Do Something Amazing- Give Blood

LouBlue

Well done.

eth01

yey. a free bag of tesco value ready salted crisps with the tea bag being the same along with the biscuit to dunk in. ohhh, and i think the milk might be that stuff you get in a carton off the shelf.. long life.

Titch89

I will give blood in 9 months, which is when I'll be allowed. (hopefully)

Bit of advice please:
I had to have a blood test done 13 months ago. After having the blood taken, I sat up and felt really dizzy and couldn't stand up. How do I prevent this happening when I go to give blood?

Belnahua

Titch89 wrote: »

I will give blood in 9 months, which is when I'll be allowed. (hopefully)

Bit of advice please:
I had to have a blood test done 13 months ago. After having the blood taken, I sat up and felt really dizzy and couldn't stand up. How do I prevent this happening when I go to give blood?

Have a sandwich about an hour before, then have a bar of chocolate and a pint of water, just before you give. Works for me everytime!

LouBlue

eth01 wrote: »

yey. a free bag of tesco value ready salted crisps with the tea bag being the same along with the biscuit to dunk in. ohhh, and i think the milk might be that stuff you get in a carton off the shelf.. long life.

Oooh, we get golden wonder crisps sometimes and fresh milk. I'd go once a week if they'd let me.

mirrorimage0

ive been giving blood regulary since i was 18 (im 29 thursday) (OMG) (exept in between pregnancys) i bloody hate needles but what would we do without peple giving blood, if any one in my family was hurt id be devastated if they couldnt be saved because a lack of blood supply, well done to all those that give.

Princess_Jane

Pah, my flow is usually about three, max.

I must have treacle rather than blood.

Lokolo

Ok so its the 24th. Went down to footy club where they were doing it and gave blood. Was easy as pie!!! :-D

Only annoying thing is I had to keep squeezing my hand and whenever I did I could feel the needle poking which stung argh.

But it was awesome, will do it again in 4 months

noonesperfect

Good for you Lokolo! Well done, it's a great feeling afterwards, isn't it?

Hope you got the pick of the biscuits LOL!

PS don't forget to take it easy for the rest of the day - it's too warm to rush about anyway.

LittleChoLo

@ Fattyamal

I have similar problems, although I don't faint. I've never fainted in my life, and I can count on one hand all the times I've ever vomited. I'm just not that kind of person. Just about everyone else I know who has any objection to phobia of needles seems to faint or vomit, or at least have a funny turn and need to lie down, as a sign that they truly have an issues.

I suppose that neither experience can be nice, but the fainters of this world seem to get an easier ride than the shreikers and the wailers. From what people have told me, when you faint, you're immediately blacked out of the situation before can get any worse, and when you wake up, the whole procedure is halted and people crowd around asking you if you feel okay, would you like to lie down for a while to recover; it's okay honey, I'll buy you a big bar of chocolate on the way home to make you feel better; aren't you brave, and would you like a cup of tea and a biscuit, madam? When you shreik and wail and tremble violently with terror, it's as much an involuntary action as fainting, although people seem to think that people who do that are just attention seekers trying to make a scene out of some narcissistic whim to make a spectacle of themselves. And the reaction you get from parents and doctors, as you sit there and the needle descends, and you can feel that deadly fear clutch your insides and the wail rises up inside your throat like the vomit that refuses to, and as I experience every time I'm unfortunate enough to need a blood test, is the following: "Sit down and stop being silly!"; "You'll never get anywhere by being a prima-donna, now sit still and so as you're told"; "Get over it and stop being a big baby"; "If you don't sort yourself out we will refuse to treat you", and, in the worst of cases, "Right, that's it! I'm not doing it!". And you have to put up with this; you have to shamedly apologise for your antisocial behaviour even though there's absolutely nothing you can do to control it; you have to beg them to give you the the needle you're terrified of because you know that if you don't there's very little they can do to make you better in the long run, and you have to go through the whole traumatizing precess right to the sticky end without any hope of a get-out clause such as vomiting or fainting, knowing that you'll get it in the neck if you utter a squeak; knowing that the only person who feels sorry for you is yourself, and knowing that if you could only faint, you could express all of this terror in one jolt and not be scorned, but actually fussed over and pampered for doing so.

I know it's just jealousy. It's the way we're all made and nobody can help it. My body has always refused to give up the ghost: it's as stubborn as I am. But I still have this burdensome and debilitating fear of needles, whilst loads of my friends can give blood and are congratulated on their bravery and generosity in doing so - especially a certain friend of mine who faints chronically. I'd love to be able to give blood. It would do me no disservice to give away a bit of blood, and I believe that if we can save so many people's lives with such a simple gesture that doesn't cost us, it's something that everybody should be obliged to do. I'm always fiddling with a scab on my leg or something, or biting my fingers: it's not losing blood that scares me, although I do get squeamish at the sight of other people' blood. It's just the needles. It all makes me feel so ashamed.