Blood Donors

IceCreamMan

How many?

Me up to around 40 i think. Worthwhile cause i spose.

If not why not eh?

giggsy

[quote author=IceCreamMan link=topic=13960.msg152889#msg152889 date=1314873361
If not why not eh?
[/quote]

Probably the usual response, probably not justified though, but terrified of needles.

StephenG

slight hijack, but in a similar vein...( hahah vein?? get it??? I made a funny!)..........

my wife decided she wanted to become a bone marrow donor s a worthy cause to do something to potentially save someone's life... because there is a chronic shortage of bone marrow donors registered....

so she actually rounded up quite a few friends and convinced them all to become bone marrow donors... that all it will take is a small prick and some time in their day to do it..

but when she phoned up to make arrangements etc... she gets told that each potential bone marrow donor has to undergo a serious of blood tests and stuff before they can become a donor, and these tests costs just over R1,500 each that they expect the donor to pay themselves.....

we all thought that to be somewhat of a cheek to ask the donor to pay money as well as give of their time and body parts..

you'd think there would be some sort of national fund to cover the costs of the tests so as not to put the donors out of pocket.

donating blood costs you nothing right???

fjcdt

donating blood costs nothing more than your time and the slight discomfort of a 2mm needle. Its a worthwhile thing to do, the only louzy part is that they nag you to donate every 2 months. And most blood banks keep stupid hours.

Bob-Dubery

Frans wrote donating blood costs nothing more than your time and the slight discomfort of a 2mm needle. Its a worthwhile thing to do, the only louzy part is that they nag you to donate every 2 months. And most blood banks keep stupid hours.

They usually set up donor sites at shopping malls on weekends. There's a fairly regular one at Cresta.

I'm up around 40, but I can't give any more because I have to take anti-coagulants for the rest of my life ☹

But seconded (or thirded), it costs you nothing but time, you usually get a cup of tea and a couple of biscuits, the physical discomfort is minimal, the donation process itself is safe and they won't take your blood if they have reasons to believe it will cause problems for you. They will check to see if you're anaemic. If they see you are not well they will decline your offer and so on.

VellaJ

I'm up at around 10 so far, been donating for around 2 years or so.

Someone once told me that the prick they give your finger before you donate is more painful than the actual needle... Maybe I'm just special, but I think that's a lie ? I can't feel the finger prick (think my calluses have something to do with that...) and let's be honest, it's not a tiny needle... ??? ?

Attila

Well here a funny ?

I used to get paid a consultancy fee by a few the universities around the country to donate blood because I have a factor V deficiency, quite rare, which is used to make synthetic plasma. of course it is ilegal to sell your body parts including blood ( funny that your body does not belong to you, it belongs to the state ) ?

Ray

Did it for years but stopped. A friend of mine got out of hotel and being a little skraal of life luxuries finding himself in places where maybe not the nicest folks are and ended up getting poked a bit. So I get called to the hospital and he needs blood and they see me and say OK this oke can afford this and it has to be bought. I said to them but this guy has got nothing! So they say to me but you have got something. I told them but I have donated blood when able for years and years and they said to me that doesnt matter. It went round and round for a while but anyway it wasnt that cheap and I had to go and fetch it at another hospital in another town as well. I thought about this for awhile and then wondered if it is really worth it. Fukkem! If it cant be used for people I love then what's it for?

[deleted]

I did it once and nearly fainted and was REALLY weak for three days afterwards. I'm scared to do it again, losing three days is unpleasant. I have a heart murmur and I think it may have caused it and I'm normally either recovering from or developing a mild flu, due to my job at the nursery school. It sucks, but there are very few occasions when I'm 100% healthy.

Bob-Dubery

Viccy wrote I did it once and nearly fainted and was REALLY weak for three days afterwards. I'm scared to do it again, losing three days is unpleasant. I have a heart murmur and I think it may have caused it and I'm normally either recovering from or developing a mild flu, due to my job at the nursery school. It sucks, but there are very few occasions when I'm 100% healthy.

They won't let you keep it up, even if you want to. My brother donated 3 times. Each time he passed out immediately afterwards. He went a 4th time and they turned him away in a very polite fashion. They have no interest in taking blood at the expense of your health.