Blood Donating....

JCMaloney · Dec 4, 2018

Doing some tidying up at home and found the old Blood Donor card & 50th Gold donor badge which has given me the required kick up the blunt end to get back "in the chair".

On the bright side I`ll lose 1lb in weight every 3 months.

The regular donor can save 3 lives per donation and we always run short at Christmas.

I`m a B+ as well.

Longneck · Dec 4, 2018

Well done, 50+ is good going. Im only on half that!!

I find the new booking system a PITA as they don’t let me book next appointment at the donation, you have to go home and do it on line... [emoji34]

JCMaloney · Dec 4, 2018

Longneck said:
Well done, 50+ is good going. Im only on half that!!

I find the new booking system a PITA as they don’t let me book next appointment at the donation, you have to go home and do it on line... [emoji34]

I`ve just signed up for that..... I guessed it would be similar! Hopefully I can pre-book a few but haven`t investigated that yet.

My Dad got me into it as soon as I was old enough, the wagon used to turn up at the factory (British Leyland) and they just queued up. Likewise the last time I went it was just a queue up and wait job.
Now its pre-book only.

Handy Andy · Dec 4, 2018

I'd quite like to donate but when I mentioned it to my physio the other day (dodgy back) he said I won't be able to because I've got tattoo's.

Steevo · Dec 5, 2018

Handy Andy said:
I'd quite like to donate but when I mentioned it to my physio the other day (dodgy back) he said I won't be able to because I've got tattoo's.

Would never have guessed that if you hadn't mentioned it.

Stewartry hill · Dec 5, 2018

Handy Andy said:
I'd quite like to donate but when I mentioned it to my physio the other day (dodgy back) he said I won't be able to because I've got tattoo's.

Doesn't stop you just in last six months

JCMaloney · Dec 5, 2018

Well that has certainly changed since my last visit. You get a pint of squash before you start, bit of paperwork & there is now an App for your phone as well to book appointments or you can do it online. Big form to complete about travel, health & sexual habits!

Then you get put in the donating "chair" its like a kind of recliner that sits in a frame, they get you plugged in then lay you back into the "donating position". 10 minutes max, job done. I`ve got "difficult" veins it seems, in the old days it was more like keep stabbing till you get one, now they are only allowed "one shot".
Then you get more squash, tea/coffee, crisps, biscuits and mince pies.

Good to be back in the system.

Princess Pooper · Dec 5, 2018

I reached 54 donations before I was no longer allowed to donate due to an autoimmune disease (and probably now the meds I'm on). Mum was RH- and Dad RH+ so I'm lucky to even be here as after child no 1 in the 1950s/1960's her body had set up the antibodies to reject any further babies. So like the rest of my siblings I was an early Caesar, blue and jaundiced! Mum was AB- so the rarest group and a regular donor between babies. I did persuade Prince Pooper to start donating - he's O - so they want lots, and he has clocked up about 30. As mentioned above, when they changed from booking apt in person after the donation to going on line, he never seems to get round to it. I keep nagging, and hopefully he'll get back in the system again.

Shortly after stopping donating, I became anaemic due to my medical condition so I would have had to stop anyway, although iron tablets every day seem to be keeping that under control.

If you can, please donate. How would you like it if the operation of a loved one was cancelled due to a shortage of blood?.

Pieces_of_Eight · Dec 17, 2018

Princess Pooper said:
If you can, please donate. How would you like it if the operation of a loved one was cancelled due to a shortage of blood?.

I'm very grateful to everyone who gives blood, as I had a transfusion (2 units) back in 2001.

I would like to give it back one day, but I've also had MRSA.

(and I'm really bad with needles, just reading through this thread is making me feel a bit pale

)

simmy_bull · Dec 17, 2018

I did do it then I had to stop as they changed the rules to say you couldn’t if you had ever had a blood transfusion. Seams a bit mad to me. Why not just test me for all sorts and then give me the green light?!!

JCMaloney · Dec 17, 2018

Only if you have received transfusions since Jan 1980....
"If you have had or think you have had a blood transfusion (or blood products) anytime since 1st January 1980 sadly, we can no longer accept your blood.

This rule has been introduced as a purely precautionary measure. It aims to reduce the possible risk of variant CJD (vCJD) being passed from donor to patient. However, just like our other rules regarding who can and who can't give, things can change. As new scientific information comes to light we will review the situation. This could mean either continuing this ruling or asking people to come back. We just don't know yet."

JCMaloney · Dec 17, 2018

Pieces_of_Eight said:
I'm very grateful to everyone who gives blood, as I had a transfusion (2 units) back in 2001.

I would like to give it back one day, but I've also had MRSA.

(and I'm really bad with needles, just reading through this thread is making me feel a bit pale )

Never say never................. you don`t see the needle as long as you don`t look.

"If you have had MRSA you may give blood once you are fully recovered.

If you are nursing a person with MRSA and following hospital guidelines then you may give blood."

Pieces_of_Eight · Dec 17, 2018

I'll have to wait until my transfusion doesn't matter.

Then they can knock me out and take their blood back

simmy_bull · Dec 17, 2018

JCMaloney said:
Only if you have received transfusions since Jan 1980....
"If you have had or think you have had a blood transfusion (or blood products) anytime since 1st January 1980 sadly, we can no longer accept your blood.

This rule has been introduced as a purely precautionary measure. It aims to reduce the possible risk of variant CJD (vCJD) being passed from donor to patient. However, just like our other rules regarding who can and who can't give, things can change. As new scientific information comes to light we will review the situation. This could mean either continuing this ruling or asking people to come back. We just don't know yet."

I wasn’t born until 1985, so all of my transfusions have been since then

Y Fan Wen · Dec 17, 2018

I'm on 4 months suspension as I have been in a malaria area. Sign up again mid February.

Deereone · Dec 17, 2018

I firmly believe that our Transfusion Service which takes voluntarily given blood, should not have been sold of to an American Private Equity firm. This move has made people think twice before donating.

JCMaloney · Dec 17, 2018

Deereone said:
I firmly believe that our Transfusion Service which takes voluntarily given blood, should not have been sold of to an American Private Equity firm. This move has made people think twice before donating.

Can`t disagree with that.
Its been in private ownership for 5+ years now, infact the next payment (£110 million or so) is due this year IIRC.
However they have invested a lot in a new centre in Leicester. The old place was so inaccessible and dreary that alone put me off.

ollie989898 · Dec 19, 2018

Deereone said:
I firmly believe that our Transfusion Service which takes voluntarily given blood, should not have been sold of to an American Private Equity firm. This move has made people think twice before donating.

That is an outright disgrace and should be remedied immediately. You do not want anything American near the NHS.

Y Fan Wen · Dec 19, 2018

Deereone said:
I firmly believe that our Transfusion Service which takes voluntarily given blood, should not have been sold of to an American Private Equity firm. This move has made people think twice before donating.

Does that apply to the Welsh Blood Service?

JCMaloney · Dec 19, 2018

Y Fan Wen said:
Does that apply to the Welsh Blood Service?

Nope, WBS is a division of Velindre NHS Trust.

Blood Donating....

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