Giving Blood

[Alexa]

Do you give blood? If so how regular are you?

I did on Saturday and fainted, so I don't think I will be doing this again.

[lucyloo]

I have done once Alex, and lined up a couple of months ago to do it again, but I had to wait too long.

I felt light headed, but didn't faint :hehe:

Did they catch you???

[Mad Old Cow]

I have been told not to bother because of the difficulty they have getting blood just for a blood test, but wish i could

[Gin please!]

I would if I could but I can't...but during my 8 operations I needed well over 18 units of blood.

So if you can give blood, please do.:D

[Cherie]

My DH and DD do. I should but I haven't done so for years..

[Naomi]

Did you faint because you hadn't had enough to eat/drink? Or because you have issues with needles/blood?

Before I had the children I gave blood 3 or 4 times a year (cannot donate while pregnant/breastfeeding). When we get back home I'll start donating regularly again. I've never fainted but was close once because it was a really hot day and I hadn't had enough to drink.

[Mesmereyes]

I dont, ( too scared in case they tell me I have bad blood LMAO), but Joshy does and does in 3 monthly

[Stormy]

I would donate if they would let me. All the previous times I have tried they've told me I don't have enough to spare because my haemoglobin count is at the lower end of normal. :dk:

[Cherie]

I would donate, but after my op, I was always scared a little cancer cell would escape and infect someone else.:blink: I know dumb.

[Teeka]

i used to regularly donate but now my iron levels are too low.

[redrobyn]

I know I should but I can't bring myself to do it..don't think my body or myself would handle it to well to be truthful.

[Issi]

I hate needles passionately but I still donate when I can. The problem with country areas is that they seem to be booked out fo rthe next year when I try to do it. I had low iron for a few years but since that's been fixed I feel too guilty not to. Especially when I know I have a type that is needed.

[eLL85]

I wish I could its such a good thing but I can't.

I have a needle phobia. I'm not just scared of them like lots of people are it is an actual phobia. If anyone here has a phobia only they can understand what happens to you when you have to face it. The fear I feel is absolutly undescribable and unrivaled. It's not the pain lots of people reply to that is "it doesnt hurt" trust me pain is nothing. It is the needle itself. I am getting freaked out now just thinking about it.

My BF donates all the time though cause he works for QLD health so he does enough for both of us!

[Supa]

no I dont as I had another tattoo last yr & you cant within 12months of having one

[Kekka]

I would donate, but after my op, I was always scared a little cancer cell would escape and infect someone else.:blink: I know dumb.

That's not dumb Cherie. :)

Alexa - had you eaten, did you get up too quickly??

[Happy]

My veins have collapsed lucky to get a blood test done.

[miss kiki]

oh no alexa! i hope you're alright!

no, i've never gave blood before. i'm too tiny..i'm underweight. :(

[eLL85]

I would donate, but after my op, I was always scared a little cancer cell would escape and infect someone else.:blink: I know dumb.

I think thats so amazing. It's so brave. It's anything but dumb, you are thinking about everyone else...

when you look at my excuse... wow now I feel dumb! Don't feel bad!!!!!!

[Issi]

Do they weigh you now? I used to be underweight but still gave blood because noone ever said I couldn't.

[ezmay]

I use to go in regularly then got pregnant then still went but less often. Now because of my tattoo i cant until december 6th this year.

ell85 - I have a snake phobia so i can sympathise. It is beyond fear it can de dibilitating to come face to face with the object of your phobia

cherie - a perfectly valid fear. I can say with extreme certainty that all blood donated is rigorously tested for any anomolies.

Issi - Yes you are weighed to make sure you are in a healthy category to donate. Too small or too large can cause a health risk to the donor. If it were ever an issue they wouldn't have let you donate at all.

[Alexa]

Yes, I had breakfast and lunch (McDonalds to be exact) and I had drunk plenty of juice and water. Rested for 10 minutes afterwards, felt fine but when I went to the food counter, my head just started to spin and before I could think I was flat on the floor...a wheel chair later and whisked off to recovery, given more food and more drink and had my blood pressure taken, who knows, the needle part was fine.

I weight 61.3 kilos so I fine to give blood, they do a check up thing before you go in.

Yes I will go again, in about 6 months, maybe I had a reaction to something?

[Issi]

That's funny because I have honestly never been weighed and I have donated in Sydney in the city and in a few different country areas. I haven't donated for a few years though now so maybe that's it. I am 5 foot 7 and weighed between 48-50 kg for quite a few years when I was donating.

[springchicken]

I donated once and they stuck a needle in my left arm, got nothing, so they tried my right arm and it worked.

Went to donate again and they couldn't get blood out. They told me not to bother again but they spam my email inbox and mobile phone anyway! I'm going to try again though. If they can't get blood out of me next time I won't do it again.

[ezmay]

Yes, I had breakfast and lunch (McDonalds to be exact) and I had drunk plenty of juice and water. Rested for 10 minutes afterwards, felt fine but when I went to the food counter, my head just started to spin and before I could think I was flat on the floor...a wheel chair later and whisked off to recovery, given more food and more drink and had my blood pressure taken, who knows, the needle part was fine.

I weight 61.3 kilos so I fine to give blood, they do a check up thing before you go in.

Yes I will go again, in about 6 months, maybe I had a reaction to something?

Could have been anything. Tired, a funny smell, simply stood up to quick. Worth gooing back, if it hppens again maybe there is a specific reason but most likely a one off thing.


I donated once and they stuck a needle in my left arm, got nothing, so they tried my right arm and it worked.

