Donating Blood

[woopsadaisy]

I have recieved more than my fair share of blood when i was a baby

i would like to donate but because ive had aml

(acute myloid luekemia (sp)dont think i can

is there anything else i could do??

I'm kind of in the same boat. I had 6 units last year after a serious pph & would love to give blood after the year is up but can't as you are disqualified from donating if you've had a transfusion after 1980. Typical isn't it? You finally realise (in no uncertain terms) how important it is to give blood only to discover you're not allowed.

I had to stop donating because I'd had a transfusion (possibly - oddly they can't confirm either way) I was on the bone marrow list too.

You can sign up for organ donation. I think they assess the risk of your medical history to the receiver at the time of donation.

Also nag everyone else to sign up on the register and to give blood. dh started to give blood more often after I stopped and is now a platelet donor

i tired to ring the helpline but there was a scottish bloke and i couldnt undersatnd a word and they were talking really quietly so just ened up haning up

(woops)

i think its because they didnt screen for hepatitus etc, but cant they just screen now??
ive had loads of blood tests so they should no if i have got it or not!!

not sure about organs (would love to) but went through renal failure and liver (or kidney, cant remember) nearly packed up a couple of times
also have had bone marrow transplant

and i have one of the rarer blood types (cant remeber what it is, and they wont tell me or anyone over the phone - not even midwife when pregnant

It's because of CJD - they don't know if it's passed on in transfusions & there's no blood test for it (I emailed the website & asked).

It's mad though. I don't see how anyone who has had a transfusion is more at risk than someone whose diet contains a lot of red meat for example. Plus, if they don't know whether it's passed on in bodily fluids, how do they know it's not sexually transmitted?

And woopsadaisy - ah cannae believe ye couldnae unnerstaund a Scottish laddie!

(I'm Scottish btw )