How many of you are blood donors?

[mears]

I successfully gave blood today after being knocked back for the past 2 years because of being anaemic (problem now solved due to curing of heavy periods - thankyou Tranexamic Acid).

DS1 who was 17 yrs old last month also went and donated for the first time. DH is also a donor.

The leaflet that came asking us to doates says that only 6% of people in AScotland are donors which is really shocking.

Many of you will not be able to donate because you are pregnant or have babies under 1 year - but do your partners or relations donate?

2 of my babies needed blood transfusions, women sometimes need blood after giving birth. DS's friend needed blood after his operation to remove the tumour from his knee.
I bet we all know of someone who has needed blood. Do the majority of peolpe just take it for granted that it will be there when needed?

Next time you see an advert for blood donors - encourage someone you know even if you can't go yourself.

Aussiesim

I'm the same as you - firstly I have "invisible" veins (nurses in my GPs surgery refuse to take samples, so I end up going to the Blood clinic at the hospital).

The Blood service people don't appear to have problems but it does take me a VERY long time to fill a bag. I see people laying on the tables at the same time as me, then they've had their biscuit and drink and gone - whilst I'm still there with 1/2 bag full!

They never seem annoyed with me though (mind you, hardly our fault is it??) and keep popping back to see "how you're going".

I'll still keep going though - unless they get so fed up with me they tell me to stop. And to top it all, have passed out 3 times - including the last time I went

Dh has been a blood donor for over 10 years and encouraged me to donate blood too. I've had a couple of breaks since then because of pregnancy. I have Rh-neg blood, which I understand is particularly needed.

I would probably donate blood more often if there was some kind of creche facility available for the 30 mins or so that I am there. At the moment I have my turn while dh looks after our 2 boys, and then we swap over. This means that we are there for twice as long as we need to be. The boys get restless - especially ds1 (autistic) and it's very stressful. We don't have anyone to help us with the boys so we have to manage as best we can.

Have they changed the weight limit? I thought it used to be 7.5 stone. I am definitely over 7 stone (and well over 17 )

I've given 20 pints, but none since ds was born. Must get organised. Gave really regularly when I lived in Edinburgh - excellent walk in service, but only once since I moved down South. Daytime sessions aren't any use if you work and the blood centre at Addenbrook's wants your blood, but you have to make an appointment. I'm a SAHM now, but it's too much to juggle parking and 16 month ds and having a needle in my arm at the moment. Hope to start again though, but like Coppertop says, a creche would get me back faster.

Like Jaybee I'm AB as well. I only started giving blood a couple of years ago. An American doctor put me off years ago by saying that you should only donate blood that can be given back to you...ie use your own and no-one elses. Then I decided he was wrong (see organ doner's thread!)but they couldn't get any blood out...that's happened twice, twice it flowed and last time I was aneamic! Still, I have an appointment for next Tuesday - just before Slimming World weigh-in. Surely it's not really cheating

Nome - if you have an outpatient appointment at Addenbrookes you can put your child in the creche - perhaps a blood donor appointment would count?

So what do they do when you donate blood? What actually happens? I'm getting light-headed just reading this - do they get cross if you faint? And I'm AB+ - will they want my blood?

Zerub - the National Blood Transfusion website is very informative it's here

No, they don't get cross if you faint - on the contrary you get loads of expert attention!

just read that bit about wether you are eligible roisin. Why do they ask about dental work??

I'm a donor too - started after dd had surgery and needed donor blood... dh won't go, he's a wuss.

I'm AB+ as well. Thought it was meant to be quite rare - only about 3% of the population.

I'm ashamed to say I've never given blood. Serious question. Presumably they test for HIV. Do they give you counselling before you donate? If you were found to be HIV+ would you just get a letter saying sorry, you can't give you have HIV? I've never volunteered to have an HIV test but giving blood would be doing just that. I'm one of these high anxiety/low risk people about HIV I'm afraid.

I wanted to,but was told by friends that as I am O RH Negative,that my blood wouldn't be any good.

I rang the Blood Transfusion Service to check,as it didn't make sense to me-surely it isn't that uncommon?They were very vague,but when pressed,said that there wasn't much point in my donating as the blood would probably 'go off' before a recipient needed it.

I felt a bit let down,as I had wanted to donate.Can anyone shed any light on whether what I was told was right?

I can't give blood because of the medication I take.

Tinker, I think if there are any problems they pass your results to your GP who then gets in touch. You probably had an HIV test during pregnancy, anyway?! They're part of the routine package now.

I thought that O neg was the most useful because it was the only type that everyone could receive and therefore useful for emergencies when there was no time to check the patient's blood-type.

Thanks geekgrrl. Last time I was pregnant HIV tests were all anonymous so I'd never know.

The Blood Service site is good! (thanks Roisin) They have a page that shows how many days stock of each blood type they've got at the moment. Looks like they do need O neg - they've got 3,905 (pints I assume) and thats going to last 5 days.

Mirage - that sounds like duff info to me: O neg is the most valuable type. Give them a ring and make an appt to go in your area. The number to ring is 0845 7711 711 ... but they are very busy tonight (I've phoned twice) ... I think Mears has got everyone calling, so maybe try tomorrow?!

coppertop, you're right, O neg is the universal donor'. It's also a fairly rare blood group. Tinker, AB+ is also fairly rare, but AB+ blood can only be given to someone who is also AB+. However, you're in the lucky position of being the universal recipient' which means that you can safely be given blood of any other blood group (us unfortunate O negs can only receive O neg blood).

Mears - WELL DONE! I haven't checked through how many people you've motivated today, but quite a few by the sounds of things.

Thanks to you dh and I (lapsed donors) have made appointments to go and donate again.

I know gingernut Remembered that from O level Biology.

Just had a look at the link and it says the weight limit is 7 stone 12 (50kg).

Mirage

As others have said, that information is totally incorrect!!

I'm O Rh Neg myself and they LOVE my blood - being the "universal" donor means that O Neg can be given to everyone and it's usually the type that's called upon when anyone needs it in A&E - at least until they've had the chance to establish the blood group of the recipient!

I get phone calls/reminder letters to "remind" me to attend - they're always crying out for O Neg.

I've always been told I can't give blood (I'm normally 7.5 stone when I'm not preggers), but I would just like to say as a recipient of a highly useful and superb blood product this month (VZIG) thank you to those who do donate.

I used to give blood, but here in Spain they don't want nasty contaminated British blood.

They won't take mine because I take immunosupressants. I was very very grateful to all blood donors when I needed 10 litres after my post partum haemorrage.