyone who could donate rocked up and started donating one day though. They’d have far too much.

Amazing that you’re always getting emails saying they’re short of blood really.