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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to remind people about donating blood?

205 replies

MLMshouldbeillegal · 06/11/2021 10:14

Gave blood this week at a community session near my house. The nurse who chatted to me as my blood was being taken was saying how much the pandemic has impacted them - no walk ins, everyone has to make an appointment, if people don't/can't turn up after booking that's a slot lost, numbers are down because people are avoiding being around other people.

So if you can - and I know not everyone can - please consider signing up as a donor or going back to being a donor if you did in the past and haven't been in a while.

OP posts:
anon12345678901 · 06/11/2021 21:42

Thank you OP for sharing this.
I'm unable to give blood after 3 transfusions, but am so grateful to everyone who does.

amicissimma · 06/11/2021 22:04

I've given blood twice a year since the 1970s. Just got another 5 donations badge! I was considering stopping as I was getting fed up with them making it so hard to make an appointment, then repeatedly turning up late - after the first appointment - and setting up very slowly, with lots of chat among themselves. Then, when I was eventually seen I was treated as if I should be grateful to them for so graciously relieving me of my blood.

But when Covid struck I heard they needed donors so I went through the hoops and booked an appointment. What a change! The place was full of lovely cheery, welcoming staff. I asked one of the nurses who all the staff were and she said they'd had an influx of airline cabin crew who were grounded by the pandemic. I hope they stay.

I tend towards anaemia so can't give frequently enough to make my next appointment at the last one, which means I struggle to find something practical. But I've donated several times during the pandemic and found it much better than it used to be although I miss the tea. I was also less than impressed by getting a phone call the very day after my last donation telling me I hadn't donated for a while, would I make an appointment for that week.

OpposableThumbs2 · 06/11/2021 22:09

Yet another O- here that can't donate. I am allergic to the antiseptic they use and they won't use anything different to allow me to donate.

TheFormidableMrsC · 07/11/2021 00:45

I would have liked to donate blood. Prevented years ago because I had a pill induced pulmonary embolism. Latterly I've had breast cancer. They don't want my blood understandably 😬

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 07/11/2021 00:51

I wish I could give blood

I’m not allowed because of a medication i take. It’s a shame as it would be safe still for everyone but pregnant women, but I guess they can’t start separating it up?

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 07/11/2021 00:51

I’m mot as good as an O- but I’m an A - which is quite in demand

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 07/11/2021 00:54

My son is O- and I’ll definitely encourage him to donate when he’s old enough!

Maverickess · 07/11/2021 01:11

I've always regularly donated blood, except when medical issues/pregnancy meant I couldn't. The sessions weren't exactly local but I was ok with traveling a bit to get to one, but the sessions they're sending me now are about 30 miles away in an obscure location, I thought maybe there was a mistake with my postcode because it's not even one of the local towns but a village, but no, a search on the site showed that it was the closest one to me, and there were two sessions planned in a 12 month period last time I looked.
If they need donated blood they kinda need to make it possible to actually donate it......... I'd happily continue to if I could.

FakingMemories · 07/11/2021 05:29

@shinyblackdog I don’t live in the UK

FakingMemories · 07/11/2021 05:31

@TheOrigRights yes, I’m ineligible in the country I live in (not the UK)

ElftonWednesday · 07/11/2021 05:47

I've done 15 donations, would have been a couple more but at least three donation appointments were cancelled at their end due to Covid in the last two years. Then I cancelled the last one because I didn't feel well enough. Then it's months to wait until the next one as the appointments are all so booked up in advance. As a busy person I do stick to appointments but it's also hard to predict what will be happening in three months' time.

Also when DDs were small I and I was wfh all the time would have had no problem with an appointment between 9.30am and 2.30pm but they were always between 2.30pm and 7pm which was school pick up, after school activites and bedtime so there were several years when I couldn't go at all.

DramaLlllama · 07/11/2021 06:43

I’ve tried…and tried! I cannot get an appointment! All the free appts were for times like 2pm in the afternoon on a Wednesday. I’m at work….

