blood donation

I gave my first donation a while ago, but wow, the people that have to deal with this every day are unbelievable I have so much respect for them. I've never really been bothered by needles, I mean getting shots in the arm since I was a kid, I'm used to them, but this thing scared the hell outta me. They show it, show me where they're putting it, and oh my, I had to do all I could to prevent fainting when the moment was near. But Im more than happy to give, and will continue to as often as possible, despite my fears.

Hey congrats Taliesin and TEND! :thumbs_up
I know, everytime I go there's the long questionnaire to fill out which I don't mind, and every time, the needle part still squicks me out :p

Is it true that in some countries those who donate blood will get paid for it?

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Originally Posted by Neovia

Is it true that in some countries those who donate blood will get paid for it?

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Yes, you get paid for it here in the US, at least we do in my neck of the woods. My husband donates plasma and he get's 20 bucks every time he does it. I know people who do it as a sort of second job, which is a little odd but I guess if it gets people in the door, it's good.

In Canada you don't get paid for whole blood donations, but I don't know about pay for platelets, plasma, or bone marrow donations.

So I did my sixth donation a few days ago and it went even faster than the last one! just over 5mins. I wasn't sure if I would be able to do it because I'm on a (fairly common) medication right now, but the nurse said it was no problem. There was (annoying) Christmas music playing, and cookies and Christmas pudding to eat afterward (yummy) :D

This U.K. site has some interesting links to movies/animations about blood donation:

http://www.channel4.com/health/micro...hal_blood.html

These sites have some interesting info about Myths and FAQ's about blood donation :)

http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu...rive/myths.cfm
http://www.jeevan.org/abtdon_myths.php
http://www.cjbcblood.org/whealth/pg3a.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/leicester/conte..._feature.shtml
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I'd like to, but we don't know if I might be anemic or something, so I'd have to get some serious tests done beforehand. Besides which, anyone who got a blood transfusion from me would probably bounce like a ball out of the hospital and ricochet their way home...

They do a very simple finger prick test (every time one goes), adding the drop of blood to some chemical and it shows them right away if your iron levels are within the 'norm' range. If the drop sinks fast you're good, if it floats at top you might be anemic.

Fabulous! Beats a huge blood draw to find out at the doctor, and if I win I get to give blood and win a prize...

prize? well here at least you get tons of cookies, tarts, donuts etc. :lol:

Prize of finding out I'm okay, but sugar's good too! ~grabs bag of sweets and runs away cackling...~

Good job, Taliesin and TEND. Welcome to the ranks :thumbs_up

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Originally Posted by Logos

I wasn't sure if I would be able to do it because I'm on a (fairly common) medication right now, but the nurse said it was no problem.

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Yeah, that is something to think about. If I'm on medication I simply call them before the visit, to find out if they want me to drop by or not.

Good links. Thank's for sharing them :thumbs_up

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Originally Posted by Misscaroline

anyone who got a blood transfusion from me would probably bounce like a ball out of the hospital and ricochet their way home...

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That seems to indicate that you are anything but anemic... :D

/Claes

It's weird. I'm exhausted all the time, but I seem to be an energy absorber... Dunno. Though I'd love for them to tell me what's wrong with me...

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Originally Posted by Misscaroline

It's weird. I'm exhausted all the time, but I seem to be an energy absorber... Dunno. Though I'd love for them to tell me what's wrong with me...

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How many hours of sleep do you get? You should go get a formal blood test. You might be diabetic. You might have thyroid problem.

Oh, who knows? Robin suggested that the current symptoms I'm exhibiting could be cystic fibrosis (don't shoot me for spelling) or some such. They just don't know. Everytime I go to the doctor, it's the basic disease test, never blood. They've taken my blood a few times, but not alot recently. And when they do, I never hear anything back about it. I think I should start asking... Basically, my immune system is shot through pretty much, and I have bad circulation on top of everything else. They can't figure me out, so I stop complaining to them. They just take my money and say growth phase or virus...~grumble...~ But thanks for the sentiment, Virg. And I assure you, if I were diabetic, I'd be dead by now. I live off of sugar...