Went to donate again and they couldn't get blood out. They told me not to bother again but they spam my email inbox and mobile phone anyway! I'm going to try again though. If they can't get blood out of me next time I won't do it again.
The spam would be from an automated system. If you dont want to be contacted let them know.
The are always looking for people as there is a constand need and never enough supply.\
It is a charity/not for profit organisation only difference is you donate blood instead of money/clothes/household items.

[star81]

I have wanted to give blood for many years now but I always seem to do something that stops me ie. 1st yr got a tattoo, 2nd yr got a tattoo and fell pregnant, 3rd yr was pregnant and got a tattoo, 4th yr got a tattoo. Man maybe I should stop getting tattoos. LMAO

[Di Nana]

Didn't know about the tattoo thing so that's me out for a few more months
Didn't know about the weight thing either my eldest daughter gives blood and she is smaller than you Kiki but they have never turned her down
I used to give blood but only when called as I have a rare blood type and twice was called in the small hours of the night once to a new born baby, haven't been called for a long time now, maybe I have turned into a commoner :headh:

[Naomi]

back when I was skinny, they used to just ask me what I weighed (48-50kg at the time), they never refused me (but my haemoglobin/iron levels have always been very good).

Alexa, next time let them know what happened and they'll probably just get you to lie down for longer at the end and bring you juice or something. Good on you for being willing to give it another go.

[springchicken]

Yeah, I know it's an automated system. It's very annoying though!

As I said, I'm going to try again. I'm not a good donor (being AB+) but they will probably use my blood anyway.

[red fairy]

I haven't because you can't if you have eaten meat in the UK , for 2 yrs after...
because of mad cow :blink:

[Naomi]

I haven't because you can't if you have eaten meat in the UK , for 2 yrs after...
because of mad cow :blink:

what?! Really? This must be fairly recent because AFAIK it was only if you'd lived in the UK for 6months or more in a certain time period (which is the reason my husband doesn't donate). I've definitely given blood after eating meat in the UK within two years, I was never even asked about it!

[Mad Old Cow]

I am AB negative, my Dr told me to remember it always & that was 38 years ago & i think the only thing i have remembered from that long ago lol
My mums partner died of the human form of mad cows . A very horriffic death, one i would never want to go through

[Gin please!]

Wow...theres only a few persent of the population with AB Neg blood..

[Alexa]

Blood groups in Australia
A person's blood group is described by the appropriate letter (A, B, AB or O) and by whether or not their blood is Rhesus positive or negative. According to the Red Cross, the percentage of blood group frequency in Australia is:

O positive - 40 per cent
O negative - 9 per cent
A positive - 31 per cent
A negative - 7 per cent
B positive - 8 per cent
B negative - 2 per cent
AB positive - 2 per cent
AB negative - 1 per cent

[Gin please!]

Thanks for that..

See, I knew it was a rare one.

[Issi]

Thanks Alexa. I always wondered about that. I knew I was a low one but didn't realise what that was.

[Mad Old Cow]

Yes i knew it was rare, thats why the Dr told me all those years ago to tattoo it on my bum lol

[miss kiki]

yeah, they ask you here what your weight is and there's a scale for them just to be sure too. :yes:

i'm between 95-100 pounds..so that's i guess between 43-45 kg's, which is considered underweight. :(

[ezmay]

The weight is more of a BMI reading. They need to be sure that taking you blood wont harm the donor and it also helps them work out how much they can take as well.

[Kjoy]

what?! Really? This must be fairly recent because AFAIK it was only if you'd lived in the UK for 6months or more in a certain time period (which is the reason my husband doesn't donate). I've definitely given blood after eating meat in the UK within two years, I was never even asked about it!

Its not a recent thing - the bann came in immediately after the first mad cow disease cases in the UK in the early to mid 90s.

I am banned from donating blood for life because I lived in the UK from 88 to 91 and ate the specific products that were causing the problem (they were pies that you bought in a tin, peeled the lid off and popped in oven) regularly.

Because the disease can actually only be diagnosed in a post mortem (ie after you are dead) any one who lived in the UK between 86 and 96 cannot donate blood in Australia.

And its regardless of whether you ate meat products or not.

When I advised my vegetarian friend of the rules when she returned to Aus she figured it would not include her. She was horrified to discover that Vegetarians were banned because of evidence that MOST UK vegetarian sausages contain meat!

Strangely - and I have no idea how or why - it does not preclude me from being an organ donor.

[Stormy]

You are excluded because you lived there during that period. Anyone who visited or lived there outside of that period and has eaten meat there is not excluded to my knowledge, I think that was what Naomi was meaning when she said it (being excluded for 2yrs after visiting the UK) must be a fairly recent thing.

I know I have O neg blood....I might try again in a few months and see if my Hb has picked up any. I've been eating more steak so who knows. :hehe:

[~Sundance~]

back when I was skinny, they used to just ask me what I weighed (48-50kg at the time)
Yes I remember those days when I was.... wayyy back in the day :hehe:


I'm not allowed to give blood. Which sucks cause mine would be useful to them [I'm A-].
I'm very anaemic, always have been. And have normally low blood pressure.

I wish I could. My sis & Mum do regularly.

[GINAinLA]

I wish I could, but I am to squeemish. I cant even watch it on tv. My fingers are starting to get numb just thinking about it.

[Naomi]

You are excluded because you lived there during that period. Anyone who visited or lived there outside of that period and has eaten meat there is not excluded to my knowledge, I think that was what Naomi was meaning when she said it (being excluded for 2yrs after visiting the UK) must be a fairly recent thing.


Yes, that's what I meant (which is obvious, given the rest of what I said in that post). My response was to

I haven't because you can't if you have eaten meat in the UK , for 2 yrs after...
because of mad cow
because I have been in that situation and haven't been excluded for it.