donating giving blood

journ

My mam broke her hip and needed loads of blood and without the very good people who took the time to give blood my mam would not be here today , God the thought of that just breaks me up inside because my mam is my world.

So I'm already booked in to give blood.

vixarooni

Thanks Noonesperfect, i might give it a whirl when i have more time on my hands and i have nothing to stress me out at home!

I had an idea that it might be better to face my fear, and to see it being done! but even talking about it now makes me feel awful!

Also, in the past (maybe this just happens to me! but in hospital i had to have an MRI scan, and i was 16, lying there on a table for over an hour not being able to move while they scanned me, then after told i had to have dye injected into my arm and the nurse was so support or help what so ever. Then when i had my operation i wanted reasurance so i asked, "will this hurt?" and the responce i got was, "its a needle, what do you expect?"

So im a bit reluctant in thinking the nurses will go easy on me, i half expect them to be the poops that ive had in the past. Ive only been treated well by men in hospital, so i might see if there is a male nurse doing it and ask for him!

Congrats to the people who do give, youre really doing something special

Fritha_2

vixarooni wrote: »

So im a bit reluctant in thinking the nurses will go easy on me, i half expect them to be the poops that ive had in the past.

Giving blood scares the pants off me, I have no clue why I'm not fussed by needles or blood in general, but for some reason I go all wibbly at giving blood! I've wibbled my way through ten donations now and I can honestly say every single nurse has been absolutely wonderful (and I've donated in lots of different places too!). They're very kind and caring esp if you're nervous. So don't worry you'll be very well looked after :-)

BillScarab

If you work for a fairly large comapny the best option is to get your HR department to speak tot he blodod transfusion people and organise for the 'blood bus' to visit your company. That's what happens where I work, it comes twice a year so we don't have to go anywhere and we get time off work.

I'm surprised some people are still getting hot drinks though, all we get is cold dirnks now as apparently there can be some sort of problems with hot drinks after giving blood.

loobs40

I have donated blood twice in my life, both in my early 20s. Both time about 20 minutes after giving blood I became very pale and clammy and felt very faint. I recovered within about 10 minutes after lying down

The doctors said there was no reason for it to happen, but maybe I shouldn't give blood again.

I am not frightened of giving blood, not scared of needles so why did it happen ? I would like to donate again but am worried that the symptoms may reappear

vixarooni

Maybe you were slightly anemic and giving blood pushed it over the edge?

I get lots of nose bleeds, and i remember a while ago i had one that lasted over an hour and afterwards i felt absolutly awful. I couldnt go and pick up my boyfriend because i felt like you did. I think its probably cos you've lost an amount of blood and you need time just to sit so your body can make some more!

noonesperfect

loobs40 wrote: »

I have donated blood twice in my life, both in my early 20s. Both time about 20 minutes after giving blood I became very pale and clammy and felt very faint. I recovered within about 10 minutes after lying down

The doctors said there was no reason for it to happen, but maybe I shouldn't give blood again.

I am not frightened of giving blood, not scared of needles so why did it happen ? I would like to donate again but am worried that the symptoms may reappear

Giving blood may have changed since you last donated. It's all nurse-run now.

If you've experienced these difficulties before, then it is best to tell someone (maybe at the beginning when you have the fingertip test for anaemia). If they know this happens and you're healthy, maybe you just need a longer lie-down afterwards. It's permanantly on my record now that I need an extra 5 minutes rest, and they always check I'm ok before they let me get up. I usually ask for a drink of water, then have a cup of tea and bourbons (:o ). Sometimes even a 2nd cuppa! It's important to re-hydrate quickly. I've even known the person taking my blood to fetch me a cup of water to the donation bed (I didn't feel poorly, she was just being kind :T ) - how good is that?!

belfastgirl23

The test definitely picks up if you're anaemic - they always turn me down cos I'm borderline and they usually have to !!!!! (**edit it didn't occur to me that the thing they do to your finger with a needle - p***k would be removed:D) my finger three or four times before they find this out. But it's just a little pinch, nothing too terrible, I'm just always disappointed.

The other thing is that they always ask whether I've taken any asprin in the last 2 weeks. I eventually switched to a different painkiller cos of this...not that I'm a painkiller addict but sods law that I had often taken a painkiller a few days before.

Second the blood bus idea - it really works. We have it too.

elsien

I used to give blood, but then they changed the weight limits, and told me I'm too small (even though I'm the right weight for my height and weigh more now than I've ever done), which I have to be honest miffed me a bit given that I'd been donating for years with no ill effects.
I asked if there was any other way of donating, eg giving smaller amounts, and was told it wasn't worth their while - which does beg the question of how desperate are they really?

kacie

when i first when after giving blood i almost fainted, and when i went to donate the second time they remembered this and made sure i lay down for longer. Also the nurses had trouble finding my vein both times but the nurses were really reasuring and patient with me - i hate needles too, i can't look when they put it in or take it out.