Will you donate?

[Cheyenne]

Blood, that is.

So many people donated blood right after September 11th. Won't you consider making it a regular part of your life? The need for donors never goes away.

I'm an on- call donor for our local center and was called this week because the blood supply was down to less than one day, a dangerous level. They never have enough donors around the holidays when people get even busier than usual. Unfortunately, the need for blood is still there.

If you have some time to spare, please consider helping out with a Christmas gift of blood. It is a relatively painless process. Really.




/end of public service announcement. Carry on.

 

[Moridin187]

Okay... You're the right person to ask this I guess.

If I donate blood, how long do I have to go without smoking pot beforehand?

 

[Cheyenne]

Okay... You're the right person to ask this I guess.

If I donate blood, how long do I have to go without smoking pot beforehand?

Sorry, that one I don't know. They ask you a "million" questions to help make sure the blood supply is safe, but the questions are all related to your health and your sex life. Well, they do ask what drugs you take so I suppose pot could qualify in that category.

I'd suggest that you call your local blood center and just ask them the question. They won't know who you are on the phone and if they tell you they don't want your blood, you will have saved a trip.

 

[Gilly Bean]

I have never been able to, actually. Before I had kids, I was underweight, and anemic, and now, I am most the time pregnant, and anemic when I am not. I try every once in a while, hoping my iron count is up, but it is never up high enough.

Hubby does once in a while, though, and he is a universal donor, so that's good.

 

[LadyDarkFire]

I've tried to donate blood a time or two, but never have been successfull. I'll try again this holiday season though.

 

[Fly_On_Wall]

Fuck no. I'm scared shitless of Needels, and they refuse to take it with a knife.

so even if I wanted to I can't. It's illegal to take blood from a person while they are unconcious.

 

[juicylips]

Fuck no. It's illegal to take blood from a person while they are unconcious.

What CAN I do to you while you are unconscious?

Cassidy

 

[LadyDarkFire]

Fuck no. I'm scared shitless of Needels, and they refuse to take it with a knife.

so even if I wanted to I can't. It's illegal to take blood from a person while they are unconcious.

I'm terrified of needles as well Fly, but the people at the Red Cross are some of the best with them. Generally, they know a couple of tricks to calm you down.

 

[ToddHwrd]

Blood, that is.

Chey I donate as often as they will take it I think it is usually about every 2 months that I actually donate! Everyone should think about it, it is a very satisfiying and fulfilling experience for you and the person in need!!

ToddH

 

[Debbie]

I used to donate regularly till I got my last tattoo. new restrictions now that you have to wait a year. Thanks for the reminder Cheyenne. Time to drag the battered blood donor card out and donate again.

 

[Fly_On_Wall]

What CAN I do to you while you are unconscious?

Cassidy

Anything you want so long you don't use needles hehe

 

[juicylips]

Anything you want so long you don't use needles hehe

Don't worry, I'll be gentle.

I'll save the toys for next time

Cassidy

 

[Cheyenne]

Yes, the one year restriction for tatoos sounds about right. That is one of the questions they ask. Also piercings, but I think that one is 6 weeks. Pregnancy, too, is six weeks. If you have any questions about being qualified to donate, the same answer applies to anyone. Just call your local blood center and ask.

You can generally donate every 8 weeks. I wait until they call me and tell me they need me. That is usually every 9 or 10 weeks. This time it was just 8 and they were on the phone.

The people they have drawing the blood are very good. I've had some who were so good, I swear I could not feel it at all when they put the needle in. Not even the little pinch you normally feel.
Of course, some aren't quite that good. But if you tell them it is your first time donating, I guarantee you'll get their best person. They want you to be comfortable so that you return to donate again in the future.

Did I mention you get free juice and cookies when you're done?

 

[juicylips]

Did I mention you get free juice and cookies when you're done?

Ohh, Chey, did you have to say free juice????

Cassidy,
who has cookies also

 

[perks]

what are the blood donor policies on those with malaria?

 

[Cheyenne]

what are the blood donor policies on those with malaria?

Rejected, I'm sure. It is one of the questions they ask.

 

[Nobody Special's wife]

I personally can't give blood but I am donating my babys placeta blood to whom ever needs it

 

[~melia~]

Fuck no. I'm scared shitless of Needels.

So am I. The first time I ever donated blood was the week after the attacks. Actually, it hurts LESS than having blood drawn for running tests and stuff. I'm going to donate regularly now

 

[Fly_On_Wall]

No i'm not scared of the pain...

If I can survive the pain of getting run over by a truck I think I can survive a needle.... but I still pass out at the site of them.

 

[Silverlily]

I would love to, but I can't until April 2002. Apparently living in the UK within the past ten years disqualifies you at the local collection site.


