Anyone give blood?

[lakiluno]

It's that time of the year again - 12 weeks (friday) since I last did it, so I'm off to give again!

I got a card in the post today telling me my blood type, which is O- (good for the hospital, not so great for me, but I'll live)... :D

So - do you? I know it's slightly different in the USA (you get paid, so I hear!), and that there's a long list of things that stop you (cold, gay, lived in europe (for those in the US), lived in the US (for those in europe :D) etc etc etc) but I assume some of you can...

Or are you afraid of needles?

[Ronald S. Jr.]

Nah, I don't give blood. I don't know what type I am, either. Get paid? Interesting. It'd have to be an awful lot for me to. Ever read those stories of people trying to do good, and they get blessed with some awful disease because the half witted red cross "worker" made a mistake?

[SoaringUSAEagle]

I give blood when they have to run tests on me lol.

[Village_Idiot]

I did once. It was for a girl. I'll never do anything that dumb again.

[steved110]

Nah, I don't give blood. I don't know what type I am, either. Get paid? Interesting. It'd have to be an awful lot for me to. Ever read those stories of people trying to do good, and they get blessed with some awful disease because the half witted red cross "worker" made a mistake?

Perfectly safe to give, rather more risky to receive! But these days they separate out the blood products - cells, platelets, fresh frozen plasma - so you can tailor the product to the needs of the recipient. We are just gaining access to these products from the first commercial canine blood bank in the UK.

I think if you would ever accept a blood transfusion you really ought to be willing to donate as well......how many of us are registered organ donors?

In the UK you don't get paid for any tissue donation, be it blood or heart etc. It's a bit creepy thinking you received the gift of life from someone who just needed a few bucks.

I'm so darn squeamish about human stuff, I can't watch....:confused:

[Bootsie]

You don't get paid to give blood here (at least where Iam), but you do get paid for giving plasma. They take out your blood spin out the plasma, and pump everything else back in. I think that you get paid about $20 and you can do it 2 times week (could be wrong on the details, I have never done it).

I have never given blood, because I have really low blod pressure, so i think that it would mess me up. It is supposed to be really good for your body to give blood every so often.

[Radtech1]

"A" positive.

Don't get paid, but I do get out of 2 hours work, and a FREE carton of orange juice!:lol: So for me, it is every 12 weeks.

Rad

[GPR1]

I regularly give; according to my Red Cross card I've given 48 units lifetime! It's about the easiest way to do something nice for a stranger.

We do have a lot of restrictions. Whenever I travel to malaria areas outside the US I have to wait a year before I can give again.

As said above, people don't get paid for giving blood; most of them give through the Red Cross or other non-profit organizations. People who give plasma might get paid, depending on where they do it. At one time it was a popular way for college students to get a little extra cash.

[Curtis N]

I donate on occasion.

But I would donate more often if the blood bank hired nurses the same way Hooter's hired waitresses.

I'm just sayin...

[Village_Idiot]

I donate on occasion.

But I would donate more often if the blood bank hired nurses the same way Hooter's hired waitresses.

I'm just sayin...

Then you could flash them while you're getting poked in the arm :mrgreen:

[deadpass]

definately no money in donating blood, plasma is where it's at, i survived a whole summer on donating my white blood cells.

[Chandler.]

I did once. It was for a girl. I'll never do anything that dumb again.

It's not that dumb. It all gets used by people who need it.

Perfectly safe to give, rather more risky to receive!

I've received a whole lot of blood, about 77 units, and I'm still disease free :D. It is a risky thing though.

[Tumak]

Gave whenever they had a blood drive at work or near by. Never been paid. No big deal to donate. Big deal to who ever receives it though. Much better to give than to recieve in this case. Give it up.

[Becca]

I've got my gallon pin. I've been giving blood since I was in college. And no, we don't get paid for it here in the US (unless you count the cookie they give you afterwards!)

[Village_Idiot]

It's not that dumb. It all gets used by people who need it.


Not the giving blood part...the doing it for a girl part.

[Curtis N]

What you're supposed to do is give blood together with the girl, then take her out for beers.

Much less beer is required.

[neil85]

i did once but the nurses made me not want to again ... well its not that i wont do it again i just havent ever made it to the drive to give.


i was 18, it was at school (but the local blood bank people doin it) and i gave cuz the gf at the time was in student council.

it took 2 nurses 10 minutes of poking proding pinching and everything else to get the needle in my vein. it then took me 20 minutes to fill up the pint bag becuase needles dont scare me and i was as calm as could be, plus laying there makes ya relax & feel lazy haha.

i had the little squishy ball the pump away on (that sounds bad lol) and even that didnt help. the nurse then kept complaining that she needed to keep moving the needle becuase my blood would coagulate at the needle and quit pumping.

[20droger]

Have given well over my share.

Can't give anymore, though. I contracted hepatitis (not from donating blood!). Once you've had hep, your donating days are done.

[tin.risky]

I'm also O-, it says so on my donor card! I've only done it once, but if the opportunity came around again, I'd go for it. Being the universal donor blood type, I feel a certain responsibility to give blood. I wouldn't want one of my loved ones (or myself) to ever need it and not have enough available. Plus, free cookies and juice!

[RudyN]

I am a couple of donations short of 5 gallons. Have been giving it for quite a long while. The only dangerous part about giving blood is from eating to many cookies afterward! I have stopped for a while because the last time the red Cross called they were kind of snotty on the phone. I may or may not star up again. B+

[queenbee288]

The last time I donated blood it was to get on the National Bone Marrow donor list. If I ever match up with someone that needs a bone marrow transplant they will call me. So far no calls. I signed up for this after watching the program about St Jude Children's Hospital.
I am B negative so it would be rare for me to match but if I did then I might be the only one that could save that child's life.
The more people who are on the list - the greater the chance that a match can be made for someone desperately needing it. HINT HINT

[SlowBlink]

I've given a couple times but haven't thought of it in the last couple years. I've got everything checked off on my recycle er I mean Donor Card. Thanks for the reminder, it's easy to do and always needed.