Having just returned from a fruitless attempt to give blood (my iron's a teensy bit low, curse it), I wondered if there were other regular donors on the Board. This would have been my 20th donation in the southwest, and potentially my 23rd or 24th overall - there's another database for the northwest, so the south has no idea what I donated at university.
I did, however, pick up a nice graphite coaster as a thank you for giving 3 times a year (which is as frequently as they'll let you give in the UK). For my 10th donation they gave me a lapel pin. And in the meantime it's free tea & biscuits 
I've not yet plucked up the courage to sign up to the bone marrow register. I think it must be that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing - I don't know much about what any hypothetical procedure might be, but I imagined it would be extremely painful. Someday I will have to force myself a) to find out and b) to go on the register regardless...
DW
I give blood whenever the National Blood Service send me a letter. To date I have donated more than 10 units *flashes bronze card* Also I have signed onto the bone marrow register, but as of yet no takers... Never had any problems with me irons, but sometimes it takes them a while to find a vein to take the blood from 
. Also I've always been fine after the donations (book in advance, walk in, give blood, nick all the tea + biscuits and get the bus back home).
I haven't yet racked up many donations - 3 successful, 4 overall. My second donation failed as I came out as borderline anaemic and had to go on iron tablets. Due to forgetfulness I didn't go doctors and that knocked me back a year. However from now on I'm trying to donate as regular as I can.
They have me a nice key fob with my blood group (A-) on it for my second donation which I keep on my main keys.
I am currently trying to persuade THSWes to give blood but he doesn't want to 😀
I too am interested in Bone Marrow donation, as well as Platelet donation. The more I can help the better. However I'm not sure if I have enough platelets for that, and bone marrow donation is a very scary prospect. I might ask one of the nurses or GPs at my local surgery or donation centre about it.
I've donated blood once, to the Australian Red Cross. But I'm too deathly afraid of needles to do it again.
I've donated three times already. I'd like to donate more than that, but all of the recent blood drives conflict with my school schedule.
I've only passed out once, and that was only because I got too hot right after giving.
Whew, I still get nervous with shots or blood testing so yeah like Spiner I ain't gonna give blood! *shudders*
Bah... I've tried twice and failed both times due to low iron as well. But I really want to! Does that count? ^^;
~Shadowed Spirit Sage
I've never donated blood and I never will. NO-ONE DESERVES MY BLOOD!!!!!!!!!!!! NO-ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
I give blood whenever the National Blood Service send me a letter. To date I have donated more than 10 units *flashes bronze card* Also I have signed onto the bone marrow register, but as of yet no takers... Never had any problems with me irons, but sometimes it takes them a while to find a vein to take the blood from
I think I've still a bronze card, too. I don't get another until 25 donations, I think. I'm lucky in that the veins in both arms are dead easy to find and the blood flows quickly, so the whole thing doesn't take long and isn't uncomfortable. I've never yet plucked up the courage actually to watch them put the needle in, but it never ceases to amaze me that it really doesn't hurt. "You'll feel a sharp scratch" is what they tell you, and that's pretty accurate.
I've had two fainting spells in the 10 years or so that I've been giving. The first was, like Kayla, because it was too hot - there was a storm brewing and the air was all stuffy, which didn't help. I went to the front door of the house to get some fresh air and then hit the doorframe on the way down. Scared the heck out of my poor dad! The second time was more embarrassing - it was my own fault for going shopping after giving and only eating humbugs rather than proper food. I ran out of humbugs, which meant I very quickly ran out of blood sugar. I started to feel ill on the bus on the way home and was hoping I'd make it home. Unfortunately, getting up to get off the bus turned out to be a mistake - I passed out on the steps. Whoops! Still, it's been donkey's years since that last happened. *touches wood*
Generally, I just have to avoid climbing steep hills for a couple of days afterward (and no running up the stairs to my flat!). That's a bit tricky, given how much of Bristol is built on hills. I end up not walking to work for a while, just catching the bus. But it's all worth it when you read about all the uses your donation could be put to, in the Donor newsletter. It's not like it's something I can't replace in a few days anyway!
DW
I have the keychain for giving blood once, I keep meaning to go again, but I either don't have the time when the vampire van is in town, or just simply forget completely. *shrugs*
I'm sure I'll get round to it again sometime.
I've donated like 3 or 4 times in the past... That said, it has been over 2, maybe even 3, years since I last donated =|. Like Crim, I've either been too busy or I've forgotten.