Checked the available appts locally up to March next year. Nothing.

iloveeverykindofcat · 07/11/2021 06:44

I tried but they wouldn't take it because I was below the weight limit and technically underweight according to BMI....but I'm perfectly healthy, as confirmed by recent blood tests! I have regular periods, work out, eat healthy...I'm just small framed, and take after the Arab side of my family so I think the BMI range should be lower for us anyway. I thought maybe its to do with body size rather than health...like...if your smaller you have less blood overall...but then surely you need less in your body?! Makes no sense.

Harveypuss · 07/11/2021 09:10

I used to donate regularly until a few years ago but have been unable to find an appointment anywhere near me for over year, even prior to Covid, but my husband has no problems at all and is regularly contacted to donate. He asked the nurses at his last session why this would be.

Transpires the blood donation website is set up to make appointments more readily available for the blood types it currently needs. I am AB+ and my blood group is considered universal recipient, so it isn't really in demand, whereas my husband is blood group A+, which is much more sought after. This is why I can't get an appointment. I do keep looking at the blood service website periodically and hope I can donate again at some point.

sueelleker · 07/11/2021 09:22

@Frannyhy

After my 91st donation this week, they’ve retired me. The scar tissue is so thick on my right arm that the nurses can’t get a needle through it. The vein on my left arm is too deep and they’ve never been able to use it.

An O- donor gone.

I've had a similar problem-I didn't notice the scarring until they stopped using local anaesthetic, then it got too b**y painful! I've switched arms, but it takes them longer to find the vein. I've given 108 times so far.
EvilRingahBitch · 07/11/2021 09:46

@iloveeverykindofcat

I tried but they wouldn't take it because I was below the weight limit and technically underweight according to BMI....but I'm perfectly healthy, as confirmed by recent blood tests! I have regular periods, work out, eat healthy...I'm just small framed, and take after the Arab side of my family so I think the BMI range should be lower for us anyway. I thought maybe its to do with body size rather than health...like...if your smaller you have less blood overall...but then surely you need less in your body?! Makes no sense.
Yes I think it's sheer body size. They have to take the same quantity of blood from everyone because it's a standardised process. If you're a huge bloke then one unit will be a very small proportion of the blood in your body and you'll hardly notice it being gone. But if you're petite then that single unit is a sufficiently high proportion of your blood that you're more likely to suffer ill-effects from its loss. Below a certain body size they won't take that risk.
iloveeverykindofcat · 07/11/2021 10:33

You'd think they'd do an option to do a half unit wouldn't you? Then just combine it with a half unit from another person of the same blood type.

EvilRingahBitch · 07/11/2021 10:41

All blood transfusions carry risks, which is why we use so much less nowadays than we used to. Receiving two half units from different people would increase the risk over receiving a single unit from a single person, as well as needing to set up a whole new process, just to enable the very small number of adults who are are under the minimum weight limit to give blood.

BeaLola · 07/11/2021 11:09

I would love to revive blood but I had a blood transfusion in 2919 for iron deficiency anaemia and that rules me out sadly

BeaLola · 07/11/2021 11:09

@BeaLola

I would love to revive blood but I had a blood transfusion in 2919 for iron deficiency anaemia and that rules me out sadly
Autocorrect ! Regive
madmomma · 07/11/2021 11:25

I donate blood, and I couldn't care less if staff are rude or appointments get cancelled. You don't donate for the staff do you, and if you want to give, you'll wait for a new appointment. We'd be a bit stuck if everyone looked for petty reasons not to.

Thelnebriati · 07/11/2021 11:45

I can't donate to the central bank because I had a blood transfusion, but I would like to be able to donate for my own use.

EatSleepRantRepeat · 07/11/2021 11:45

I'd love to, but I received blood about 4 years ago so I'm not allowed to. It's quite frustrating really - the blood I received was screened by the same blood bank service so I don't know why I'm suddenly more a risk than some random off the street.

EvilRingahBitch · 07/11/2021 12:05

It's because they can't screen for vCJD EatSleepRantRepeat.

RagzReturnsRebooted · 07/11/2021 12:07

I can never get an appointment at ours, as soon as I get the email I log on but usually only daytime slots left. I have to book 4 months in advance to get a slot and I don't always remember.

Last time I was turned away due to potential recent exposure to infectious illness, I'm a nurse so that happens quite a lot!