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

[taxman]

Cool

 

You're taking hallucinogenics, right?

 

So you've been to Smithers as well have you?

[maggi]

Wasn't it signed by I've forgotten her name... that woman who presented Points of View?

 

We're talking olden days now! Mine's signed by (I think) J. Stratton, Director, Regional Blood Transfusion Centre - that's from Manchester.

 

My first Sheffield one - 30th April 1980 - looks like zhSWapileTP.

 

Angela Robinson-ish appeared sometime in the mid-90s

 

ha ha, the blue one? I think I still have mine in the attic!

 

It's really about time I decluttered my sideboard!

[Thunzi]

I would if I could, but I can't. Medically exempt as it would be a risk to my own health to donate.

[horribleblob]

A couple of weeks ago, I went to a lecture about Motivating Blood Donors.

 

Sheffield Forum being a representative sample of the UK population, I thought I'd try a poll to look at the proportion of donors on the forum and why others don't give blood.......

 

Do you donate blood?? If not, why not??

 

I've tried to think of as many reasons as possible - some are based on the current guidelines for blood donation, some are from the lecture and some I've just thought of from the top of my head!!! Everything else is lumped together as "Other"!!!

 

"High Risk" lifestyle is what the Blood Services consider as high risk - Men having Sex with Men, using intravenous drugs, prostitution...

 

Being transfused yourself would come under "Medical History" as would any prescribed drugs and illness/conditions which would prevent you donating blood.

 

Please be honest, this isn't really about the rights and wrongs of the Blood Service exclusions policy - I'm just interested in the proportion of people able to give blood and reasons why others don't!! I work in the labs so don't get to see the public face of the Blood Service so much...

 

Used to give blood but now they won't let me. A shift in policy made my previously acceptable blood, unacceptable.

[Classic Rock]

I go whenever I can. I often delay it if I've been abroad and had low iron a year before that so wasnt allowed to for a year. The last couple of times I've been I've just about fainted though and spent an hour afterwards recovering and feeling dizzy. They've advised me to leave it for a year or so. I'm worried about doing it again. It's a horrible feeling.

[Jason Bourne]

I usually donate twice a year, in Spring and Summer. I don't donate in Autumn because of the cold, miserable weather; neither do I donate in Winter because I'm usually dying of the lurgy.

 

I shoot the blood out very quickly though, between 6 and 7 minutes usually. Shame the before- and after- waiting period takes an hour and a half

[jowleywowley]

I'm a gayboy so not allowed to

[stmatt]

Hi,

 

I voted other!! I used to donate blood regularly up until about 5 years ago when it just became a hassle. My veins are quite 'wobbly' and it would often take a few attempts to get the needle in. Not a problem for me but apparently the rules changed so that they could only do one attempt so I started being sent away without ever getting any blood out. Actually I think the last straw for me was when I'd had a successful stabbing and then 1 of the nurses came along as I was lying on the bed to speed the blood flow up, even though I told her it was normal for me to bleed slowly. She ended up moving the needle so that the blood flow stopped completely.

 

I'm currently living in Australia where my blood is unacceptable as I'm at high risk of being a vCJD carrier after living in the UK for so long. Haha!

 

I'll probably try again if I ever return to the UK.

[CarolW]

I'm a long-time donor, but, to add to your information, I thought I'd mention an annoyance.

 

The last few times I've been, I've just had one of the white fibre plasters put on after the resting time. When I've stood up to go for my cuppa, my arm's started bleeding again. Since the first time this happened, I've asked for a bandage over the pad (keeping a little pressure on) and every time I've been refused (because, apparently, the rules say the nurses can't do it), and every time the same thing has happened.

 

For approximately my first 60 donations this practice was fine - how come it's not now? And how come the donors and the nurses seem to have no discretion over such things, even when they've both been through the same experience a couple of months before?

 

If it's a rainy day when I'm supposed to be donating, this kind of bureaucracy really does contribute to the 'can't be bothered' factor.

 

That's strange, I don't think they have that policy in this region. They usually keep the pressure on the arm until they're sure it's stopped bleeding, then put the white tape on. I'll ask in our nurses office, see what they say....

 

When I gave platelets, they used the bandage - as far as I was concerned the bandage was a Badge of Honour, the bigger , the better!!! :hihi:

 

My first Sheffield one - 30th April 1980 - looks like zhSWapileTP.

 

Could it be "Wagtail"???? or something like that???!!!

[CarolW]

Yes I give blood as and when I can, the major reason for me not being able to donate as often as I should when I go to the centre is because I travel to strange places

 

Guess that would be "Foreign Travel" then!!!!