I was up to 101 when the cardiologist put me on some medications that aren't allowed for blood donors in the U.S. That was 6 years ago. My wife said that she would step in for me, and she donated platelets a few times, but she is borderline anemic and they turn her away over half the time .
Dale
Hum... I scared to death a poor train attendant yesterday. I fainted in the train after donating (even though I had something to drink/eat afterwards).
It's surprising how such accidents tend to bring the best out of people: I was overwhelmed with offers of snacks and drinks from perfect strangers.
It's surprising how such accidents tend to bring the best out of people: I was overwhelmed with offers of snacks and drinks from perfect strangers.
if you want to make the very best use of your donation time ask if your donation location has an Apheresis program. In this program they do not collect whole blood but rater specific components such as plasma white cell and platelets. Your actual volume of donation is dependent upon your body mass. The amount of good you will do and lives that you will help to save is many many times greater when you make this king of donation compared to a pint of hole blood.
In order to collect specific blood components you blood a small quantity of your blood must be drawn off into a centrifuge to separate the desired component then they return the remainder of your blood back to you and repeat the process until they have the determined quantity for your donation.
I started doing back in the 80's. At that time they drew the blood from one arm and returned it into the other you were on the machine about an hour and a half and you could not move your arms. they had to give you a drink from a straw and scratch your nose for you. Today both draw and return are done through the same needle in just one arm and the process for me now takes around an hour from into the chair to out. One of the great thing about Apheresis is that you can donate every two weeks. Most all of my donations were for platelets and white cells. I had to stop after a lot of years of regular donation due to a heart attack and I was removed from the program. I still miss donating. It was a redeeming feeling to know no matter what I may have done that twice a month I could make a life changing difference for a number of people I did not even know and who would never know me. Rather than donate to charity where I would wonder if my donation would ever make it to the hands of those intended I knew every drop of my blood was helping to make a life altering difference.
In order to collect specific blood components you blood a small quantity of your blood must be drawn off into a centrifuge to separate the desired component then they return the remainder of your blood back to you and repeat the process until they have the determined quantity for your donation.
I started doing back in the 80's. At that time they drew the blood from one arm and returned it into the other you were on the machine about an hour and a half and you could not move your arms. they had to give you a drink from a straw and scratch your nose for you. Today both draw and return are done through the same needle in just one arm and the process for me now takes around an hour from into the chair to out. One of the great thing about Apheresis is that you can donate every two weeks. Most all of my donations were for platelets and white cells. I had to stop after a lot of years of regular donation due to a heart attack and I was removed from the program. I still miss donating. It was a redeeming feeling to know no matter what I may have done that twice a month I could make a life changing difference for a number of people I did not even know and who would never know me. Rather than donate to charity where I would wonder if my donation would ever make it to the hands of those intended I knew every drop of my blood was helping to make a life altering difference.
Yeah, I felt the same way.
In my area there's a fairly high turnover of the nurses in the Red Cross donation centers, but a few were around long enough to recognize the "regulars" and, when business was slow, we'd occasionally chat. But I always liked to get somebody who didn't recognize me. When they start the collection they always put a tennis ball or squishy toy in your hand and instruct you to "Squeeze gently every few seconds." .
To which I'd respond, "You want gentle squeezes? Honey, if you need gentle squeezes, you've come to the RIGHT GUY!"
Dale
I was on Xarelto (blood thinner) for almost a year, and then had to wait for 6 months for everything to normalise before I was allowed to donate again. In South Africa all donations are voluntary (blood, platelets and plasma.) No payment ever. One can also do autologous donation if you know that you are going to have surgery within a short time, so that they have your own blood should it be required.
I need to get my **** into a donation booth next week. People do stupid thing on the road here, especially this time of year.
I need to get my **** into a donation booth next week. People do stupid thing on the road here, especially this time of year.
I don't know if the time intervals in the U.S. are identical, but they're similar. It's reassuring to know that several countries seem to have essentially the same criteria.
OK, I will give platelets again...nice and juicy and CMV negative!
Peculiar about CVID -- one son has no antibodies and his wife, a doc, has. Dr. Sunetra Gupta of Oxford explained that the tests will always stink.
Platelets from good donors are highly desired for preemies and immune compromised patients.
Peculiar about CVID -- one son has no antibodies and his wife, a doc, has. Dr. Sunetra Gupta of Oxford explained that the tests will always stink.
Platelets from good donors are highly desired for preemies and immune compromised patients.
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