I am truly honored. I hope every blood donation I gave was able to help save a life. I always wonder about how the recipients are doing, and what circumstances led them to need a life saving blood transfusion. The blood bank keeps all of that private for security reasons, of course, along with the name of the donors who donate. I just hope it all helped.
as someone who cannot, thank you. I depend on people like you to make up for me,
You’re so welcome! If it isn’t too personal, and you don’t mind me asking, why do you not donate? Is it a health reason, or a religious reason? I’ve known people who were JW and couldn’t donate. If you’ve had cancer, you can donate after treatment ends. Sometimes people think they are eliminated for life after medical problems arise, but the blood bank is actually pretty relaxed in some of their requirements. They even allow people who have just had a tattoo to donate, as long as they had it done at a licensed tattoo shop.
I’m not the person you responded to but for me its anemia and autoimmunity. Plus I have a tendency to faint when drawing blood.
Oh, ouch! I’m so sorry! I hope things improve for you. I know there are ways to combat the anemia and they can keep you in the chair longer to have you avoid fainting after the withdraw the IV, but I don’t know about the autoimmune disease. Is there any chance that will ever be remedied, or are you stuck with it for the rest of your life? Some diseases like mononucleosis disappear.
Thanks, its manageable but my autoimmunity is chronic. I get bloodwork done regularly and it’s tough to get through those draws. I know there’s conflicting advice on whether those with autoimmunity should donate, but I hate the process and never feel well after even those simple draws. I try to make up for it by being an organ donor but I’m not sure that mine will be worth much when I do go!
I faint after (or sometimes while) giving blood. After a couple times they told me thanks for trying, but they don’t want to have to deal with that again so please don’t. I could probably do a half donation but they don’t take those. I used to donate plasma without problem but there is no location to do that near where I live.
Also not the person who you responded to, but unfortunately I got turned down by the blood bank because my veins are relatively narrow and have a tendency to roll to the side when trying to poke them with a needle. They had so much trouble hitting a vein with a regular needle for the initial blood work that they told me that giving blood is simply never going to work.
Ah, sorry that happened to you. I’ve known people who had that same problem. They said they left the blood bank with bruises after the phlebotomist couldn’t find a vein that would cooperate with the IV needle. At least you tried to donate! Thank you for trying! I wish every healthy adult would try.
Thanks for the nice words and thanks for donating!
Obligatory also not the person. I had a relative die from the Mad Cow prion. They say nobody in the family can donate, even though she likely contracted it at work, as a surgical nurse.
Omg. I’m so sorry. I would have donated if someone would have called me. Then again, if it happened between my eight weeks of rest after a previous blood donation, they probably would have turned me away. I think hospitals should allow O- donors to risk a second donation within the 8 week time period if it’s absolutely necessary to save a life.