Blood types/donation?

Animavore · #1 by **Animavore** » Aug 28, 2010 9:44 pm

Does anyone else here give blood on a regular basis?
If so: What blood type are you?
And why do you give?

I give blood every three months.
Why? I'm not sure. It's just something I do. I've never felt charitable or even helpful. The only reason I started is because I was working with this guy in 2001 and he went to the blood clinic one day during our break and I went in with him and as I was there I just signed up and let them have their way with me.
Now they send me a letter every three months to go to the mobile blood bank when it arrives at the local secondary school. I go in. Get the life sucked out of me and go home. It takes no more than an hour out of my time. When I had done it ten times they gave me a silver pin I could wear on my lapel, or something. I don't even think it's any effort and have never felt any reason to be awarded for it. Only reason I thought to do this thread is because I was looking to see if there were any loose cigarettes lying about and I found the pin, still in it's little box, dusty and forgotten.
I'm not even sure my blood gets used most of the time as it's only used on new born babies if they need a transfusion because my type can take any blood (AB+). If I went into hospital they can give me whatever's there. Some B- blood left lying around nearing it's use-by-date? Not a problem. Just bung it in there.
I hear in America they pay you for your bodily fluids?

There's a poll above also. I want to see if atheists blood group percentages are in line with the populous or are we mutants?

I've allowed re-voting in case you get a genetic mutation off a radioactive-spider bite and it changes. Or if make a mistake.

Dracena · #2 by **Dracena** » Aug 28, 2010 9:54 pm

I don't because I have allergies so they don't want my blood.

I've heard that here in Ireland blood donors used to be given the choice of either a sandwich and juice or a Guiness,
after donating blood. Supposedly Guiness contains a fair amount of iron. Can anyone confirm this?

Animavore · #3 by **Animavore** » Aug 28, 2010 9:57 pm

They still do give you a bottle of Guinness if you want.
They also have lots of munchies like crisps, chocolate, biscuits...etc.
Don't know if they ever gave you a sandwich. I'll have to ask my granddad.

EDIT: Whoa. That was weird. My granddad's dead these last three years. I completely forgot.

Denny · #4 by **Denny** » Aug 28, 2010 10:12 pm

I'm HIV positive that i'm B negative!

Dracena · #5 by **Dracena** » Aug 28, 2010 10:12 pm

Thanks for the info, wow on the Guiness :lol:

Animavore · #6 by **Animavore** » Aug 28, 2010 10:13 pm

Guinness is full of iron.

Animavore · #7 by **Animavore** » Aug 28, 2010 10:28 pm

Maybe this should've been put in the General Discussion section?

:ask:

Callan · #8 by **Callan** » Aug 28, 2010 10:48 pm

I give because I'm O Neg and the Blood people text to nag me if I don't.
I can't handle the guilt.
:sad:

Animavore · #9 by **Animavore** » Aug 28, 2010 10:51 pm

Callan wrote:I give because I'm O Neg and the Blood people text to nag me if I don't.
I can't handle the guilt.

Ah, you're like my polar opposite. You can give to everyone, but only take from your own kind. I can only give to my own kind but I can take everyone else's.
Even my blood is selfish :smug:

kiore · **#10** by **kiore** » Aug 28, 2010 11:01 pm

I used to be a regular donor from age 15 0 Rh+Kel+,have a naturally high PCV and Hb so gave sometimes monthly as required and was an on call donor for a while. Unfortunately now due to my contact with various infectious diseases I am unable to give blood again, if I ever spend more than 2 years outside of at risk regions and get a clearance I may do so again.
In NZ they gave you chocolate and coffee then (as a student) you could race of to the pub and get drunk cheap. In Australia they used to give you a can of beer (maybe still do), was a bit surprised by that but appreciated, not so good when you live in an area with out a regular collection point and you have to go in your lunchtime to donate when a visiting unit arrives. :drunk:

Firetail · **#11** by **Firetail** » Aug 28, 2010 11:57 pm

I'm an on and off donor, I do it when it's convenient to me. Much to the frustration of the nice nurses at the blood clinic.

