Giving the gift of life

[Rocky]

Here's a random question: any of you guys give blood? Do you enjoy saving lives? Do you have an intense phobia of needles? What keeps you from doing it/not doing it?

Yeah, I give blood every 2-3 months or so. I started back when I was a young 16 year old, looking for a way to get out of my World History class, so I wouldn't have to give a presentation that I didn't do, lol. We used to have a blood drive at school every trimester, it was a pretty legit way to get out of class. It wasn't such a bad deal, the forms that you have to fill out each time gets kinda repetitive, but it's not all bad.

You find out random little things about yourself when you give blood too. For example, my bloodtype is O-, which means I can give blood to (I think) everybody, but I can only receive blood from other O- peoples. Hopefully I never get into a bad situation where I need a lot of blood, otherwise I'm ****ed. I also seem to have an averagly low body temperature. Every time I get my temp taken, I always seem to be like 97.6, at least a full degree lower then the "healthy" temp. It's wierd. I also seem to have a nice iron count in my body as well, I think everytime I get my iron count tested it gets to the low 40s easy, even without eating.

Random story: if you really wanna get ****ed up fast, give blood, then go to a party the night after you gave it. It may take a bit, but you can get really hammered in record time if you play your cards right, because there's not as much blood in your system, therefore the alcohol content is much stronger for each drink you have. It was a fun night that I don't remember much of!

what about you kids?

[ShootingStar]

I give blood as often as I can! I like the feeling I get knowing that someone's life is saved because of my donation.

I'm O+ by the way.

[Dodie16]

I have great respect for people that give blood. I think it's among one of the most selfless acts a person can do.

Now that I said that I have something to admit...

I have a horrible fear of needles. Hypodermic needles and any sort of injections to be more specific. I get a sick feeling in my stomach when I even THINK about a needle going into my skin. Apparantly, when I was younger I would throw such a tantrum that nurses had to hold me down while the doctor gave me a shot. I don't remember any of it happening like that, but maybe I suppressed those memories or something.

[LocoColt04]

I don't mind the needles at all, but unfortunately my blood is unfit for giving. It's quite a sad thing indeed, but I would if I could. Blood's too thin, red cell count is too low, that sort of thing. =(

[Che]

I don't mind the needles at all, but unfortunately my blood is unfit for giving. It's quite a sad thing indeed, but I would if I could. Blood's too thin, red cell count is too low, that sort of thing. =(

Nobody would want your blood anyway!

[LocoColt04]

Nobody would want your blood anyway!

True story; it might turn you into an accident-prone klutz. It's been known to happen.

To stay remotely on topic, I would like to state for the record that, based solely on the thread's title, I originally thought this topic was talking about impregnating females. There. I said it.

[Sasquatch]

Hahahahahah. I thought it was about organ donors. Close enough.

I've given blood a few times, but I haven't been allowed to do it much. It's only been three or four times, I think. I tried giving another time (in Basic Training), but my iron was too low that time ... which is odd, because every other time I've given blood -- every time -- the nurse has made a comment on how I have a lot of iron. (You know, just the finger-prick thing, where they drop it into the fluid and see how long it takes to sink? Yeah, mine sunk like a rock.)

You're not allowed to give blood while on certain medications, or within a certain amount of time after specific vaccinations, or for one year after returning from the Middle East (there are some diseases there that don't make themselves known for a while). So I haven't been allowed to give often, but I try to, when I can.

That having been said ... I hate needles. I can't even watch somebody on TV get a shot. But I have no problem sticking people with IVs.

But honestly, the worst part for me about getting stuck isn't the needle or the catheter -- it's the damn tape. In the Army, we us "tagaderm", which is like plastic wrap but stickier than hell. For hairy guys like myself, that's no fun to take off. Especially when it's covering (and also stuck to) the catheter that's still in the vein.

[ShootingStar]

But honestly, the worst part for me about getting stuck isn't the needle or the catheter -- it's the damn tape. In the Army, we us "tagaderm", which is like plastic wrap but stickier than hell. For hairy guys like myself, that's no fun to take off. Especially when it's covering (and also stuck to) the catheter that's still in the vein.