I've organized 3 major blood drives, counting the one a few weeks ago were we managed to get 79 units of blood and several double RBCs.
I can't donate myself since 1. my Hb is not high enough and neither is my iron, and 2. you need to weight over 110 lbs and guess what! I don't even make it to 100 unless I've consumed a lot of food and soda... I normally range from 96-98-100 lbs during a day. So it sucks.
For elutriation of white blood cells (leucopheresis), my department gives $100.00 to the donor. Just think, I could be infecting your white blood cells with HIV!
So come and donate your cells to me so I can graduate!
I've organized 3 major blood drives, counting the one a few weeks ago were we managed to get 79 units of blood and several double RBCs.
Nicely done! We don't really organise blood drives here (just wait for the NBS to come to the area), but I make a habit of letting friends know when I'm going, in case they'd like to come along too. The NBS has a handy "bloodmobile" thing that sets up in the city centre here in Bristol and can go to employers' workplaces so employees can give in their lunch hours. I think that's a really good idea. In my area, they have evening sessions, so I just book the last appointment of the day and go after work.
I'm curious about the US model. What's the minimum time between donations? Sometimes it drives me crazy that they make me wait 4 months here, when I feel fine within less than a week 
Do all sessions pay donors? We just get paid in tea & biscuits - or mince pies at Christmas And, of course, the little rewards at various stages.
DW
Unfortunately for me, my veins in my arms are ripe for poking with a needle. Yeah, I've given blood a few times, nothing big since im a prime candidate.
I've donated quite a few times before, yes. I'm O+. Woo hoo!! Haven't given any in over a year though. >_>
I've tried four times, given twice. First two times I tried to give blood I failed due to just having come down with a cold the one time and having taken paracetamol that morning the other. When I do get to give blood I'm fine though; never had any problems with iron or the like, the blood flows really nicely and I recover quickly. I would give more often, but I'm super forgetful and don't really think to go unless there's a prominently advertised donation day. Would've given some over the summer but stupid Welsh Blood Service requires a six month wait unlike the National Blood Service's 4 month wait. >=( Will probably look out for the donation van when I get back up to Cambridge.
Also I've never had the free tea when I've given blood. Since the two times I've successfully were more than three years apart and with a different organisation each time they both counted as my first time and you're not allowed hot drinks on your first time. =( Have to make do with squash. Still, all the biscuits I can eat.
Honestly unless you have medical reason that you can't give blood or are super busy/super forgetful there's no reason not to give blood. Injury victims/surgery patients get to not die of lack of blood and you get free tea and biscuits. Everybody wins.
Edit: checked the WBS website while I was writing this and it turns out they've only got a four month wait too now. Could've sworn it was six months the first time I donated. :S
I've tried like five times, but four out of five times they refused to take my blood. There was a box on the questionnaire that said, "Did you live in the United Kingdom between the years 1996-1998?" and when I checked yes, it automatically excluded me.
^ Wait what? Did they give any justification for that restriction? I'm trying to think what could possibly have happened here during these years that would stop you giving blood (obviously it doesn't stop people giving blood here) but my mind's drawing a blank.
Insane moo disorder 38Q @ nuch.
Honestly unless you have medical reason that you can't give blood or are super busy/super forgetful there's no reason not to give blood. Injury victims/surgery patients get to not die of lack of blood and you get free tea and biscuits. Everybody wins.
And if you're not the altruistic type, I believe that for every pint you give, you get credit toward the cost of a blood transfusion should you or someone in your family needs one. I think that's how it works.
Ok, since I'm bored out of my mind in lab waiting for my elutriated monocyte-derived macrophages (from last week's leukopheresis donor) to finish incubating... Here's some facts about donating blood.
1. I'm type B+, which 9% of the USA population apparently have, so I can get blood from 56% of the population but only 12% can receive my blood. Not counting vampires
2. Regulations in the United States allow people to donate whole blood once every 56 days but the waiting period between donations can be different for other blood components.
Donating only platelets (apheresis) can be done every 3-4 days.
Donating two units of red blood cells can be done every 112 days.
Donating white blood cells (leukopheresis) can be done every 2 months if I'm not mistaken.
3. Giving blood: must weight at least 110 lbs (scractches me from donating ), be 17 years old, and be healthy.
Can't donate if you have an infection as viruses (HIV, HBV) can be transmitted by blood.
Blood volume is proportioned to body weight and people under 110 lbs don't tolerate removing the blood volume that is required.
