Honestly it makes no difference to me about the number. The most rewarding thing has been being called in for matched donations which has happened a few times. Mostly because it brings it home how much of a difference it can make. The longer I've done it the more it's just been something I do.
Just gave blood again, do you?
- Thread starter V4NT0M
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Man of Honour
I've been told numerous times that I'm too thin* to donate platelets.
* My veins
* My veins
Man of Honour
They still have NHS uniforms on where I go to plus all outside signs etc.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.0...EQcSimHJkjFbTfCWL9LQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en
Man of Honour
It has been suggested over and over again since at least John Major's time, but it's still part of the NHS. If it was privatised I would imagine that there would be a massive exodus of donors unless payment for donation came in. Supporting the NHS is one thing, helping Capita or G4S make more money is quite another. Personally no payment would get me back.
Bizarre logic there.
Do the people who need blood no longer need it if the collection service is outsourced?
Associate
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It doesn't affect me at all virtually over day to day life so long as I avoid triggering it. But I just have a mild form, and a very large body, so when affected, it needs a lot more blood to be affected before I feel the full effects coming on. So got lucky on those two counts helping out most of the time.
Do you have to be really careful to avoid triggers? (I imagine wanting to be a Veggie would be hard ranging to impossible, (see meat eating isn't always bad!I cant think of any medical condition that makes meat actually poisonous for the sufferers
))
Yeah, but for simplicity, I just tend to avoid nearly all vegetables other than a few that I'm familiar with already. So I get away with eating meat only (or at least, mostly) and no one really bats an eyelash these days.
From one memorable experience when younger, I was given a few vegetables when younger and after eating (less then 10 minutes) I was already suffering from minor blackouts (seeing stars and weakening muscles; unable to stand momentarily, etc). From what I remember, some Fava beans were in the vegetables. Didn't know back then it was related, as I was abroad at that time and I thought it might have been something else whilst abroad causing those issues, so didn't put the two together back then. But the effects are noticable once enough blood has been affected.
As above, in my mild form, I can suffer minor blackouts (seeing stars), loss of sensation (like being stunned momentarily), weakness (which is bad if you happen to be walking outside or up/down some stairs), lathargy (with various lengths of recovery time).
With me avoiding triggers mostly these days I only get the lathargy effect if I don't catch on that there's something triggering. I can't say about the normal or heavier versions as my mother who has the G6PD also has a lot of other age related conditions now and can't really determine what is from G6PD induced effects and which are from age related issues. As for my father, I know back when he was younger, he had bouts of blackouts too, but my dad never really talked about his health issues, so can't make much comment on that end.
Well, until brought up on reading it now, I wasn't even aware that other options are available. I think it's just some of the blood donor teams prefer not to deal with my kind full stop to make things easier for them (and me, since apparently it needs well over an hour for the process).
Man of Honour
I feel the same.
They do indeed, but part of why I donate is due to the ideals of the NHS. If that changes then so do my feelings for donation.
Man of Honour
What privatisation would you approve of?
Man of Honour
I wouldn't stop donating if it was privatized.
At the end of the day I donate because I can and because it's a nothing in comparison to what it can do for the recipients.
That doesn't stop just because it becomes a money making venture, as long as the blood is still available to those who need it.
That's not to say I'd be happy about the thought of hospitals/patients being charged for blood products.
At the end of the day I donate because I can and because it's a nothing in comparison to what it can do for the recipients.
That doesn't stop just because it becomes a money making venture, as long as the blood is still available to those who need it.
That's not to say I'd be happy about the thought of hospitals/patients being charged for blood products.
that depends if there's any advantages or savings to be had. But what has been privatized isnt fully privatized like people think, they still take the ques of government and heavily restricted. its far from a free market privatization approach.
Soldato
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I'll be honest, no I don't give blood, nor have I ever. I'm self admittedly rather selfish in the fact I don't, I realise that.
I think of my body as a machine and although I know full well It can replace any blood I lose.. I can't overcome the thought of the strain that puts on all the systems required to do so.
I personally want to live for as long as possible, and I believe by putting the constant stress on my body to reproduce higher then normal amounts of blood, this will take it's toll.
Also, I find it hard to believe we're not in a technically advanced world enough to create blood in a lab by now.
I completely understand I come across as a jerk in this post, not my intention, just sharing.
I think of my body as a machine and although I know full well It can replace any blood I lose.. I can't overcome the thought of the strain that puts on all the systems required to do so.
I personally want to live for as long as possible, and I believe by putting the constant stress on my body to reproduce higher then normal amounts of blood, this will take it's toll.
