Are you a blood donor?

[Stringmaker]

My gut feel is that statistically, more people on here would be blood donors than another population sample.

My reasoning is that as a rule, people here are generous, think of others when in need (Miles888 for example) and are just generally all round good eggs.

As we also like to play with sharp things it is sensible insurance to have some in the bank as it were.

Now prove me right; or not...

I have been a donor for 30 years just to kick things off.

[ged]

I grew up in a Derbyshire mining village. More or less everybody was first aid trained and gave blood, I suppose it was just the done thing because of the danger in the mines.

I've been a blood donor for over 40 years. I just had a letter yesterday with my next appointment - 10th May at the Post Mill Centre. Same room the judo club uses.

[Rod Paradise]

Have been a blood donor, then a regular plasma donor. Sadly in the last couple of years a scare with a benign lump, moving back to the boondocks & getting into tattooing have stopped it I'm afraid.

[Hammock Hamster]

Sadly im not but this may be just the thread to confirm something for me.

I was told a number of year back that due to having tattoo's i would have to wait a minimum of 2 years since the last tatt before being eligable to give blood.
At this point i would need to be tested for various nasties, understandibly, as some can take some time to show up.

Due to this and a large ongoing tattoo i have never been in a position to have two years ink free, any ideas if this is correct or if the rules have somehow changed?

Cheers, Hamster

[Rumcelt]

I have been giving blood for about 3 years now, I think it is my social respectability to do so, it take half an hour and done for 3 months.

Reg
Rum

[santaman2000]

I was. Then I got an assignment to England and the English blood services wouldn't take my blood (I'd been to the US/fear of AIDS contamination) When I got back to the US the Florida (and all other states as well) blood services wouldn't take my blood (I'd been to England/fear of mad cow contamination) Before that time limit expired I went to Saudi for Desert Storm so I was disqualified again. Now as I age I have real medical conditions that disqualify me.
verse group whose travel habits and

My point is that while this group is probably more inclined to be donors; we are a diverse group whose travel habits and age related health may make it as hard for us as the general population.

[santaman2000]

I have been giving blood for about 3 years now, I think it is my social respectability to do so, it take half an hour and done for 3 months.



Reg
Rum

That's interesting. The donation interval here is 8 weeks.

[MartinK9]

Sadly im not but this may be just the thread to confirm something for me.

I was told a number of year back that due to having tattoo's i would have to wait a minimum of 2 years since the last tatt before being eligable to give blood.
At this point i would need to be tested for various nasties, understandibly, as some can take some time to show up.

Due to this and a large ongoing tattoo i have never been in a position to have two years ink free, any ideas if this is correct or if the rules have somehow changed?

Cheers, Hamster

Hamster it's now 4 months:

http://www.blood.co.uk/can-i-give-bl...nt-give-blood/

HTH

[MartinK9]

Been a donor since 1986.

[wingstoo]

I am hoping to do my 50th donation in the next few months, been going for the last 31 years (on and off).

Started going when I was 18, and will be 50 in August.

The rules and regulations change all the time, I can give every 12 weeks, so long as there have been no tatts or piercings or illnesses.

They are now saying

Piercings/tattoosAny new piercings or tattoos in the past 4 months?

http://www.blood.co.uk/can-i-give-bl...e-turned-away/

[John Fenna]

I got my little silver badge ages ago - but now my medication precludes donation.....

[Chainsaw]

Been a proud donor for about 20 years, never used any myself but some of my family has so reckon I've still got some units in the bank! Also had trouble giving due to a lot travel. West Nile virus in california apparently....

Kinda of the mind that if you've never given you should shouldn't get (with some common sense exclusions obviously) But that may be my perverse and outmoded sense of social responsibility

cheers

Alan

[Stringmaker]

Looks like I was right!

The reason I started this thread is that due to a couple of reasons I missed my last two sessions, but heard this week that the interval between donations (for men) is now only 3 months.

"From February 2012, male blood donors can increase frequency of donating to a maximum of 4 times in 12 months at an interval of not less than 12 weeks. This means there is the potential for up to 100,000 extra donations to be collected every year under this new scheme."

