Do Something Amazing- Give Blood

torbrex

cheesy.mike wrote: »

Oh well, that's me sidelined for a couple of months. Three weeks ago I gave platelets for the first time in 8 months due to major surgery and some business travel. During the last few minutes of the session the machine flagged up a high blood return pressure alarm - an indication that the machine is struggling to return the blood back to your vein after the platelets are removed. I went back today and the session was abandoned after five minutes because it flagged both a low pressure draw (trouble getting blood out) and high pressure return. As it wasn't able to return the blood it took I am now sidelined for two months to allow my red blood cells to recover. I also suspect that the month of daily intravenous antibiotics, pain killers and blood tests (sometimes up to three times a day) during my stay in hospital mean that my veins might now be unsuitable for platelet donation. I'll try the other arm next time but I'm not hopeful.

I had some trouble a few years ago with my left arm (preferred) and they switch to my right for a few sessions but I was never really comfortable so they switched back again and made the entry point for the needle slightly further up the vein and problem solved, no reason given for it but I have noticed that when they slip back down my arm again they then have to reduce the flow rate for the return else it slips into the red zone.

Good luck on your return.

Toastrack

Question for platelet donors.

Prompted by a letter from the Blood Service (apparently my blood could be especially suitable) I'm going for a platelet test in a couple of weeks.

I appreciate that the times may vary from one centre to another, but what days & hours can YOU book a platelet donation for?
My nearest centre is about 30 miles away, and I'm wondering how I could squeeze appointments into a schedule that's already pretty busy.

Thanks in advance.

torbrex

Appointments are usually set 1.5 - 2 hours apart and depending on the staff start times can be 9am, lunch at the centre I go to is 1-2pm and last donor is usually 3:30pm, Monday to Thursday.
I usually try to get a 2pm appointment and try not to arrange anything after it as I am 30 miles away as well and sometimes, if you pardon the pun, it can be a little draining and the last thing I want to do is go back to work, but thats just me.
My donation times vary between 55 minutes for a double and 90 minutes for a triple dependant on my platelet count on the day. When you add the set-up and strip-down times it can be up to 2 hours altogether.
For your first time I would suggest that you make an afternoon appointment and head home straight after, you will soon get the hang of things and can chop and change to suit how you cope with it.

Good luck and welcome on board.

rinoa778

FeeFeeDee wrote: »

Could we start a MSE blood donating club where we have a number and our blood type proudly displayed in our sigs?

Just like the Sealed Pot Challenge I'm a member of, (see sig below) it's great for support . We could see if we could make the 3 times challenge every year. Oh, I thought I had one to add already for this year but looking now I see it was 31st December. :rotfl:

I quite like this idea! I have changed my mse signature to my email's signature! I'm going to be a spoilsport by saying if we were to make some kind of club, I'd appreciate it if we were to put a number that it is the blood donation count (per sessions or pints of donated blood)

I keep seeing big figures like 250 (dividing by 3, plus 17 then realise the result is way too old and dividing by 4, plus 17 then think how is this possible?!) Then I read and realise they've incorporated their platelet donation ¬_¬
Then I feel so guilty at sounding so petty but I'm being truthful. I'll never reach those big figures because I'm not male I think it would potentially stop confusing people because blood donation is quite well known whereas platelet donation is less heard of.

From the top of my head...Blood is made of four components: Red Blood Cells, White Blood Cells, Plasma and Platelets (nearly forgot that one!)
One the one hand you could say platelets are a component of blood so you could put it under the whole bracket of blood donation...
On the other hand, Platelets alone can't be classed as "Blood" I understand when you donate platelets, you get your red/white cells and plasma back?

marshall2k

I think anything that promotes the cause will be great. Our numbers don't need to be standardised and platelet donors like Torbrex should have their extra special commitment recognised; more time per session and many more sessions a year.

Ruth_honey

I wanted to give blood, but I tried answering the questions on the website and I can't because I had a tranfusion after a motorbike accident in 1998. I'm gutted, because someone else's blood saved my life and I'd like the chance to do the same for someone else. I've put my name on the organ donation register though, so at least I can do something.
Thanks to everyone who has and does give blood. Maybe it was one of you that saved my life.

Ice_2

Ruth_honey wrote: »

I wanted to give blood, but I tried answering the questions on the website and I can't because I had a tranfusion after a motorbike accident in 1998. I'm gutted, because someone else's blood saved my life and I'd like the chance to do the same for someone else. I've put my name on the organ donation register though, so at least I can do something.
Thanks to everyone who has and does give blood. Maybe it was one of you that saved my life.

you may still be able to give something, why not go along to your next session it'll be on the website when andwhere it is in your area, ask them about it, as the use blood for alsorts now not just for transfusions,
its worth a try if you really want to.
and well done you...
My next session is on 9th February.
I can't wait.
:j :j :j
it's a geat feeling.

Bayblue

Bayblue wrote: »

I signed up as a blood donor years ago but I must admit that my attendance lapsed in recent years. I went to a session 5 years ago but at that time my haemoglobin was too low to donate. Anyway, inspired by this thread I went back last Monday........and had the same problem .

I'm a bit frustrated by it but I'm going back in a few weeks, I really really want to give blood because I feel that it's such a simple thing to do but it can make such a big difference to someone else.

Apparently I'm not ill or unusually low just too low to donate- some peoples are apparently. So I'm eating spinach and keeping my fingers crossed.

Sorry to quote my own post but there's been an update.

I have received a letter from the National Blood Service saying that there's nothing wrong with me, which I already knew to be honest. Anyway they said that they would be inviting me back in 3 months. I noticed in local pharmacy today that they will be back in the area in the next week or so, and I did think about going, but I'm not sure that I will have given myself enough time to improve the iron count. So a couple of months it is.

If it doesn't work this time I think that I may well have to give up on the idea, I will be very disappointed, but I suppose that I can't force them to take my blood.

kacie

roll on march when i can finally donate again, after having a year off due to low iron levels

missindecisive

hello, im really interested in doing this..can anyone tell me if It'l be ok for me to give blood if Im on Thyroxine and also I have Chronic kidney disease