blood donation

[Logos]

Well, I have just had a drawing because of my doctor, and I didn't find it so annoying as I expected it to be, but I'm not sure if it's the same thing!

Well where I go to do donations they've got music playing and or a television on to the newschannel or somesuch, there's at any given time 2-7 other people doing donations, so, lots of distractions going on that you can focus on, or talk to other people I've met many regulars now. They also cover up the needle injection site with gauze once things get going and cover most of the tubing so you can't see. And like I said it takes from about 5-20mins from start to finish.

[Silvia]

aargh! I don't think I could bear watching my blood flowing through a tube...at least they cover it!!
Could it take 20 minutes?? to be honest, I thought much less!
Anyway, talking to peole is a good way of relaxing your mind, as well as counting, like Isagel said!
In my opinin, the doctor's behaviour and attitude really helps you feeling comfortable and safe...if you find friendly people, everything turns out well!!

[Virgil]

aargh! I don't think I could bear watching my blood flowing through a tube...at least they cover it!!
Could it take 20 minutes?? to be honest, I thought much less!
Anyway, talking to peole is a good way of relaxing your mind, as well as counting, like Isagel said!
In my opinin, the doctor's behaviour and attitude really helps you feeling comfortable and safe...if you find friendly people, everything turns out well!!

I agree with that last statement. And it does take 20-30 minutes but youcan turn your head and not watch.

[Logos]

Could it take 20 minutes?? to be honest, I thought much less!
Anyway, talking to peole is a good way of relaxing your mind, as well as counting, like Isagel said!
In my opinin, the doctor's behaviour and attitude really helps you feeling comfortable and safe...if you find friendly people, everything turns out well!!

From what I've been told, (and again it might be different in various parts of the world as far as procedures) but if between the 15-20 minute mark the bag is not filling up anymore they stop and remove the needle, the nurses/phlebotomists/technicians are constantly watching that everything is going ok

It doesn't hurt once the needle is in and taped into place so it doesn't move. They have that cutoff time so as not to cause undue stress on the vein/insertion site, especially for people like me who now just use one arm, my other one the vein is hard to get at. Here too you can ask to have the same person/nurse/phlebotomist do your donations everytime you go in if you prefer one over another. But really they are all such nice people where I go, they really do go way out of their way to make you comfortable and happy because blood is increasingly such a necessary product for so many different types of surgeries and treatments and they are so grateful to people who give blood.

[ClaesGefvenberg]

Could it take 20 minutes?? to be honest, I thought much less!

It has never ever taken more than five minutes for me, but as the others say, different procedures as well as equipment can make a huge difference.

/Claes

[Nightshade]

I did it at last!!!!!
then I fainte don them.... oops well not a whole faint but they had to stop it a minute or so early becuase I went OI is this supposed to happen , then the nurses said that I was about to faint.
STil Ive done it and Ill go back in 4-6 months and do it again, only this time Ill make sure m not tierd to start with.

[B-Mental]

I have given blood many times, but the funny thing is that the Red Cross won't let me donate blood. Apparently its because I served in the US Army in Germany back during the Mad Cow Disease scare of the late 80's and early 90's. I have to go to an underground blood donation center...joking. The place I used to go to always gave away T-shirts(some sort of marketing scheme I guess).

[ClaesGefvenberg]

I did it at last!!!!!

Good on you Nightshade

then I fainte don them.... oops well not a whole faint but they had to stop it a minute or so early becuase I went OI is this supposed to happen , then the nurses said that I was about to faint.

Oh... Well, let's hope that doesn't happen next time, then... My guess is that you were a bit tense, that being your first time and all... You'll probably be all right next time.

/Claes

[Logos]

I did my 8th donation on the 14th, and thankfully it was a full one, unlike my 7th one where the bag only filled halfway before it stopped. I also filled out the initial bone marrow registry application. Night, there have been a few times too where all of a sudden I'm getting vertigo while sitting in the chair because I'm so nervous, the nurse said the #1 reason for that is a person is not breathing properly so I did my yoga breathing and it worked out great.

.

World Blood Donor Day

is June 14th, 2007, which Canada will be hosting

http://www.wbdd.org/

.

[andave_ya]

I've never given blood but I'm so scared that every time I get an inoculation I'm afraid I'm going to cry. And I don't.

[Nightshade]

do yu get pressies? http://www.blood.co.uk/pages/b9_blood.html
I got my red card and stickers...in a couple more months Ill work up to another donation I guess

[Taliesin]

About half a month ago We saw our mobile phone ring, took it up, AND THE HORRORS! Someone called BLOOD was calling us!

Luckily, we gathered our wits and answered the phone, who turned out to be the vampi... blood bank, who wanted our BLOOD! We told them that we had a lesson in about two or three hours but then we just went and gave some.
Twas quite a good reason of being absent from lesson.
(We were needed! It was our duty! You wouldn't want someone to have died because there was no more blood wouldn't you? See, a good reason.)

Plus, we got a cup which claims it is a good person:

[Logos]

Night, wow! you get a key thingie on the second donation? I will get pressies when I do my tenth Keychain with flashlight, a donor pin, and a pic on the Wall of Fame(?) Just did my ninth donation few days ago, yay! another full one, took minimal time to fill, double yay.

Tal that's a lovely mug you've got there!

[Bakiryu]

I want to donate blood, but I can't till I'm of age. Even thought I really DISLIKE needles, I would do it. For saving people and all that, and of course: for the free cookies!

[Mortis Anarchy]

I've only donated once...which ended up with them calling me up saying that they need me to donate blood platlets because I have such a high amount...I'm going tommorrow to donate. I'm excited!

When I first donated blood, I got mardi gras beads and a t-shirt...plus some tasty drinks!