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Giving blood.
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Are there any advantages or disadvantages to giving blood?
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They won't have mine anymore and am quite gutted as used to go a lot. I'm on disease modifying drugs (immunosuppressants) and they said I can't give blood while on them.
I go in and check every now and again though, just in case, they even made me stay for a cup of tea last time even though they had to say no to my blood.
Such a shame as we have our own permenant centre in Manchester and so convenient to go more often, shame they don't open on weekends and evenings though when more people are about as lunchtimes get busy. They had one in Leeds City Centre too I used to go to.
Even when they would have my blood they wouldn't let me give platelets as I don't have enough apparantly, just feel like it's such a shame as I'm so keen to give it to them and would do as often as I could if they could use it.
I go in and check every now and again though, just in case, they even made me stay for a cup of tea last time even though they had to say no to my blood.
Such a shame as we have our own permenant centre in Manchester and so convenient to go more often, shame they don't open on weekends and evenings though when more people are about as lunchtimes get busy. They had one in Leeds City Centre too I used to go to.
Even when they would have my blood they wouldn't let me give platelets as I don't have enough apparantly, just feel like it's such a shame as I'm so keen to give it to them and would do as often as I could if they could use it.
My heart goes out to those people who would give blood, but can not due to medical reasons. A friend's mother was all set to get her Gold Medal, but got cancer at the 48 pint stage of giving blood, and therefore did not get the coveted award. Perhaps they could give honourary medals in this case? Is there any way of feeling good without actually giving blood, if you would do it if you could? Hope some of you will become platelet donors after seeing my previous post?
Well, being a platelet donor means you have to have given blood at least once. I can not recall if they take a sample of your blood for analysis, or you have to go to a NBS centre. If you do all this, and you pass the extra tests you are now ready to give platelets. Do not take it personally if you fail this test, only 1 in 5 donors pass this test.
It will take about 80 minutes to do give them, so this is not for the impatient. See some very important rules below:
1. Have something to eat before donating; they will NOT let you eat while donating, but you can drink all you like (no, not alchol, a soft drink) during the donation.
2. DO go to the toilet before donating. If you think needles are painful just try holding out for the loo for an hour. This will be agony.
3. Do NOT ask if they pay travel expenses to the the centre. They do not and you will look mean for asking, but they do give you a parking voucher.
4. Do not be surprised if what comes out of you does not look like blood. It does not look red, it looks like pineapple juice, but you should take this as a compliment, as these are the tastiest fruits in the world.
5. Last but by no means least, do not under any circumstances move your left arm (or whichever arm is donating) as this will stop the flow of blood to the machine. You will also get a bruise in the arm, and a slap in the face from a nurse. This may sound stupid, but you can do anything else except move your donating arm, which is a cardinal sin in an NBS blood centre.
Hope this helps, and let us know how you get on. I shall expect at least one of you to do this now.
It will take about 80 minutes to do give them, so this is not for the impatient. See some very important rules below:
1. Have something to eat before donating; they will NOT let you eat while donating, but you can drink all you like (no, not alchol, a soft drink) during the donation.
2. DO go to the toilet before donating. If you think needles are painful just try holding out for the loo for an hour. This will be agony.
3. Do NOT ask if they pay travel expenses to the the centre. They do not and you will look mean for asking, but they do give you a parking voucher.
4. Do not be surprised if what comes out of you does not look like blood. It does not look red, it looks like pineapple juice, but you should take this as a compliment, as these are the tastiest fruits in the world.
5. Last but by no means least, do not under any circumstances move your left arm (or whichever arm is donating) as this will stop the flow of blood to the machine. You will also get a bruise in the arm, and a slap in the face from a nurse. This may sound stupid, but you can do anything else except move your donating arm, which is a cardinal sin in an NBS blood centre.
Hope this helps, and let us know how you get on. I shall expect at least one of you to do this now.
I did my platelet test in Leeds, where I lived at the time, at the permenant blood donor centre there.
From memory they just took a sample from me while I was there doing a general blood donation. They then came back to say I didn't have enough platelets to be a donor, think they told me at my next blood donation.
From memory they just took a sample from me while I was there doing a general blood donation. They then came back to say I didn't have enough platelets to be a donor, think they told me at my next blood donation.
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