Just to pop another question into the mix, have we got any rare blood types here? I am A Neg which is 7% of the UK frequency, compared to about 70% for A+ and O+ together.

[santaman2000]

O- here. Universal donor back when I could. Hence the blood service always calling me to remind me every 8 weeks back then.

Not to Hi-jack the thread but hopefully an added twist; do any of you volunteer your dog for donations? Blood donations to the vet I mean? Apparently dogs have twice as many blood types as we do and greyhounds are usually of the blood type that's universal donor for dogs.

[BillyBlade]

Discovered I was O neg when I joined up. Been a regular visitor to the blood donation clinic ever since.

[charleslockerbie]

I would give blood, have done a few times but i faint and they dont like that. Its not the needles its the lack of blood.

[sandbender]

"...we are a diverse group whose travel habits and age related health may make it as hard for us..."

I would donate, but they don't want mine because of past exposure to exotic African deseases.

[Harvestman]

I donate. Not as often as I should, but as often as I can remember to do it.

Went for bone marrow donation trials too, but was rejected as not quite having enough of my own to be able to spare some.

[chris_irwin]

Yes I donate blood, but I haven't been doing it regularly I must confess. I've been maybe 4 times in the last 5 years. I really should book another appointment.

I'm AB+ - only 3% of the population in the UK

[Exploriment]

As often as I can. Coming up to number 50 soon.

I like to do it, and it also boosts your immune system.

Now if they would just enter the 21st century and realize that tattooing is not what it was decades ago.

[PeterH]

Used to when I was at Uni but then I went and had to "withdraw" some, possibly more than I had paid in, so now I am unable to donate unfortunately.

[ged]

... Just to pop another question into the mix, have we got any rare blood types here? ...

A+ here, common as muck.

[Bucephalas]

I did on a half yearly basis since I was 18 but it all stopped when I was given blood after a road accident.

I still take comfort in the fact that the government still bleed me dry every day!

[Miyagi]

I give blood but haven't for a while.

I'm in the Rhesus bloodgroup, or RhD+, which is Rhesus "D" positive.

The army bollocked me (typical) because D wasn't on their database, even though it's on my donor card.

It might be unusual, not really sure.

Liam

p.s. googling now...

p.p.s. none the wiser really...

[udamiano]

O negative. Everyone can get me, but I need to get the same back. not sure if thats a good thing

[santaman2000]

I give blood but haven't for a while.

I'm in the Rhesus bloodgroup, or RhD+, which is Rhesus "D" positive.

The army bollocked me (typical) because D wasn't on their database, even though it's on my donor card.

It might be unusual, not really sure.

Liam

p.s. googling now...

p.p.s. none the wiser really...

Rare enough that I've never heard of it. For whatever that's worth. The only four blood types I've heard of are:
1. A (Pos or Neg)
2. B (Pos or Neg)
3. AB (Pos or Neg)
4. O (Pos or Neg)

[juttle]

Like John, I also got my little silver badge a long time ago, but illness now also precludes me. I'm AB Resus- without the 'D' antigen, whatever that means. My understanding is that, if I were to be checked by a blind flebotomist they would automatically assume that I was of non caucasian extraction.

Strangely, I'm not, and have no idea where this strange group entered the family line. My mother, however, always claimed to have had an 'interesting' war!!!!!

[Hammock Hamster]

Hamster it's now 4 months:

http://www.blood.co.uk/can-i-give-bl...nt-give-blood/

HTH

Hi Martin, Thats good to know as i am now outside the 4 month bracket of having any tattoo work done.

I will need to dig out my old army discharge papers but am pretty sure i am either AB+ or AB- so definately worth a trip to donate, do they still give you tea and a biscuit?

[Stringmaker]

Yep, tea and biccies are still provided; even exotic stuff like orange juice too.

[sandbender]

Many Japanese believe that your blood type predicts your personality and temperament.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_t...panese_culture

I'd probably agree with what is listed under my 'best' traits.