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Original poster

In appreciation of all you lovely blood donors

55 replies

EightToSixer · 19/08/2011 20:32

Hi. I just wanted to start a thread to thank those of you who are able to, and who do donate blood regularly.
Last week I was diagnosed with severe anaemia that was so bad I was admitted to hospital and given three units of blood.
Once I got over the eebie-geebies about other people's fluids going into my arm I was overwhelmed that three people had taken an hour or so out of their days, a scratch of pain and sore arm in order that I could get better.
Obviously I'll never know whose blood I had, but if any of you donate, I want yo say a massive thank you from the depth of my red blood cells and bottom of my (no longer palpitating) heart for your generosity. DH, DD, DS and I are all really appreciative of you.
Thank you x

OP posts:

WorzselMummage · 19/08/2011 20:34

You saved my premature sons life. I salute you!

OddBoots · 19/08/2011 20:37

Aww bless you, I'm glad you are feeling better.

This thread is going to make me cry, I have been a regular donor but found out recently they no longer want me, dh will still give regularly and my children both want to in a few years though.

Original poster

EightToSixer · 19/08/2011 20:42

That's lovely Worzel. Lovely to hear positive stories.

OddBoots - they will no longer want me now, but DH has donated his bone marrow and donates blood e ery 6 months at work, so is flying the altruistic flag for our family :)

OP posts:

violetwellies · 19/08/2011 20:43

Thanks from me & ds, I received rather a lot following a Cesarean/ hemorrhage and unscheduled hysterectomy, without it dp would have been a single parent. I owe you my life you very generous people.

GeraldineAubergine · 19/08/2011 20:46

I would also like to thank the eight people who helped me out of the horror that is pph. As a sidenote how amazing does blood make you feel as soon as you have had it? (or maybe that was just me :) )

wasabipeanut · 19/08/2011 20:50

You're very welcome, although if I stay on here I will start snivelling. I started donating after finding out when pg with DS that I was O neg - universal donor group. I felt I had a duty to really. One day it will be one of mine that may need it.

headfairy · 19/08/2011 20:54

You're welcome :)

If you got the pint I gave last week you might have got a bit of the champers I had the night before for dh's birthday :o

It was my first time giving so I was quite nervous. Actually it took less than an hour, probably 45 mins (because I was a first timer and I had to be screened for something), and the pain was really minimal. Didn't hurt afterwards either. I would urge anyone who's worried about donating to do it. Seriously, having babies hurts much much more, giving blood is a doddle!

Iamseeingstars · 19/08/2011 22:07

I also want to say thank you and please spread the word around to get all your friends family colleagues acquantaintances to donate.

But please also consider being a bone marrow donor. This is as equally important. Sadly most people only donate or get tested to support one person they know and dont want to be on the register to help someone else in the world.

Your blood and bone marrow does save lives.

I am being kept alive by blood transfusions. Without these I will die within weeks.

However, if you have a cold, please delay donating, because the cold germs can stay in the blood and pass on to the recipient (a doctor told me this because I keep getting colds after transfusions)

ripstheirthroatoutliveupstairs · 20/08/2011 06:44

If any of you are B+, you'll probably have had mine.
I donated for the first time last week for 7 years. I was unable to give in Switzerland or Belgium because it was virtually a certainty that I had vCJD .

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 20/08/2011 07:33

Thank you for sharing, I try and donate as often as I can, I am grateful that my health is generally good enough when many are less fortunate also you neve know what is round the corner. It's nice to hear so many success stories. A good point about the colds though, you kind of feel the same as you do about going to work with one, that you feel well eniugh and should go anyway, easy to lose sight of the fact that by definition the recipient will be less well placed to deal with a cold.

Clarence15 · 20/08/2011 08:12

I used to donate quite frequently but haven't done it for years. This thread has made me book an appointment so I'll be off to give my pint in a few weeks. I hope it'll help someone. Glad you're ok OP

GwendolineMaryLacey · 20/08/2011 08:45

And the thing is, it's so easy to donate. I didn't for years, then Shen j had dd I got used to blood tests and have donated since. It really is not a shred of hassle. I pester everyone now :o

I haven't looked into bone marrow. I suspect as I'm pg that'll be on hd too but I will do some research.