They always seem to want by blood, 0+.. Thought 0- was the universal blood but they all ooh and aah when I come in.. Makes me feel kinda weird about it.

Animavore · **#12** by **Animavore** » Aug 29, 2010 12:09 am

Nurses are a weird bunch. One day I was there, squeezing my doggy chew-toy to get the juices flowing, and the nurse said to me, "So. Where do you get your good blood from?"
I was like

"Your blood," she explained, "It's a strong type. Do you get it from your mum or your dad?"
I just shrugged my shoulders, "I dunno."
I suddenly didn't want them getting their medical hands on my blood.

Millefleur · **#13** by **Millefleur** » Aug 29, 2010 12:31 am

I've so far been too young, on far too many drugs, pregnant, breastfeeding, or lazy/busy, roughly in that order. I think I'm AB-, though it may be AB+, had to give blood every month for tests while pregnant but that was 3 years ago, can't be sure of blood type without digging for medical documents. I see the signs up from time to time and think I must go but its probably not a good idea with small children and a dog in tow. Also I've been told I have 'incompetant veins', during pregnancy drawing blood usually involved one midwife jabbing me in various spots for 5 minutes before calling in another midwife to do the same, followed by a nurse and then a doctor if one was available, finishing with me staggering out with bruised and bloodied bandaged arms, leaving behind a pile of discarded half-filled tubes and a group of embarrassed medical proffessionals. I spent two full pregnancies with arms constantly so bady bruised it hurt to bend them at the elbow, but funnily enough if I cut myself I can bleed for England. Maybe the blood harvesters can just give me a bucket and jab me with a pin.

'Scuse my spelling, my keyboards a c*nt and i don't have a spellcheck to tell me when I've not hit a key hard enough, o too hard.

mmmcheezy · **#14** by **mmmcheezy** » Aug 29, 2010 12:33 am

I give blood when I remember--usually only once or twice a year. It used to be that I kept getting piercings, so I couldn't give on a regular basis [you have to wait 6 months from getting pierced to give blood here, and a full year if you've gotten a tattoo, I think].
I'm AB+. I can't recall what that means.
I do it just because it feels natural, like it's just something I do. I grew up with my dad giving blood several times a year, so it just feels like a running appointment you keep.

natselrox · **#15** by **natselrox** » Aug 29, 2010 2:42 am

Be positive.

Ash · **#16** by **Ash** » Aug 29, 2010 3:29 am

O+, which is Ireland's most common type.
I donate every 3 months and do it because it helps others and does no harm to me - I don't feel faint or get bruises, or have any bad side effects at all. So far. Plus my blood can be given to any Rh+ person, so it must be useful.

My dad has been giving blood every 3 months for as long as I can remember, he got a gold lapel pin when he reached 50 donations. When I was small it was just a normal thing he did, and I started to go along to the clinics with him in the last year or so. I get free biscuits and coffee in my clinic, along with free pencils and a different extra item each time. Last month it was a little beach ball.

Weaver · **#17** by **Weaver** » Aug 29, 2010 5:28 am

I am O-NEG. I have donated in the past, a couple of gallons or so (over 10 liters for sure) but my Army-sponsored "travel" to Kosovo, Iraq and A-stan have taken me off the doner lists - I think for life. I would donate again if they would take my blood.

keypad5 · **#18** by **keypad5** » Aug 29, 2010 5:35 am

Ya know... I'm not actually sure of my blood type. :shock:

I think it's A something... :think:

I don't give blood because I'm on the 'do not want' list. :coffee:

inkaStepa · **#19** by **inkaStepa** » Aug 29, 2010 6:26 am

Both my parents are O so I'm pretty sure I'm like OO or something...I always wanted to give someone my blood but chickened out. It's on my to-do list as of right now!

cherries · **#20** by **cherries** » Aug 29, 2010 7:08 am

A negative,like to give it a try(giving blood)when i'm a bit more independent than now.