Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Blood donation

355 replies

ImperialPleather · 13/06/2019 19:58

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!

OP posts:
thatwouldbeanecumenicalmatter · 14/06/2019 14:09

Thanks EBearhug - bit embarrassed I'm nearly 40 and have never heard of the phrase to throw a whitey Blush

Tbh the OP's 'I'm alright Jack' attitude is grating but forcing people doesn't sit right with me either. On the plus side hopefully by starting this thread they may have encouraged someone to donate. Years ago I decided to donate on the back of a thread someone started on Moneysavingexpert of all places iirc Grin

SpoonBlender · 14/06/2019 14:10

Eleanor "Replenishing" That's woo woo twaddle, the body cycles through all the blood replacing dead cells/fluids as needed all the time. Taking a pint out doesn't help at all (and nor does a period, which is only half blood by volume which means under 25ml unless you're having a proper bad time).

Damntheman · 14/06/2019 14:13

Huh! I always thought throwing a whitey was white vomit. Today has been a learning day :)

dottiedodah · 14/06/2019 14:15

I think whatever you decide is a personal choice TBH.I have recieved Blood, and given it also.However not many people I know have and I have never even given it any thought!

JellyBaby666 · 14/06/2019 14:15

@Passthecherrycoke Blood donations only last 42 days, and in that time many many people will need them, and some are planned as part of supportive care with various conditions or cancer treatments. If we all rocked up to an NHSBT centre today then they'd be overwhelmed, but given that the text I get saying where my donation went is always within a week or 2, I'd say the donations aren't exactly running low. The point is they need to be topped up regularly and consistently. I couldn't not donate on the basis it might not be needed, it's done me no harm and is unlikely to be wasted but instead be given to someone who needs it.

WhatHaveIFound · 14/06/2019 14:15

I started donating after my FIL died of cancer. Numerous transfusions meant he was able to spend a few more months enjoying his grandchildren.

I'm up to about 28 donations now and determined to try and get to 50. For me it a chance to put my feet up for 30 minutes. I normally go to one of the mobile sessions but my last donation was at the donor centre. Much better selection of biscuits/snacks there!

JeezYouLoon · 14/06/2019 14:20

I've given blood for years on and off, now my health is back on track and no more pregnancies I'm back in the swing of it. They have fabulous biscuits and it's really sociable.

DH is a wuss and can't cope with needles is unable to, it peeves me off as to me it's an easy thing to do & has huge benefits. But we're all different, I'm hoping I can convince my DCs to donate when they get old enough and hope they haven't inherited the wuss gene Wink

GummyGoddess · 14/06/2019 14:41

Surely better to have too much blood and it go to waste than not enough?

yourestandingonmyneck · 14/06/2019 15:19

I think the "if everyone did it there would be too much blood" argument is weak, and that's putting it mildly.

As a pp has pointed out, they need regular donations.

Also, it is predominantly older people who donate. As this generation dies off (or have health problems which means they can't donate) they need new donors to replace them.

That's the long and the short of it, so I don't really have much patience for these weak arguments.

Would love to see the look on these people's faces if they visited a cancer or neonatal ward, or A+E, and saw the recipients who receive the blood that they refuse to give because they "don't want to".

Passthecherrycoke · 14/06/2019 15:24

As a pp has pointed out, they need regular donations.

I don’t understand this- obviously my point was if everyone who could donate did, regularly. Not just once 😭

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 14/06/2019 15:27

Does anybody know why MS patients can't give blood once they've been diagnosed? I'm fit and well, would love to have carried on but I can't give it again. Ever.

Apparently they can use my organs though.

If so, why not my blood? That and the shitty DVLA were the two things that upset me more than anything.

Chouetted · 14/06/2019 15:40

I can't give blood, because my veins are too difficult.

MuddyMoose · 14/06/2019 15:41

I had two blood transfusions which saved my life & allowed my son to still have a mother. I will forever be grateful to those who donated I just wish I could thank them personally. Unfortunately, this now means I can never donate blood.

