Do you donate blood?

[Tuesday Afternoon]

Poll question: Do you donate blood?

What blood type are you?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

1. nope. foreign.

[Orrex]

5. We gots to keep our Amurkan blood pure, you see

:eyes:

[La Lioness Priyanka]

10. to be very honest the tropical ban is probably scientifically valid

i have had several tropical diseases that your body probaby cant handle :)

[Orrex]

12. Oh yeah?!? Them's fighting words! I'll show you!

Send a pint over here right now, and I'll transfuse myself just to show you that my strong Amurkan blood can handle anything. I'll gobble up those microbes and parasites and whatnot, and then I'll go run a triathlon. You'll see!


I had a friend from Europe who was bummed out that he couldn't donate because he'd eaten so much mad cow. I told him that, in fact, it was because blood is metric and therefore incompatible with our American systems.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

8. I have a question...

May I PM?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

11. surely

[raccoon]

2. A. But can't donate until '09 because I went to certain foreign country. nt

[ThomCat]

3. Nope. They won't take it.

I'm gay.

I donated on my 17th birthday, the first day I could. I donated 13 times, and then they told me I could never donate again. x(

Prejudice sucks.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

13. ~

:hug:

[Orrex]

4. O+

I've donated a little over a gallon in my time, though I haven't in several years because I became violently ill after donating.

[dembotoz]

6. was married to someone with leukemia

she got lots of transfusions before she died.

a donation is a small part of payback for me.

[supernova]

7. No, my veins are bad

Not for lack of trying.

I periodically sign up, go and then the phlebotomist can't get a good vein, it collapses. So, I go home with bruises.

[noamnety]

15. I used to have that problem.

I kept donating - I figured bruises on my end is nothing, if it saves someone's life.

Now I am no longer eligible - I was at a military base in Germany in the 80's. I assume they were selling us tainted beef at the PX, can't think of another reason the ban would only apply to military bases, not to living in Germany in general.

Note: The military has never contacted me to tell me I was at risk of exposure to anything, although it seems to be common knowledge for the Red Cross. :eyes:

[supernova]

16. That sounds silly

If it was for tainted beef from the PX and not for living in Germany in general. One assumes they would have been purchasing at least some of their meat from the surrounding area. :shrug:

My veins are bad because I've had a lot of IVs over the years. I'm not a beginner's arm. ;-)

[noamnety]

21. They had a "special" program for PX meat

What they told us was that it was part of some farmer subsidy program, so once a month or so we could get a special deal with some really cheap steaks from the US.

(I assume now that they were ditching shit they couldn't otherwise sell on us)

[Lady President]

9. O+

I donate 4-6 times a year, depending on my iron levels. I am really lucky that the company I work for encourages it. There is a Red Cross donation center in our building, so I can walk-in whenever it's convenient.

[bigwillq]

14. I haven't it years

I use to when I was in high school and college and they ran a blood drive. I haven't since.

[DarkTirade]

17. Don't have anything against it, just never have.

Several years I couldn't because I had a couple of really badly infected ingrown toenails.

Every other time someone's come to campus or somewhere I am to try and get people to donate blood I've always had SOME reason why I couldn't right then. One of those weird things, I guess. :P

[Pierre.Suave]

18. YES

because I KNOW I will probably be needing it someday...

:rofl:

[SacredCow]

19. Nope, and O+.....

I would gladly donate, but I caught teh ghey some years back (since 1977, at any rate)... :eyes:

[FloridaJudy]

20. Yes O+

Common as dirt.

[PeaceNikki]

22. Yes, and I am a blood drive coordinator.

We have them twice a year here at work.

Oh, and I am O Neg - universal donor.

[MrCoffee]

23. O-

The Red Cross loves me. The prove it by calling me all the time.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

24. Yes, O+

Red Cross has me on speed dial

[dropkickpa]

25. Yep, A+

My five year wait period ends in October (I had cancer, they make ya wait 5 years).

[WritingIsMyReligion]

26. Almost there age-wise.

Blood-wise, I think I'm your bog-standard O. :)

[Orsino]

27. Can't. Universal donor and baby-saver, but...

...I lived in Germany for three years while fighting for Freedom(tm), so I can't donate for the foreseeable future. Mad Cow fears.

[Silver Swan]

28. Yes

I donate regularly--even more now that I am retired and have the time.

But I have tiny veins, so I have to make certain I am very well hydrated before I attempt to donate, or they won't be able to find a vein.

In a strange way, I like donating blood. In addition, when I donate, I get to keep track of my blood pressure and cholesterol levels because I can go to the blood agency's online site to check my numbers.

I am A negative.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

29. My dear Tuesday Afternoon...

I used to, until I found out about giving my platelets instead...

It's a blood component that's always in short supply...

I'm o pos...


:hi:

[Tuesday Afternoon]

33. How does one go about donating platelets ..

I am also O+

:hi:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

34. See post #30...

That's how you do it!

It's painless, and they watch you like a hawk, since you're essentially helpless...

Both arms are normally involved...

But you can watch a movie!

The procedures are pretty quick these days (an hour or so) so you wouldn't get through the whole thing...

:hi:

[Kire]

30. Has anyone ever done apheresis?

where they put your blood through a centrifuge to separate the platelets from the plasma (or whatever it is they do)?

they gave me a T-shirt, that said "Apharesis Donor" in huge red letters, I wore it a couple of times, but I felt weird because you can't explain what it means to everybody you meet in public so it kind of makes you stand out like a freak

but I recommend doing it. Supposedly, it helps very advanced cases, like people who are undergoing open heart surgery and stuff.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

36. thank you for this post...

very informative.

[Kire]

41. no problem

the agency that does it here in northwest new jersey does it about on the last sunday of every month in mine hill, they also have two other locations for regular blood donations, plus the buses they send out all over the place

they had to test your blood before they even asked me, but it's definitely something to do some research about what's available in your area.

good luck

[Lyric]

31. Nope. I can't without lying.

The "Have you ever had sex with a man who's had sex with other men" question would disqualify me every time.

Oh, and I'm O+.

[Critters2]

32. Yes. For a while I couldn't because I tested positive for hepatitis A,

but that's not a permanent disqualifier, like hepatitis C. So, I give again. The church hosts a blood drive every 3 months. I'd look like a real slug if I didn't step up to the plate.

I'm A+

[sakabatou]

35. I don't think I can anymore.

:( 'Cause of my condition.

[Common Sense Party]

37. Every 3 months. O negative.

[Phoonzang]

38. No, because I'm scared.

Just being honest. I don't know what kind of blood type I have.

[KitchenWitch]

39. Nope, lymphoma survivor on the never can donate list.

[Withywindle]

40. No, i can't really.

I'm a fainter. Have had sex with bisexual men. Borderline underweight.

[applegrove]

42. No I can't anymore. Because of the meds I am on.