Do Something Amazing- Give Blood

pokey128

Hi all
I've just phoned up the blood doner people to ask them to stop sending me begging letters just now cause I've recently had a baby and feel really guilty about not donating now for 18 months. They told me I can donate once the baby is 9 months now which is good news! Only 2 weeks to go!

Can anyone tell me about platelet donation - I would love to help out if I can.

Thanks

torbrex

pokey128 wrote: »

Hi all
I've just phoned up the blood doner people to ask them to stop sending me begging letters just now cause I've recently had a baby and feel really guilty about not donating now for 18 months. They told me I can donate once the baby is 9 months now which is good news! Only 2 weeks to go!

Can anyone tell me about platelet donation - I would love to help out if I can.

Thanks

Ask next time you go to give blood if you are suitable to donate platelets, the rules are pretty much the same as for blood donors but your veins need to be suitable for the return cycle and you need to have a high enough platelet count to make it worthwhile.
Chances are your blood has already been tested if you have donated in the past but they will do another test everytime you donate anyway, just make sure that they know you are interested in doing it.

Bob63

My platelet donation went really well today. I used my left arm instead of my right - which resulted in a failed donation in January and a low draw pressure in December. So it looks like I'm back in the game.

One interesting thing is they have now restricted platelet donation to 15 times per year. You can still go after two weeks if you are going on holiday or have some other reason you might miss a session, but you must not make more than 15 donor sessions in a year.

torbrex

I aim for 13 donations in a year, dont always get them because I lose at least one after my holiday in USA and I am destined to get at least 1 cold a year due to the number of people I meet in my job.

I am on a sticky wicket at the moment as my diabetes is getting worse and I may have to go on medication which will affect my donations.

Toastrack

Unfortunately my first platelet appointment didn’t work out. They found that my haemoglobin level was too low. We couldn’t work out why, my diet hasn’t changed recently (though I do tend to eat rather more fish than meat). They even asked me if I liked Guinness

It seems the most likely reason is that I’d stopped smoking a few days beforehand. Daft as it seems, apparently smoking increases Hb, so coming off the fags may have caused my level to drop.
They took a blood sample for testing, so we may know more when the results come back.

They’ll still be happy to see me when the Hb has recovered, so until then I’ll just have to up my intake of red meat & the black stuff :beer:

Rikki

Be nice to me 'I gave Blood Today'.

torbrex

Rikki wrote: »

Be nice to me 'I gave Blood Today'.

Well done rikki, how many now?

All being well I go on Thursday at 2pm.

Funkyfarmgirl

ive found the attitude of the people at our local blood doner session is terrible so ive given up going

Rikki

torbrex wrote: »

Well done rikki, how many now?

All being well I go on Thursday at 2pm.

39 pints.

torbrex

Was that the donors or the staff? If it was the staff I am very surprised, if it was the donors please dont let them put you off we need as many donors to keep going as possible.