Iamseeingstars · 20/08/2011 09:36

Whoknowswhere..... I have got a stinker of a cold after last transfusion and I am really really unwell at the moment. Nurse said that donor must have had a cold.

The other thing that I didnt realise is, we here talk about getting one, two, three units etc., but each unit volume is different, depending on how much the donor gives. There isnt a set amount in each bag. Some weeks I get a lot of blood, and others much less, but always same amount of bags.

beautifulgirls · 20/08/2011 13:37

Here here - DD#3 was seriously ill in June and had two blood transfusions and several platelet transfusions too. She is sitting next to me full of life now (despite some ongoing issues) and we are very lucky to have her still alive. Thank you blood donors.

notcitrus · 20/08/2011 14:45

Thank you so much to the eighty donors who saved my friend's life earlier this summer after she gave birth.
It shows that evey donation is vital.

I haven't been able to donate for ages thanks to being pregnant etc but hope to again next year. I tried signing up for bone marrow donation once and was told they wouldn't add me to the register as they were low on resources and only typing people of Afro-Caribbean origin who were underrepresented on the register. Anyone know if that has changed?

Iamseeingstars · 20/08/2011 21:59

Notcitrus. I know that donors from the non white non European countries are very low, yet these people get sick just as easily as Europeans. You could contact Anthony Nolan Trust for an update. I would be surprised if they are not taking people on, because their website is always appealing for more donors.

A lot of people believe it is too painful and dont want to go through the pain, yet a little pain for a week can save a life, irrespective of whether you personally know them or not. Marrow donation is more painful than donating blood but it will not harm or maim you.

I would like to make more people aware that donating marrow is equally as important. You might be that one donor in the world that could save someone.

I believe you need to be between 18-40 to register, but the younger you are the better so that you stay on the register for longer, because it is very expensive just to do the tests and set you up on the system.

Himalayanbalsam · 20/08/2011 22:04

Thanks OP - I gave blood for the first time a few weeks ago. It was SO much easier than I thought it would be. Maybe you got mine - v good stuff

cyanarasamba · 20/08/2011 22:07

My DD (10 months) needs a blood transfusion every month just to survive. I wish I could thank each donor in person. They have all done something truly amazing.

Iamseeingstars · 20/08/2011 22:11

Hi Cyan... My thoughts are with you. It is hard to believe from the outside that a bit of blood can make such a difference. There is a huge change in me between the before and after and people are quite shocked at the transformation.
And I find that no one really believes that it is the blood transfusion that is making such a difference.

Clary · 20/08/2011 22:14

These are great stories to hear.

I have recently started giving blood again after a lapse of many years (partly due to anaemia issues that are now all sorted).

I too would urge everyone to tell people that it doens't take long, it doesn't hurt and you get free biccies too! Please donate!

Graciescotland · 20/08/2011 22:23

If anyone is interested they hide the best biscuits in the back with the platelet donors, please donate if you can www.blood.co.uk/platelets/whocandonate/

notcitrus · 21/08/2011 13:07

seeingstars - thank you for the info - I will investigate after I give birth, though will be pushing 40 so they might not be interested in me! Though I'd be happy to put up posters in local shops etc.

Cheria · 21/08/2011 13:18

Couple of weeks after DD was born my stomach haemorraged for reasons unrelated to the pregnancy. Over the next two weeks I died, had life saving surgery and received over 20 packs of blood. Thanks to blood and platelet donors my daughter has a mother, and my husband has a wife.

I repeat the appeal to all to donate blood.

ChippingIn · 21/08/2011 13:39

Thank you, for your thank you It's funny hearing about it from the other side - nice in a way, but I wish no one needed the blood.

I give blood every 3 months - I just book the next one when I'm there. I want to do it while I can.

I have small and difficult veins to access and it hurts - it hurts for the time it takes (much longer than others who all come and go while I'm there!) and for a few days after - but compared to the pain that someone would go through if they couldn't get the blood they need - it's nothing. I have to pretend it doesn't hurt a jot while I am there or they wont let me do it - I don't know why? Surely it should be my choice?

I can't give bone marrow or I would.

noarguments · 22/08/2011 13:48

Sadly I have been told not to donate again - I think because of repeatedly failing the initial thumbprick test (I get low in iron now and again).
I'd not thought about bone marrow donation - will the iron levels and generally rubbish veins be an issue again, does anyone know?

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