Has anyone donated blood before?

Soldato
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Terrified of needles. I keep meaning to go and give blood, I really should, but one thught of having a sharp object in my arm and I start to feel faint.
 
Soldato
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18 Oct 2002
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Sussex
being scared of needles is no excuse, face your fears cause there are an awful lot of much worse things that will happen to you in this life :p

Regular donor here, got me bronze card and done it each time since my 18th birthday. I'm a bit strange in that I love the needle feeling, gives me an endorphine rush
 
Man of Honour
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Yes thanks, about 357 donations now - I'm another of the OcUK Apheresis Crew. I used to go every two weeks, but found it hit my iron levels badly after five years or so, and now I'm back to every four weeks.

I'll say what I always say on these threads: to those of you who donate, well done; for those who don't, why not? Only genuine medical reasons not to will be accepted - "I'm afraid of needles" is NOT a valid excuse, as most of us aren't exactly fans. Look the other way and think nice thoughts.


M
 
Soldato
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Kent
How often can you give blood? I gave blood to NHS in June and they don't want me back until October, yet all you people with 357 donations can't be that old to have donated so much...
 
Man of Honour
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Killerkebab said:
How often can you give blood? I gave blood to NHS in June and they don't want me back until October, yet all you people with 357 donations can't be that old to have donated so much...



Whole blood is every 16 weeks, apheresis is a minimum (but not recommended in the long tern) every two weeks. In addition, apheresis counts as two donations because it takes so long (typically about an hour, often more). One local donor is over eleven hundred donations.


M
 
Soldato
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I give blood, i always give the nurses a scare as i fill the bag up in just over 3 mins (and getting quicker), they worry they have hit an artery but apparently it foams if they do that :p :)
 
Soldato
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JAMAL said:
I give blood, i always give the nurses a scare as i fill the bag up in just over 3 mins (and getting quicker), they worry they have hit an artery but apparently it foams if they do that :p :)

heh, apparently thats near impossible - i've been told its very very very rare to get it done in under 4 minutes else your blood pressure would be dangerously high
 

JRS

JRS

Soldato
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Burton-on-Trent
neocon said:
No, too scared.

May be if you got paid to do it. My blood costs £50,000 a pint.

Just do as I do - faint and let them get on with draining you.

It does make me feel pretty sick for about a day after doing it thanks to my needle fear. Really ought to talk to a professional about that some day....:)
 
Man of Honour
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JAMAL said:
I give blood, i always give the nurses a scare as i fill the bag up in just over 3 mins (and getting quicker), they worry they have hit an artery but apparently it foams if they do that :p :)

While donating platelets a while back, the draw needle was inserted into an artery instead of a vein and the sample bag filled up very quickly with bright red blood and I was thinking bloody hell, what was I drinking last night ?

The nurses were in a panic as arterial blood is pumped at very high pressures and any damage to the artery needs to be stemmed quickly. I had pressure put on for ages while and the worst bit was I couldn't get to my orange Club biscuit.:(

I did get massive bruising on my arm as a result and the blood service were terrified I would sue, such is the litigation thing these days.
 
Man of Honour
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Best I can manage was when they put the needle right through the vein, then wondered why the flow rate was so low. On another occasion when I used to do dual, it took three attempts to get the canular in. Once the plasters were on at the end it looked like I'd made sergeant.

Takes a special kind of doc/nurse to get an artery rather than a vein though...


M
 
Associate
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16 Oct 2004
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Done it once never again.

I passed out while stepping out of the door of the trailer/cabin thingy and smashed my head off the metal steps. Woke up about 2 mins later with the two stupid (wanabe) nurses panicking like hell but not actually doing anything about the raging torrent of blood coming out of my head. Idiots:rolleyes:
 
Soldato
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Stoke on trent
Hate said:
heh, apparently thats near impossible - i've been told its very very very rare to get it done in under 4 minutes else your blood pressure would be dangerously high

My first donation took 4 mins 32 secs, i promise you not my last donation was 3:20, i may beat that next time too!

I'm not going to gain anything about lying about donation times am i! why would i lie :confused:

Last time i went the doctors my blood pressure was slightly high but i do suffer with white coat syndrome abit which may of been the reason.
 
Soldato
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Meridian said:
I'll say what I always say on these threads: to those of you who donate, well done; for those who don't, why not? Only genuine medical reasons not to will be accepted - "I'm afraid of needles" is NOT a valid excuse, as most of us aren't exactly fans. Look the other way and think nice thoughts.

It's not been often since I turned 18 that I've got more than 6 months without being tattooed or pierced.

I don't find the time.

I don't want to.

And don't talk to me about excuses, I don't need an excuse. I simply don't want to, and won't until I do want to.

On the same point - why don't you donate every spare penny of your income to charity? What's your excuse? You don't need a flash car, buy a crap one and give the rest to charity.
 
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