Anyone know why? (I was not about to endure five more minutes of the inane woman at the center for an explaination.)

 

[Silverlily]

If I can survive the pain of getting run over by a truck I think I can survive a needle.... but I still pass out at the site of them.

Fly, honey, then don't look.




(Do I have to come up there and hold your hand? )

 

[ShyGuy68]

Cheyenne yes I do donate blood, but since I got myself a new tattoo this summer, the rules are I have to take a years break, so I can't go back until next summer

 

[kiwiwolf]

I used to donate regularly till I got my last tattoo. new restrictions now that you have to wait a year. Thanks for the reminder Cheyenne. Time to drag the battered blood donor card out and donate again.

Eh??? I donate 4 times a year, but get tattoed twice monthly...

They can't miss my tatts when I donate but I have never been asked about them.

 

[Azwed]

Last time we had a blood drive at my college i had planned to try and go. I had to go in for some blood tests about a month before it was planned, so I decided to see how I handled that. They only took two 25 cc vials of blood and I almost passed out.

So emberassing. This big 200 plus pound fairly muscular guy turning white as a ghost and on the verge of puking/passing out from a 50 cc blood sample.





I am fine with blood and gore and nasty cuts on my own body. I just can't deal with seeing needles stuck in my body

I had to get gabu globuleun(sp?) shots when i was younger because of a weak immune system. I had to get them for years and they are kept very cold. They are probably sitting around 40 degrees F when the inject it into you. I can deal with shots now but still can't handle drawing blood.

 

[Simply Me]

I would love to, but I can't until April 2002. Apparently living in the UK within the past ten years disqualifies you at the local collection site.


Anyone know why? (I was not about to endure five more minutes of the inane woman at the center for an explaination.)

The answer to your question.

Red Cross Tightens Restrictions on Blood Donors
May 21, 2001 CNN by Kyra Phillips

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: If you've been considering making a blood donation to the American Red Cross, you might want to listen up. Under new, tighter restrictions, the Red Cross may not want your blood donation if you spent time in Europe over the past 20 years.
Right now, anyone who spent six months or more in the United Kingdom between 1980 and 1996 is blocked from giving blood, and starting in September, that restriction will be tightened to three months or more. Travelers who spent time in other parts of Europe are not currently restricted from giving blood, but in September, anyone who spent six months or more there will be barred.

For more on these restrictions and the reasons for them, we've joined in Cleveland by Dr. Bernadine Healy, president of the American Red Cross.

Dr. Healy, hello.

DR. BERNADINE HEALY, PRESIDENT, AMERICAN RED CROSS: Hi, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: How many people are we talking about here that will be excluded?

HEALY: Well, it could be as many as several thousand, maybe 400,000 people, but I want to stress that although some donors are going to be excluded, we are in an active campaign to make that up with other donors. Only about 5 percent of people in this country who can give blood do give blood.

PHILLIPS: And I do want to talk about that active campaign in a moment, but for those who will not be able to give blood, how will you know, because usually have to go in and fill out the questionnaire? Sometimes it's hard to remember what you've done over the past 20 years.

HEALY: Well, I think most people generally know where they have traveled and when they have traveled. So, I think that we'll try to help them, we'll prompt them, we'll ask them the questions. But I think so far, we have done a lot of geographic exclusions in malaria areas, Great Britain over the past year and a half, so we're confident that we can handle that.

PHILLIPS: Dr. Healy, we did get a statement from Dr. Paul Brown, the past chairman from the FDA, and this is his quote: "I think it's excessive. I'm told the degree of donor exclusion would cripple some smaller regional blood suppliers."

Now, when you don't know if mad cow disease is transmitted through the blood, then why be so restrictive right now? Do you think it's a little overreactive?

HEALY: We don't think so. I think it's a prudent thing to do and I think it's a precautionary thing to do, but I completely agree with Paul Brown that we don't have certainty in terms of science, but that's the very reason that we have to do something now and as we go and get the science.

But there are enough facts however, Kyra and we can't ignore them. Number one, we do know that this disease, the human form of mad cow disease, is in the body long before the person knows that they are infected, and guess where it hides? It hides in the lymph tissue, it hides in the appendix, in the gut, in the spleen and in white cells and in the blood at low levels.

Whether it's enough to be infective, we don't know, but we know that in animals, it can be transmitted in experimental studies, and we also that we don't have a blood test for it. So, we believe that there is enough evidence that makes us pause, and we believe until that scientific certainty is there, we must take action now, and Kyra, we don't have a blood test. So when someone comes who is perfectly well, we don't have a way of knowing whether or not they are harboring this disease.

PHILLIPS: Dr. Bernadine Healy, president of the American Red Cross, thanks so much. Be checking those passports before you give blood. Thank you.

HEALY: Thank you.