Help! I want to give blood, but I can't...

[2banurse]

About 4 years ago, I gave blood...I didn't have to great of an experience (not having an appropriate breakfast). I was about 80% of the way through when I started feeling lightheaded and they took out the needle.

Then about 2 years ago, I tried again (trying to eat a better breakfast) but I found myself feeling woozy all over again, remembering I guess. :eek:

Any advice would be appreciated, as I really would love to be able to give blood.

Kris

[mario_ragucci]

Third try is what did it for me. Heh, I was a new marine, after bootcamp, in radio school. They had a blood drive and would give you half a day off if you gave blood. I figured the first two times were a fluke, and had some how "grown up" at age 19. I didn't say anything to the phleb people about fainting, so they left me alone a minute or two. They said I drifted way out, and that my lips turned completely white.

One day when i grow up i'd like to understand how all those hormones and glands control sympathetic nervous system. You see, on the one hand, you are telling your body to relax and squeeze a ball and give blood. On the other hand, YOUR BODY is saying "whoa-if i'm loosing blood, I'm supposed to be running out of here" In some people, there are hard wired receptors that only function in a fight/flight mode, and for me it's my Hb monitors. Folks who can give blood can over-ride their sympathetic nervous circuitry. Just like I have no problem going into a steam room and hanging out for 15 minutes and some folks are hot in just 5 minutes. Everyone is different - don't beat yourself up for not giving blood, for what? I have to look up now which mechanism is involved with monitoring Hb levels in the blood. It is hard to accept, at first, you are different from others who can give blood. But just as their are type O,B,A blood...there will be folks who can't tolerate active tissue removal.

I'm surprised giving blood hasn't gone over big as a weight loss method. Lose a pound in an hour, lol!

[micro, RN]

I am always just a bit low on Fe+, no matter how good I eat, vitamins I take, etc.......

I used to think...........like I should be giving.......I usually try to think about about giving every five years........

thinking about it is about all that it is worth to me.........

in the scheme of things.....if you cannot give, don't give......

it is not a failing

there are other ways to 'give life' and 'give'.........just be yourself.....hey, volunteer at the bloodbank if you cannot give.....then you are still part of the process of .............

also, I hate, absolutely hate needles entering my body of any kind............

micro and out

[mario_ragucci]

Does anyone know/can explain what/if/how a mammal monitors it's own onboard RBC? Like, I know there is a clotting cascade which occurs during a break in tissue. we lernt that in AP. Mammals body clotting reaction is localized, so all your blood doesn't clot at the same time. There must be some brain center or gland monitoring blood loss/gain. So your heart would be totally aware of the loss of blood during a donation, and a mammal can compensate by vaso-constriction, right?

I beseach you to explain what pathways contribute to homeostasis r/t blood loss/gain. Why do you get a sick feeling, and why does RBC loss/gain knock out a seemly willing person whose hydrated and normal? I'm sorry. i gots to know :-( [in your debt] :kiss