Ever get bruises from not being stuck properly? My boyfriend got a huge bruise all over his arm from the lady who stuck him. It's that whole military "hurry up and wait" mentality lol

[Pete]

I give blood all the time, usually 4-5 times a year. What annoys me though is that my local blood center treats me like I owe them, once I'm eligible again. I'll get a call every week day asking when I want to make my next appointment. I willingly give, but I never really know my schedule, and they accuse me of avoiding them.


Anyways, I can't watch the needle going into my arm. I'll squirm around until it's in, and then I'll be fine. Like Sasquatch, I also can't stand that stretchy sticky tape. On top of ripping my hair out, it's always way too tight on a sensitive spot. I've also had one needle get put in wrong. The nurse actually said "whoops" and I had a HUGE black n blue on my arm.

Oh and I'm O+

[Faustus]

Eh I never give blood and I don't really feel a desire to. As for the needles they don't bother me much other than the hair removal necessary to draw my blood. Besides A- isn't in high demand anyway.

[Tallulah]

I have been meaning to do this for ages. I even walk past the donation place every day on my way to and from work. A lad I work with came to work with a plaster on his arm, from giving blood.

My friend Mandy is a regular donor; she does it as her dad's life was saved by blood donations not once, but twice. She also did it to overcome her fear of needles.

I have heard conflicting stories about how much it hurts. Mandy says it doesn't hurt at all, but Paul, my other half, who used to give blood as well, says it hurts like hell! I have to have blood tests once in a while for my thyroid levels, so I don't mind. I must admit I am a bit nervous.

I am also interested in bone marrow donation, which is a cause close to my heart. A dear friend of mine had leukaemia (sp?), and, whilst she was recovering, had complications from the steroids she was on, and suffered lung and kidney failure, and sadly died two days later. I am donating a Christmas gift to the cancer charity shop in her memory, as that's what I chose to do with her present the year she died. I tohught it would be pretty horrible to take it back to the shop, as my mum suggested.

Just been looking at the Blood website, and there are of course, loads of sessions. I only know my work timetable for the next week, so I have to hope I get a day to coincide with the dates I have.

[Govinda]

Do you guys not get free food for doing it? When me and the peeps had no money we'd go to the blood place because they give you as many sandwiches as you like afterwards if you say you feel faint, and biscuits too. My blood is universal donor so they really dig me, if not my crap iron counts. They wheel out the special machine to test it, and then the second special machine if the first one doesn't give them the answer they're after. Everyone wins - I get a sandwich, someone gets my blood. It's cool to think that at least 9 or 10 people are cutting about the world with my blood in them. Next I'll take Berlin.

[Josh_R]

I give blood once every five months or so...I try to do as much as I can for the people but I am only one man...

[ChloChloAriadne]

Yeah, I give blood. I've have a few times been on medication where I've been unable to give blood, but I check it out when the van comes around, tell them the meds I'm currently on and see what I can do.

Yeah, it's awesome that it saves people.

But being very perfectly honest, I do it more because I find it a turn on, not because it could help people.

[Padraic]

To stay remotely on topic, I would like to state for the record that, based solely on the thread's title, I originally thought this topic was talking about impregnating females. There. I said it.

I have to agree with you I checked expecting a new mother about to give birth and she needed advice .

If I remeber right isn't there an age limit for giving blood? like 18 or something? well if I could I would, even though I'm a chicken of needles, they're people who need my blood more than I do... that doesn't sound right... I mean their life depends on this... O+ ftw

[Meier Link]

Do you guys not get free food for doing it? When me and the peeps had no money we'd go to the blood place because they give you as many sandwiches as you like afterwards if you say you feel faint, and biscuits too.

Really it depends on where you give it, usually if you choose to go to a center to have blood drawn then you will generally get a better variatey of food and beverage. If you manage to use one of the mobile units you are pretty much screwed with chips, cookies, and cheap juice or water.

As for me I give and I give frequantly. I tend not to call and set up appointments because there is usually a mobile area at events and it comes to my work atleast 2 times a year (somtimes 4). I have been actively giving blood since I was 16. According to every nurse that has ever stuck me with one of those needles I am apparently "every nurses dream" meaning: I have large veins and am O Neg.

I will admit I too fell prey to the whole "giving the gift of life" title. I was hoping for some making baby talk.

[loaf]

I refuse to give my blood. You don't want my blood.

I just don't do it, I have no problem with it. I just don't want to and thus I don't.