Also, I find it hard to believe we're not in a technically advanced world enough to create blood in a lab by now.
I completely understand I come across as a jerk in this post, not my intention, just sharing.
Soldato
Not a jerk but rather incredibly uneducated in terms of biology.
Like, can you go into details on what sort of strain you are under by giving blood?
What parts of your body do you think it will take its toll on and why?
Blood has been made in a lab but explain why you think this is better for the receiver and makes any sense beyond, 'it doesnt come from a person' ?
*putting aside the insane cost in money, time (if grown from the eventual receiver' and labour (given that you need someone who knows at least beyond the 'strain on body' level of intelligence to manage said blood growing)*
Man of Honour
Just spent the last 30 mins here:
I learned two interesting things today.
1. I have CMV negative blood, which means that can be used for neonatal transfusions. http://blog.inceptsaves.com/blog/2011/05/04/what-does-it-mean-to-have-cmv-negative-blood/
2. This is the last time a bloodmobile will come to work. The reason was originally stated at "budget cuts", but after talking to some of the staff (most of whom's last day is tomorrow before being made redundant), the reason the budget is being cut is due to oversupply.
Apparently, with more keyhole surgery, we're using less blood in hospitals and there is a 76,000 unit surplus, although I'm not sure if that's a regional or national figure. So they don't need more donors, they're actively trying to reduce the smaller sessions, getting rid of the bloodmobiles and focusing on large sessions or centralised centres. They know they'll lose donors but that's part of the plan.
I learned two interesting things today.
1. I have CMV negative blood, which means that can be used for neonatal transfusions. http://blog.inceptsaves.com/blog/2011/05/04/what-does-it-mean-to-have-cmv-negative-blood/
2. This is the last time a bloodmobile will come to work. The reason was originally stated at "budget cuts", but after talking to some of the staff (most of whom's last day is tomorrow before being made redundant), the reason the budget is being cut is due to oversupply.
Apparently, with more keyhole surgery, we're using less blood in hospitals and there is a 76,000 unit surplus, although I'm not sure if that's a regional or national figure. So they don't need more donors, they're actively trying to reduce the smaller sessions, getting rid of the bloodmobiles and focusing on large sessions or centralised centres. They know they'll lose donors but that's part of the plan.
Soldato
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I thought the outcome of those studies was that they cannot be conclusive evidence for the simply fact that you are comparing healthy people (blood donors) against the unknown.
I do believe they were able to prove that giving blood once every few years was beneficial to reducing some forms of cancer tho.
If you have any links to studies, I'm more than happy to read and be proven wrong.
Do any task a number of times and it will take its toll. Continuous lifting heavy objects=back, golf, tennis = elbows.. running=knees. Singing/shouting = voice.
As standard, and I'll admit this is off memory so I could be very wrong, but red blood cells have a cycle of around 5 months before they are completely replaced by new ones (continuous ongoing process i know). To do this your kidneys tell your bone marrow to create stem cells to turn into red/white etc blood cells.
Increasing that cycle will surely take its toll. Maybe on the kidneys and their ability to effectively produce the 'signals' to the bone marrow.. maybe on the bone marrows ability to and effectiveness produce stem cells etc. Which we all know gets more and more difficult for the body to do as it ages.
Now, I'm sure there is an argument for the reverse here, that practice makes perfect as such, and by doing it often may actually make it better at it. And maybe it does, maybe it doesn't.
Again, I am more than happy to be proved wrong and shown evidence otherwise.
Also, regarding lab blood, yes I completely agree of the cost implications, you're not wrong there. But I'm sure we can agree it's future? The same way lab grown hands from stem cells are the future for replacements over sowing on big daves left mit from down the pub.
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lol still typing nonses
they cant be conclusive but they did try to account for health as far as possibly and still saw the same , but they show extremely strong evidence that it doesn't cause any issues, like you say. The evidence points in the other directions.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/trf.13205/abstract
they cant be conclusive but they did try to account for health as far as possibly and still saw the same , but they show extremely strong evidence that it doesn't cause any issues, like you say. The evidence points in the other directions.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/trf.13205/abstract
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Soldato
It is one thing growing a hard to find organ where one is hard to come by or growing a body part which you can live without for a while but growing blood for the amounts required is not just impossible for the time being but wildly pointless until there is no risk of rejection AND can be grown for that person as of when it is required.
There is tons of evidence showing giving blood is harmless. You dont seem to have a grasp on what exactly is strained and therefore your speculation is nothing less than paranoia. Your kidneys do nor marrow come under any strain from giving blood. It is very different from lifting weights, there are no physical strains on your body, so your comparison is moot.