If You Have Never Donated Blood, What’s Your Reason?

[MarmaladeSandwich7]

I went to donate back in the 90s & wasn’t allowed to as I hadn’t long been back from South Africa. Somehow I’ve just never got around to it since but would very much like to. DF donated for years. I have a tendency to be anaemic & so worry that I should maybe hang onto my blood?! My iron levels are fine atm.

I donated for years, following in the footsteps of my parents. I'm on medication now and haven't got around to checking my eligibility yet. I have made 79, it would be nice to get the 80th in.

Just also looked up the minimum weight which is only 50kg, so I’m pretty close to that and wouldn’t be willing to step on scales to prove I’m just over it!

Thanks for the reminder-just booked my next donation.

My first husband died of leukaemia aged 29.
He had endless life extending and life saving transfusions and I am forever grateful for the time it gave him.

I give regularly (and my veins are made for it-my own obscure superpower)

I feel like if someone like me doesn't donate then who will?

I love getting the message from the NHS telling me where my blood has gone.

If you can-please do. ❤

Would you happily receive blood in an emergency situation? What if everyone took the attitude of can’t be arsed?

I’m a fainter!

I used to, now I’m on too many medications to allow me to.

I do give blood but after a period of being unable to (malaria). The challenge is usually actually getting an appointment, and then, restrictions on travel. I've only managed 2 donations this year because I was restricted after travel.

I will go as often as I am able to arrange it - anything is better than nothing. It really doesnt hurt, doesn't take that long (plus sit down doing nothing for a bit - helllooo!) and one day I may need the service. Very much a pay-it-forward thing for me.

I have 60 donations, O-ve like PP so no problem getting appts..
I used to be anaemic but now take a supermarket multivitamin+ iron daily which sorted that out.
TBH If you're regularly poor veins/fainting they'd rather you didn't donate as they can get 3 "normal" donations through in the time it takes you to do one slow donation/or the extra time you need on the donation bed after fainting.

I didn't weigh enough and had needle phobia. Both of those things have been overcome and so I'm now closing in on my 25th donation.

For anyone who wants to donate but has needle phobia, I dealt with this by watching youtube videos on blood donation, then getting my husband to donate so I could go with him and watch. My first time in the chair took an absolute age because I panicked but the donor carer was patient and the donation was successful. I've never looked at the needle being inserted and plenty of people donate and don't look at it at all.

I’m anaemic and you can still donate sometimes but I’m now on my second GP and it’s still an absolute no from him - something to do with the type(?) of anaemia I have.

I would love to give blood and am accepting that it’s probably. never going to happen. It’s such a shame as well because I have a rare blood type, so it could really benefit others and I think that’s what I find hardest to accept.

I used to but I'm on warfarin now so mine is the last blood you would want in an emergency!

I tried to once but not enough came out, they kind of told me off for it even though it wasn’t on purpose, they had to throw the bag away because it was only half full. Basically treated me as if I’d wasted their time, and told me not to try again. So I haven’t!

I have a similar issue. I have donated more than 50 times, have done platelets too. Then I had (lots of) ivf and it was increasingly difficult even to draw the necessary blood samples.

I am a nightmare to get blood out of now. They need to do the butterfly thing in the back of my hand any time I need togive a sample.

So my donating days are prematurely over.

Every time I tried, there were huge delays and I couldn’t wait around for ninety minutes to be processed.

Hepatitis when younger, and another condition that precludes me.
Dd used to donate regularly then she got anaemic.

I do give blood when I can but I don't find it easy to get an appointment unless I book it months in advance, and then by the time it comes around they either cancel the whole session for whatever reason, or I am not actually available to attend.

Currently pregnant so can't donate but hoping to be able to afterwards.

I'm on immuno suppressed medication (methotrexate) as well as micro biologic. I can't give blood.

I don't have enough of it?! Basically my weight was deemed too low for it to be safe.

My dad used to give blood all the time as he had the one that can donate to all the other groups.

I don’t think they’d turn you away! If they don't need more whole blood of that type they use it to extract platelets or other blood derivatives (which are not type dependent I think). I received a platelet transfusion to allow me to safely have a c-section so it’s useful stuff.

I’ve had 2 blood transfusions and I’m not allowed to donate.

I donated regularly until I was diagnosed with a pituitary tumour (benign) and was taking part in a new drugs trial. Then, because I was permanently taking the drug they wouldn’t accept donations. I’m now a post cancer patient so no chance now.
I’m trying to encourage my DS to become a donor but he’s not keen on needles.
My DF was a donor for much of his life and encouraged us all to become donors. My DM was a nurse who desperately wanted to be a donor but because she had had a positive reaction to TB test ( common in people born pre BCG vaccination) she was not allowed.

Lack of iron, overactive thyroid.

Hoping this is just to goad people, as if your child needed blood, you’d be grateful that not everyone feels this way eh !

I can’t anymore , after 55 donations spanning almost 30 years they changed the rules and I no longer have suitable veins 🤷‍♀️

I have donated in the past but had to stop due to a diagnosis.