Giving Blood

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CrazyKell

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Are you a donor?

Organ donation thread got me thinking.

It's simple to do and hopefully it helps.

I never knew my blood type until I became a donor. Now I donate every 45 days.
 
I use to, but when I started running 10K, half marathons, for fun of course. I found that after a blood donation, training runs were effected.
 
pkelly20 said:
I use to, but when I started running 10K, half marathons, for fun of course. I found that after a blood donation, training runs were effected.
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I found this out the hard way too when I passed out on the side of the road. Not good. Give yourself at least a few days after donating.
 
I donate, but haven't done so for a while. I highly recommend it though: free juice and cookies!
 
short stop said:
I donate, but haven't done so for a while. I highly recommend it though: free juice and cookies!
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Oh ya! I get a diet coke and a slice of pizza every time. Can't beat that.
 
I wish I could, I'm one of those people that pass out just thinking about having blood taken from me. Even when I go for blood tests, i test tube makes me dizzy.
 
How is it easy? You have to wait for a clinic to pop up somewhere that only lasts for a day during the time most people or working. I've always wondered why they can't have something set up in every hospital where you could just walk in and to it 24hrs a day.
 
Want to go even further than blood donation? Sign up for platelet donation if you work downtown. Lots of fun. Hooked up to a machine that sucks your blood out and pumps it back into you for an hour.... But your donation goes to someone directly and you find out a bit about who you are helping out - usually a cancer patient.

Oh, and add your name to the bone marrow registry too.

http://www.bloodservices.ca/centreapps/internet/uw_v502_mainengine.nsf/page/plasma_and_platelets
 
imnothng said:
How is it easy? You have to wait for a clinic to pop up somewhere that only lasts for a day during the time most people or working. I've always wondered why they can't have something set up in every hospital where you could just walk in and to it 24hrs a day.
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There is an office in London that's permanent.

I have never had to take time off work to donate blood as most clinics are open until 9pm and run on a regular basis (ie. every other Tuesday, etc.).
 
donating tomorrow afternoon, actually. type o+, universal donor.

have been donating for over two decades. albeit, not regularly--i've been overseas in that time, and had piercings, so they quarantined me for big chunks of that time.

sadly, less than 5% of canadians donate blood. it should be double that.
 
Ive tried to donate before....apparently im too young 8-)
Few more months though and ill be able to :)
 
Did it once. Always want to but I keep getting tattoos. Now I heard because I was in a malaria country for longer than 6 months, I can't donate for 3 years. Has this changed?
 
Used to regularly until a health issue popped up year and a half ago.

afong56 said:
donating tomorrow afternoon, actually. type o+, universal donor.

have been donating for over two decades. albeit, not regularly--i've been overseas in that time, and had piercings, so they quarantined me for big chunks of that time.

sadly, less than 5% of canadians donate blood. it should be double that.
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Do you get any special treatment, being type O?
 
afong56 said:
donating tomorrow afternoon, actually. type o+, universal donor.
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I thought that was O-?

I'm A+ (the other big group), so I get phoned once a week, when I don't donate.
 
afong56 said:
donating tomorrow afternoon, actually. type o+, universal donor.
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Are you sure about that? I was just checking out wikipedia and it says that negative is universal and called for in emergencies where there's not enough time to test the patient.

TwistedKestrel said:
Do you get any special treatment, being type O?
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The one and only time I gave blood was to find out my blood type. I am O negative and I did get a phone call explaining that I am universal and is therefore always much needed, and I used to get the odd letter.
 
I've got 21 donations on my card but my blood pressure has kept me out for the past several years.
 
Contrary to popular belief it isn't that easy to give blood schedule wise. Yes they are available, and yes you can book appointments at hospitals and clinics...however...their "qualifications" to meet to donate blood, well they make it very difficult to do so...I understand why, for obvious scanning purposes, however, when you're like me and wanted to give blood, had it all scheduled and even had my tat session scheduled for a month AFTER...i get in there...FINALLY, after being sick, having to postpone since i was on antibiotics, then having to postpone, cuz I had my ears pierced....and what did they say?
Them: "oh, you were in Mexico within the last 12 months?"
and I answered, "yes, at a 5 star resort in Mayan Riviera"
Them: "oh we're so sorry, you don't qualify, we'll book you in for a few months from now..."
Me: "Wha? why didn't you just ask these things on the phone before I took the day off work, before I scheduled my tattoo around this?"
Them: "yeah, I understand why people get frustrated donating blood"

2 months later, they call, asking for a donation....
My response: I'm sorry, I just had ink done, I believe it's a 6 month wait now?
Them: yes, we'll call you back in 6 months
Me: Ok...I'll make sure I don't go to the carribean, or get a tattoo, or get a piercing, or eat...what was that food you had on the form?...in the next 6 months.

I applaud anyone that does it and absolutely would love to...but in order to do so, I'd have to keep up with their list of places not to visit within the same year, among other requirements, schedule my ink accordingly....And as inconvenient as it is to have a shortage of blood in Ontario, it's also incredibly inconvenient to plan my year around donating blood....yeah I'm selfish like that.
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