4. This one's weird but true: Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (mad cow)...
Can't donate if you had a blood transfusion since 1980 in the UK.
5. And thats all for now, I think... *insert song relating impending doom*
The Australian Red Cross doesn't like gay blood, so unfortunately people in need go wanting and I remain undonating. 
The Australian Red Cross doesn't like gay blood, so unfortunately people in need go wanting and I remain undonating.
Since when was there a difference between straight blood and gay blood?
Since every single gay person is a walking cocktail of STDs, apparently.
Oh of course! Yeah you're not allowed to give blood if you've had a transfusion from before after a certain date (might be 1980) in UKland too so I guess they both make sense.
Also I'm pretty sure the NBS doesn't let you give blood if you're a sexually active homosexual either. If I remember right. I don't understand why either.
If anyone cares enough to find out blood group percentages for the UK - www.blood.co.uk
My blood group is fairly uncommon, although only really because of my lack of rhesus stuffs. Oddly enough the most common is O+ which I find strange because everyone harps on about how rare O is.
I'm pretty interested about blood groups and genetics in general so ~
[edit note] - I should proof read my posts before posting them
Oh of course! Yeah you're not allowed to give blood if you've had a transfusion from before a certain date (might be 1980) in UKland too so I guess they both make sense.
Also I'm pretty sure the NBS doesn't let you give blood if you're a sexually active homosexual either. If I remember right. I don't understand why either.
If anyone cares enough to find out blood group percentages for the UK - www.blood.co.uk
My blood group is fairly uncommon, although only really because of my lack of rhesus stuffs. Oddly enough the most common is O+ which I find strange because everyone harps on about how rare O is.I'm pretty interested about blood groups and genetics in general so ~
I think it's if you had a transfusion *after* 1980. So since either last year or the year before, if you ever have to receive blood, you'll never be able to give it again - at least unless the rules change again.
O+ is the most common, but that means it's the most frequently required for transfusions. Plus, if you're O+, your blood can be given in an emergency to *any* positive blood group. O- is even better, as this is the universal donor. If they don't have time to figure out the blood group and the patient needs blood *now*, O- can be given until they do find out. However, only 7% of the population are actually O-, so it's kind of worth its weight in gold
I'm common as muck O+ but they do encourage me to come give as often as I can.
DW
Ahh you caught it before I caught it myself then!
I guess I don't understand why you can't give blood even now because they screen donations don't they? Surely I'm not going to catch anything from it any more.
And if you're not the altruistic type, I believe that for every pint you give, you get credit toward the cost of a blood transfusion should you or someone in your family needs one. I think that's how it works.
You give blood in order to get credits incase you ever need to receive blood? madness... In our country we give blood with no strings attached and no financial/future medical treatment benefits from doing so 😮 ... *gives blood because he believes it's the right thing to do*
Also according to a rescent blood donar form i have here, you cannot give blood (blokes) if you: have received or given bum sex to another man or given bum sex to a woman that has received bum sex within the past 6 months from another man o.o
And I think it's difficult to detect which people have insane moo disorder atm, since people don't know they have it untill their brain goes faulty and the insides rot.
Insane moo disorder
Yeah, I thought about that, but the date range seemed unnecessarily restrictive.
And if you're not the altruistic type, I believe that for every pint you give, you get credit toward the cost of a blood transfusion should you or someone in your family needs one. I think that's how it works.
Oh you crazy Americans and your privatised healthcare system. 😛
The Australian Red Cross doesn't like gay blood, so unfortunately people in need go wanting and I remain undonating.
Yeah, we have that restriction here in the UK too. The precise statement if I remember rightly is you can't give blood if you are a man who was had oral or anal sex with another man, even if you used a condom. Yes, because having sex with a man even once (with protection, no less!) gives you a 100% of catching AIDS. To make things worse a woman can't give blood within 12 months of shagging a bloke who's ever shagged another bloke. The funny thing is I think I remember reading/hearing that the AIDS isn't even that much more prevalent among homosexuals than heterosexuals, but I can't remember where I picked up that up and can't find anything to support or disprove it so it could be bollocks as far as I know.
I guess I don't understand why you can't give blood even now because they screen donations don't they? Surely I'm not going to catch anything from it any more.
