Are you a blood donor - or not?? Reasons why...

[fatboyslim]

Yep... went yesterday to Cathedral Court.

[Hetty]

I am fairly needle phobic, but we had a 'group' session from work, it wasn't so bad. So I became a donor, sadly sometime later I was diagnosed with diabetes, so can't now. I do think everyone should make an effort to donate, even if it isn't on a regular basis.

[hoba]

Had to stop giving blood for a time, while I went through a massive tattooing phase. I've started again now, and am busy trying to work my way through all of the coloured cards.

 

None of my friends give blood, usually citing some excuse like they are afraid of needles. Strange, because needles are never a problem when they are getting jabs before taking trips round India or Australia.

[Plain Talker]

This is something that we test for in our lab..... If an Rh Neg mother is carrying an Rh Pos baby and cells from the baby leak into the mother's circulation, then the mother's immune system sees these cells as "foreign" and starts fighting them by producing antibodies. If the antibodies are strong enough, they can then cross through the placenta and start attacking the baby's cells.

 

The first Rh Pos child is normally unaffected (unless there's a bleed early on in the pregnancy) because this sort of cell leakage usually happens at delivery. Once pregnant with a second Rh Pos child, the antibodies are already there..........

 

It's why Rh Neg women get a shot of Anti-D at 28 weeks pregnancy and at delivery, or if they've had any sort of trauma, to mop up any of the baby's red cells before the mother's immune system can respond....!!!!

 

If these antibodies are found early enough in our lab testing ( we test about 150 samples each day - most don't have anything in them!!!) then the mother can be monitored, paternal samples taken to see what risk there is for the baby and any medical intervention can be well planned!!!

 

Now.... I'd better get to work!!!!!! :hihi:

 

(My Bold) that is what I believe happened with my mother:- I believe I was the first rh+ pregnancy, (well, I am the eldest) my mum lost two babies between me and my sister, and then had the problems when she was pregnant with my sister with her blood count going dangerously low, and having to have the transfusions.

 

I think the pregnancy with my sister was in the very earliest days of the anti-D work, I know for certain that my mother had anti-D during her pregnancy with her youngest daughter, in the 1970s, but I don't know if she had that treatment back when my other sister was born.

[wiz*]

I have a question about donating -

I went to give blood at the Cathedral Court centre, but was refused because I had a minor operation coming up and they said I might need my blood! But when I was there, I noticed that the beds for donors to lie on whilst donating are all together in an open plan room.

Is it possible to be curtained off from the rest of the room? It not that i'm scared of needles, I have a phobia surrounding being amongst a group of people and having the feeling i'm unable to get away. It's difficult to explain, I just know i'd feel a lot more at ease if I was alone.

[CarolW]

I have a question about donating -

I went to give blood at the Cathedral Court centre, but was refused because I had a minor operation coming up and they said I might need my blood! But when I was there, I noticed that the beds for donors to lie on whilst donating are all together in an open plan room.

Is it possible to be curtained off from the rest of the room? It not that i'm scared of needles, I have a phobia surrounding being amongst a group of people and having the feeling i'm unable to get away. It's difficult to explain, I just know i'd feel a lot more at ease if I was alone.

 

To be honest, I don't know if there are facilities for being "curtained off" st the Sheffield centre.... The best thing you could do, would be to contact the centre and ask if you could be separate from the other donors and explain your phobia... Maybe they could suggest another venue???

 

I'm sure they would do their best to help you!!!! :)

[CarolW]

(My Bold) that is what I believe happened with my mother:- I believe I was the first rh+ pregnancy, (well, I am the eldest) my mum lost two babies between me and my sister, and then had the problems when she was pregnant with my sister with her blood count going dangerously low, and having to have the transfusions.

 

I think the pregnancy with my sister was in the very earliest days of the anti-D work, I know for certain that my mother had anti-D during her pregnancy with her youngest daughter, in the 1970s, but I don't know if she had that treatment back when my other sister was born.

 

Thank god we seem to have "solved" this one!!!! There are those who will still produce Rh antibodies in spite of all the advances.... But at least there are methods to control the effects.

 

 

I've seen pictures of babies born with "Haemolytic Disease of the Newborn" (to give the official term!!!) and they are not pleasant to look at..... :(

Definitely not for a Family Friendly Forum!!!!!

[CarolW]

Thank god we seem to have "solved" this one!!!! There are those who will still produce Rh antibodies in spite of all the advances.... But at least there are methods to control the effects.

 

 

I've seen pictures of babies born with "Haemolytic Disease of the Newborn" (to give the official term!!!) and they are not pleasant to look at..... :(

Definitely not for a Family Friendly Forum!!!!!

 

I forgot to mention.....

 

It's not just the Rh blood group system that can cause this problem. There are over 600 blood groups - the vast majority are either common to everybody or are limited to a few people. We test for about 15 to 20 of them routinely. If a mother is negative for any of them and the baby is positive, then she may be able to produce an antibody to that particular blood group with potentially nasty effects for the baby.....

[Harleyman]

My wife has a rare blood group O Neg. She donates now and again but the Red Cross bug her to death calling just about every fourth day asking her to donate again. If she donated every time they asked she'd end up looking like a victim of Dracula

[Paul Blade]

I used to up to '91 when I was diagnosed with MPE or blood clots on the lung now I have to take Warfarin

 

I was on 98 donations of Blood and platelets