Solasshole · 14/06/2019 15:42

@Vulpine

Blood does sometimes get wasted but not very often. It's usually due to contamination of the unit, issues with manufacturing, things like that. Most blood donations are used though even if it's just part of it (e.g. red cells from group AB donations isn't very useful but the plasma is very precious). Plasma gets wasted often because sometimes the bags they put it in split upon thawing, they're really fragile when they're frozen so a small bump can split the plastic. Rarely blood will be requested for a patient and picked up but it won't be required and will have to be discarded as it's no longer been temperature controlled.

It's always better to have too many donations than not enough though, for obvious reasons. The shelf life of platelets and red cells is really small but most frozen and fractionated products have shelf life's of a few years so they can stockpile those.

CitadelsofScience · 14/06/2019 15:45

LyingWitchin I think it's because no one really knows what causes autoimmune diseases and then add in the meds we're on.

RedSheep73 · 14/06/2019 15:45

As long as you are happy to die of blood loss, fine. Otherwise, unreasonable. Unless there is a reason why they wouldn't take your blood anyway, which is why I haven't donated recently. But there is really no reason not to if you can, it isn't hard.

Singlebutmarried · 14/06/2019 15:46

I’d love to donate but can’t fit to auto immune disease and having received transfusions in the past.

Not sure about my organs though.

If it can help, they can take it.

I’m very thankful to those who do give blood.

Hecateh · 14/06/2019 15:49

Weirdly, after you have had a blood transfusion you are no longer eligible to give blood.

I donated for nearly 30, had to have a blood transfusion and now am not allowed to.

My exh and my daughter both have tried and faint after - even after lying down for twice as long as normal so no longer do.

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 14/06/2019 15:52

CitadelsofScience, I guess so, I hadn't thought of that really because they said, "You can't give blood anymore but we will have your organs".

I was a bit taken aback, just said, "Can you wait?"'. I should have asked the question then and there.

Rezie · 14/06/2019 15:55

Nobody should be pressured to give blood. But I think a lot of people have not donated because they haven't gotten around to it. These reminders can be kick they need. If not donating is an active choise then I can see the reminders as being annoying

Rezie · 14/06/2019 15:58

Summer is a good time to donate. There is ice cream! Also the sandwiches are good and on Thursdays there are donuts. Lately I've donated at work (hospital) so the snacks are not great.

limitedperiodonly · 14/06/2019 16:21

I can't give blood any more because I had surgery that deems me a CJD risk. I don't think I have latent CJD, but those are the rules. It's not personal. They don't consider me 'dirty', it's just a risk they don't want to take. I could lie and continue to donate to make me feel smug, but why would I want to do that?

People are quite odd though.

I queued to give blood after the Clapham rail crash in 1988 because I worked near a huge donation centre. There were hundreds of people in the queue. It was very heartwarming on a cold day. It had happened about 8am but by about 2pm we were turned away by the director of the centre. She thanked us but said they had all the blood that they could handle and needed to get it processed and sent off. She asked us to come back another time for another donation because regular donations were what really mattered.

Bloody hell, things kicked off in that queue. You'd think some of the people ranting about her 'wasting blood' were actual trauma surgeons rather than drama queens.

Lilylauren98 · 14/06/2019 16:23

I would love to give blood. However - the only time I had a blood test I had a fit so I'm not overly keen on trying again.

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 14/06/2019 16:27

Smug? Does anybody feel that? For me it was just 'obligated and happy to be able to'. I'm genuinely sad that I can't give it anymore.

limitedperiodonly · 14/06/2019 16:27

I am sad that I am no longer eligible because I was really good at giving blood. I don't mean that I used to go regularly, which I did, I mean that I was a champion bleeder.

A nurse remarked on how fast I bled and then, because I am a very competitive person, I kept trying to beat my record by squeezing the little thingy they give you to hold in your hand tighter and tighter.

It was a little while before I thought that in the event of an accident, maybe a propensity for rapid blood loss wasn't such a good thing to have.