Depends how accurate the screening technique is really (and also, to an extent, how dangerous the thing you're screening for is). Nothing's ever perfect and the funny thing with tests is that because of the way conditional probability works even a small possibility of false positives and false negatives can make for a very inaccurate test. Combine that with how bad the consequences are for the unlucky recipient if something like HIV accidentally gets past the screening somehow and you can see why they might want to exclude certain populations rather than run the risk. Not saying I agree with every restriction they make (the no gays one strikes me as overkill, certainly, but I can't say for definite without seeing some actual figures), I'm just pointing out how they might justify it to themselves.
EDIT: plus what Creo said applies in the specific case of CJD. It's got a very long dormant period as I recall which makes it hard to screen for.
I've been giving blood a lot over the last few years. Not sure just how much I've given, but I did get a commemorative pin after reaching a gallon of blood from all my visits. Other than that, I've also gotten a lot of T-shirts and a free movie pass. Strangely, I got started donating blood regularly to get over my fear of needles. It's worked for the most part, but it's harder now because I use the Alyx machine most of the time. You give more blood in one trip, but it's kind of uncomfortable having fluids drained and then returned through the same needle.
I guess I don't understand why you can't give blood even now because
they screen donations don't they? Surely I'm not going to catch
anything
from it any more.Depends how accurate the screening technique is really (and also, to an extent, how dangerous the thing you're screening for is). Nothing's ever perfect and the funny thing with tests is that because of the way conditional probability works even a small possibility of false positives and false negatives can make for a very inaccurate test. Combine that with how bad the consequences are for the unlucky recipient if something like HIV accidentally gets past the screening somehow and you can see why they might want to exclude certain populations rather than run the risk. Not saying I agree with every restriction they make (the no gays one strikes me as overkill, certainly, but I can't say for definite without seeing some actual figures), I'm just pointing out how they might justify it to themselves.
EDIT: plus what Creo said applies in the specific case of CJD. It's got a very long dormant period as I recall which makes it hard to screen for.
Similar to CJD, my friend HIV can evade immune response. It has a lengthy "incubation" period. So you can have HIV for one whole month or sometimes more before your body starts producing any antibodies against HIV p24 antigen. This is why a person can transmit HIV while tests for HIV being negative.
Strangely, I got started donating blood regularly to get over my fear of needles. It's worked for the most part, but it's harder now because I use the Alyx machine most of the time. You give more blood in one trip, but it's kind of uncomfortable having fluids drained and then returned through the same needle.
Basically the Alyx Machine removes the erythrocytes (RBC, Red blood cells) from your blood. You're not donating blood per se since RBCs are just one of the many components of blood. Similarly, some other machine can remove your lymphocytes (WBCs, white blood cells).
The reason gays can';t donate blood is because gay blood is what they use to convert others. Or so I've heard.
what john said about gay blood applies to the good ol' u.s. and a. as well. a gay man can never give blood, while a woman who has slept with a gay/bi man can give blood within twelve months. the science of homophobia is a wonderful thing.
give blood anyway. if you're sure you don't have aids (you seem smart enough to avoid getting something like that), you should feel absolutely no qualms with telling a little white lie to give to people in need.
The fact that if you are a bloke that has even looked funny at a cock in the past irks me greatly, since it may possibly come to bite me in my luscious altruistic arse someday. It's kind of petty and silly, I certainly understand the rule for those who don't use protection, but for those sensible ones who do?
It's kind of hypocritical since if a lass makes use of somebodies penis, then it's fine. And note there is no lesbian restrictions...
Everyone loves lesbians.
Well, yeah.
Well, I have never donated blood and don't plan on doing it in the future.
1. - Yeah, fear of needles. It's not too extreme (getting poked makes me anxious, and at the most I'd cry), but enough to make me not willing to voluntarily get myself poked.
2. - As IRC chatters already know, I probably don't meet the standards to be a donor. In fact, 110 pounds is approximately how much I weigh.
I once fainted right after getting my blood taken when I was 10 years old and underweight.
what john said about gay blood applies to the good ol' u.s. and a. as well. a gay man can never give blood, while a woman who has slept with a gay/bi man can give blood within twelve months. the science of homophobia is a wonderful thing.
give blood anyway. if you're sure you don't have aids (you seem smart enough to avoid getting something like that), you should feel absolutely no qualms with telling a little white lie to give to people in need.
Considered it, but I don't wanna have to deal with the legal problems if it gets found out I was lying (it's a small chance, but it is a possibility). And to be honest I don't really want to support an organization that supports such blatant bigotism, even if their intentions are pure.
