Blood donation

[willie2001]

We have started having a blood drive at my hospital about twice a year. I gave a donation today and I feel great. I don't know if it's the temporary loss of hgb to carry O2 to my brain, or if it's the feeling of knowing it will help someone who really needs it more than I do. Any more blood donors out there?

[MollyJ]

I'm about a three gallon donor. I don't usually donate when I'm doing clinical nursing even though I know they don't defer for that. I'd just hate to give someone something inadvertently even though I consider myself pretty faithful to universal precautions.

The American Red Cross allows donation every 56 days here in US. I have to take iron to do that or I get deferred about every 3rd donation. I agree, getting DEFERRED for any reason is like a slap. It's hard to soften it.

I've donated since my 20's and the paperwork has increased dramatically with the onset of HIV. Also, calls for greater accountability by the ARC dramatically increased paperwork. If you've been in clinical nursing, you can identify with that, right?

I try to come to my appointment well hydrated. I had a lab tech friend who recommended two big glasses of water prior to your stick and it helps alot. and then fluids after.

I salute those who donate with crummy veins. That's a big, mother bear needle and I don't know if I'd traumatize my veins for it if they weren't good. I might need my veins sometime.

I think we experienced blood donors should always be open to taking a newbie with us. It helps to go with an experienced person, but realistically I have trouble getting my own body there.

Canoe, just suck it up with the paperwork. How many times have YOUR patients been impatient with your paperwork demands. Go for it.

[J_W, DNP, APRN, CNS]

I donate every month, started donating platelets about 2 years ago, now they can get all three components (RBC, Plt, and Plasma) at the same

time, on me it takes about 70-75 minutes, one needle stick..Neat machine that does this in the apheresius room at the teaching hospital I used to work at...So I donate every month, try to sometimes it is about every 6 weeks, though because of work.....I have donated at the same place for over 6 years now, so they know me, the two techs in the apheresis room are very nice, and are the only ones I will let stick me. Some hassle in paperwork, but most of the time they have a printed label for most of the top (name, age, address, dates, etc......) I am up to 7 gallons of blood and 4 gallons of plts....Now that they take all three components at once, I do not know how they count them......

[P_RN, ADN, RN]

The Red Cross is the only game in town. Last time I donated the clerk told me they had plenty of all kinds of blood, so they were planning to sell units to other places! My B+ Hct was just ordinary....my platelets were low though. They did take a unit .

I realize that the banks DO transfer units between them...but DON'T TELL me that!

[uncRN]

i donate every 6 weeks, just to do my part...also they always tell you to EAT WELL! that day , so i reward myself with a fancy dinner out on the town somewhere!

[Whisper]

i have been to blood donors today, and I want to change my answer, I feel sh*t!! the stubi woman who took the needle out, and put a plaster then a wad of gauze on my arm, thought it would need securing with some micropore. So she wound a strip completely around my arm a few times, far too tight and cut off my circulation, i tried to tell someone there to help me pull it off, but they know I am a student nurse, and they thought I was trying to pull an I know better routine!! By the time, I walked home, my fingers were going blue(i couldn't get the stupid tape of my self, I really tried but it was just to thick, and wound round too many times) So now my arm, is very sore, and I have a bruise bigger than my hand around my elbow. I don't think I'll walk in to blood donors with such a spring in my step in 13 weeks time! Plus I said I wanted to go on the bone marrow register but now I am scared of that as well.

I know i is realy stupid, but i HATE needles, but i have a really common blood group tht they always need so I have always gone, but am now feeling the urge to get my ears pierced again, or maybe a tatoo... that will put it off for at least a year.... I just hope i won't chicken out of going back

Oh well thanks for letting me rant,

[boggle, ASN, RN]

something to remember:

When the blood drive is at the fire station or VFW hall, you get store bought cookies.

When the blood drive is at the church, you get homemade, church ladies' cookies!!!!!!!! :chuckle :chuckle

[SaturnGirl]

I hit my 8 gallon mark in January of this year. I just gave again two days ago, and it was the most painful I've ever had!! I love giving, and have talked my 17 year old son into it recently, and I've never had the burning/pinching/poking pain I had this week! Normally the nurse slides that needle in, and I push out the pint in 5 minutes or less, but man! I felt like he was slicing my arm with a razor blade.

[nursegoodguy]

alternative lifestyle... they don't want your blood! Even if it is a monogamous 16 year alternative lifestyle!