Blood Donors

As i was doing the walk of shame after not being able to donate, past other people donating, i did notice they weren"t serving hot drinks. Hope they still do Tuc biscuits!

I was offered a cup of tea last time, GrandmaKT. And a packet of Seabrook crisps as well as a Club biscuit. I had one of each.

I give blood regularly (and no, I've never had my blood pressure taken).
The last few times, afterwards I've been offered a biscuit, as usual, but only cold drinks (water or squash) have been available "because of Covid"!
I'd be interested to know if this is the same in other doning centres and if anyone knows why? Everywhere else seems able to serve hot drinks with no problems!

I donated for many years more than 25 pints then they brought a rule that if you have had a blood transfusion you could no longer donate, I had one after my C section in the '80s and again after an operation in recent years. I have enquired a few times if any thing has changed but been told no. So unfortunately am no longer able to donate.

GrannyMac

Another reason to give blood as you have just said, it can pick up various issues, anaemia and similar, and flag it up before it gets serious.

On the back of this thread I tried to give blood today sadly not enough iron. .going to try hard to get it back up.

I agree that, if we can, giving blood is one of the most worthwhile things we can do. That is true even if we don't have a rare blood group. I have donated my very common A+ blood for many years and have always been welcomed.

My blood group is B Rh + , and pretty rare, and I was welcomed with open arms when I first donated, but I can no longer be a donor now due to health problems.

I am O negative and gave blood regularly for years until I had breast cancer.

Cafeaulait I can't, I've checked again. It's sad. I also have a rare type of antibody as a result of the transfusion so I think that is another reason I can't from what I remember.

I really do agree that donating blood is one of the best things any adult can do. No blood pressure reading is taken, it is quick, simple and painfree.

Donated mine for several years, then when I was on long-term steroid treatments was told I could no longer donate. Followed by a big operation and receiving lots of other peoples donated blood.

Do wish more about this was spoken about to teenagers at school and college. Sure more donors could be found if this waa done.q

VioletSky

I can't give blood as I hemmoraged 3 times after birth (they left in a piece of placenta that eventually came out at home much to my horror) so I have received blood.

Thank you to those who save lives

You should still be able to donate. I had a number of transfusions after a birth and it's not a barrier. It's why I really do want to give back. I feel like I owe them a few.

Wishing you well, nexus63.

i just checked the requirements and i can't as i have had cancer, i have had 2 different types in 3 years, in recovery at the moment from operation last month.

Grannmarie

That's very interesting, Growstuff, I wonder when they stopped using female plasma donations?
I got the impression that it was my antibodies that were useful to them?

It could be. Usually antibodies in plasma aren't a good thing, but I guess they are if specific ones are needed.

Thank you, Ladystardust.

BridgetPark - It is interesting isn't it! I rang the blood donor helpline a while ago and they explained everything to me. Although I'm not sure why I managed to donate so much in the 80s and 90s and very little over the last 20 years. Research probably showed it wasn't suitable any more!
growstuff - I think your link is the page I copied and pasted my info from!
Grannmarie – Plasma is still taken from women but those who don't have AB+ blood. (I think!)

Thanks EkwaNimitee

That's very interesting, Growstuff, I wonder when they stopped using female plasma donations?
I got the impression that it was my antibodies that were useful to them?

Calendargirl I believe a pint of blood can be taken weekly if you have genetic haemochromatosis and your ferritin levels (and thus your iron stores) are really high. It's only for a limited time till the levels are sufficiently reduced. Too much iron absorption stores in the body organs and can lead to various conditions.

I gave blood once - years ago, but the demand for AB platelets isn't high and there's usually a much bigger stock than there is of other types. As I expect you know, AB platelets can only be used for people with AB blood - about 1 in 50 I think.

Since then, I've always been told that my blood isn't needed.

growstuff

Kali2

growstuff

As a female with AB positive blood, I'm afraid mine isn't needed.

wow, a rare twin

Indeed! By coincidence, my ex-husband is AB positive too, but he donated blood because, as a male, his plasma was used.

I've always given blood ... until I moved to Europe where Brits who lived in the UK during the CJD crisis are not allowed to give blood as we are considered high risk.

The NHS Blood Service site states that female plasma isn't used:

www.blood.co.uk/why-give-blood/how-blood-is-used/blood-components/plasma/

When I was a young mum in the 1980s, I used to donate my O Rh negative blood every 6 weeks in a process called plasmapheresis ( ??spelling).

Basically they would take a pint of my blood, separate the cells from the plasma, then return my red cells, so I didn't become anaemic.

A car from the Scottish Blood Transfusion Service would pick me up from my workplace ( I wasn't driving then) then take me home after the procedure.

I had given blood six monthly before that, "repaying" the many donated pints my brother had received before he died of leukaemia aged 12.

However, after I had the rubella vaccine when I started teaching, and also caught chicken pox, I developed antibodies which were very useful for treating sick babies. This was picked up from a regular donation, then I was invited to come 6 weekly. I did this until I was expecting DS2.

I didn't now that you could still donate in your 60s, I will look into that, happy to do it again.

I'm not sure if I've remembered all the details correctly, it was a long time ago. Maybe Ladystardust knows about this, but I was definitely a female donating plasma in the 70s/ early 80s.

I give about every 6 months, but DH goes about every 3/4 months. He is O negative which can be given to anyone, so he's always in demand.
I consider it part of our civic duty, which sounds terribly old fashioned, but when I hear of friends getting regular transfusions for various reasons, it makes me realise how important blood is. As far as I know we can't manufacture it, so it can only come from one source - ourselves.