Donating blood and bone marrow

[nametaken]

Just wanted to know do you get weighed when you give blood. It's just that I'd like to donate blood but would be a bit embarresed if they weighed me.

Also was wondering whether anyone here had been a bone marrow donor.

DH donates blood - every time they check his iron level and fills in the questionnaire...

Shouldn't really givee blood unless you weigh more than 50 Kgs

I don't know to the first one, but yes I've donated bone marrow twice now. To register they just need a blood sample. The collection is quite painful though if you do ever get called up.

When I went in for initial assesment they didnt weigh me but asked if my weight wasnt below 10 stone as that would be too light for donating.

Also you are doing a GREAT thing by giving blood. My DH received 28 units of blood within 36 hours 2 years ago and it would take me nearly 10 years of regular donating to donate that blood back!

Why not call them, they have a helpline. Another benefit is that they will raise alarm if your blood isnt what it should be

Thanks everyone, I don't think being too light will be my problem

whomovedmychocolate - what part of the body do they collect the bone marrow from. Would be OK if it was the thighbone but I thought I read somewhere it comes from the spine and for some reason that makes me feel slightly quesy

Bone Marrow used to be hip bone but now its like giving blood for 3 hours - well worth it !

There isn't a maximum weight for blood donor or I'd probably fail

"like giving blood for 3 hours" - does that mean you are conscious throughout? Would rather that than an anesthetic though.

I've tried to google the subject but it doesn't tell you much about the actual process of donation, more about why people need to receive it. Maybe they are worried about scaring people off?

Have a look at the Anthony Nolan website. I'm too old to donate bone marrow. You can donate blood if not within ?? months from childbirth.

I gave mine from the hip bone - I donated about a decade ago though - they do it differently now apparently (good thing too, it was bloody horrid!)

Oh no, I just looked at that Anthony Nolan website and I'm too old . Now I feel awful that I didn't do something years ago when I could

you can till give blood even if you are too old for bone marrow - until you are 70 something i think.
and no one has ever weighed me or i wouldn't do it.

Never mind,Nametaken.

Just by donating blood you will be doing something tremendously useful.

FWIW although bone marrow is still valuable and used,nowadays for many haematological cancers it is often possible to use an individuals own stem cells to do what is called an "autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplant" in order to elicit remission.

that sounds shocking but i have ishoooos

??Sorry,(confused emoticon)

that is me with the ishoooos. not you wrinkly.
must type faster