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Do you ever donate blood?


Another Fan

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I did last year on Super Bowl Sunday and will do it again next week.  One of the local churches here sponsors it.  I figure if I’m gonna watch the Patriots in another Super Bowl again at night I might as well do something productive or to help someone the other part of the day.  

 

Ive heard besides helping someone it’s actually healthy to do it every so often 

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10 minutes ago, Ridgewaycynic2013 said:

Having been diagnosed and treated for a cancer in the lymphatic/blood systems, not any more. I do encourage mosquitoes to fly up and have a drink, however...

 

that will do

 

 

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1 hour ago, Another Fan said:

I did last year on Super Bowl Sunday and will do it again next week.  One of the local churches here sponsors it.  I figure if I’m gonna watch the Patriots in another Super Bowl again at night I might as well do something productive or to help someone the other part of the day.  

 

Ive heard besides helping someone it’s actually healthy to do it every so often 

 

 

Do it more often than yearly.  It's a wonderful cause.  Plus you get cookies and juice afterwards

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every 8 weeks

and if you have a chance to use the double red machine- do it!  Your blood goes right into centrifuge, they take what they need(3 parts to help 3 different people) and hook up IV and hydrate you.  You will feel amazingly refreshed!  Plus you only give every 16 weeks, as opposed to 8.  The problem is my blood is too common, so I can no longer use the machine.  But I had a good run, and use it every opportunity

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When my first daughter was born, her intestines weren't connected and spun around freely blocking "food" from entering her bowels. At three days old, they had to rush her into surgery...taking her to San Francisco for the procedure. It was discovered I was a blood match so I decided to give blood, just in case she needed some. It was my first time. It didn't go well. After about five minutes, bells and whistles started going off. I had several Asian women (the phlebotomists working the donor center at UCSF) rush over to me, start toweling me down and sprinkling me w/ cold water. Apparently, I was close to passing out. In retrospect...maybe it wasn't that bad after all. I haven't tried since...22 years. 

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Been doing it since the late 60's.  

 

In 2001, I had a friend who had leukemia, and needed blood.  I got turned down as a blood donor, because I was anemic.  After taking a lot of iron, with no change, my Doc finally did an endoscopic exam, looking for an ulcer, but found that I was Celiac.  No drugs or cure EXCEPT for diet.  No wheat, oats, barley or rye.  Had I not followed that, my immune system would have failed, and I could have gotten a whole list of cancers.  So, I'm thinking that by trying to help a friend, I may have saved my own life? 

 

So that was almost 18 years ago, and I will say that the food choices have improved immensely over that time.  Most of the European countries are very aware of this, and have even more. better tasting food options.  In Italy, if you're diagnosed Celiac, they give you a day off, with pay, to do your grocery shopping  My wife is a saint for helping me with all this.

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This will sound terrible, but I gave for the first time while in college, because one of the sorority ladies I was interested in at the time was a long-time donator and I played it off as "of course, I give too" and will join you in the mobile ARC bus...so needless to say, my motivations were not from the goodness of my heart. I've always hated needles so this was kind of a big deal for me. Fast forward a generation, and I've done it periodically since, with no hope for romantic entanglements as a direct result, so maybe I'm not quite as selfish as I used to be? :D (I hope) 

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5 minutes ago, Ridgewaycynic2013 said:

Summary:  What was once done out of infatuation is now done (occasionally) for a sugar cookie and Kool-Aid.

You have a way with the words my friend. :) 

 

However, they never give me sugar cookies--I usually have to make do with peanut butter crackers, the kind with the orangey-looking cracker part? Oh well, can't win em all. 

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12 minutes ago, NoHuddleKelly12 said:

You have a way with the words my friend. :) 

 

However, they never give me sugar cookies--I usually have to make do with peanut butter crackers, the kind with the orangey-looking cracker part? Oh well, can't win em all. 

Lance Snack Crackers.  Some of the more esoteric combinations known to Man.  The Kool-Aid isn’t given so much to aid in rehydration after giving blood, as it is designed to wash down the peanut butter on cheese cracker.

Edited by Ridgewaycynic2013
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Not since college when we needed beer money. The last time we went, one guy passed our and hit his head badly. They wouldn’t let him leave for hours. Unfortunately, he was the driver. 

 

Good for those who give. Great thing to do. 

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56 minutes ago, NoHuddleKelly12 said:

This will sound terrible, but I gave for the first time while in college, because one of the sorority ladies I was interested in at the time was a long-time donator and I played it off as "of course, I give too" and will join you in the mobile ARC bus...so needless to say, my motivations were not from the goodness of my heart. I've always hated needles so this was kind of a big deal for me. Fast forward a generation, and I've done it periodically since, with no hope for romantic entanglements as a direct result, so maybe I'm not quite as selfish as I used to be? :D (I hope) 

Idk if your familiar with the show but that reminded me of an episode of The Wonder Years where Kevin volunteers to give blood only because Winnie was running it and to impress her.

 

Hey all the people you’ve helped along the way can thank that sorirty girl to get over your fear I guess ?

 

 

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My mother would all the time.  They would beg her to donate... And palettes I believe.  I think she was type AB-  

 

Yet,  sadly she passed on almost 20 years ago... Will be 20 years this February 3rd.

 

Myself... I have been on BP meds since my 20s... Have had high BP since a kid.  Not sure if I can donate... Never tried.

Edited by ExiledInIllinois
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Working on my 22nd gallon. You can donate a pint every eight weeks - about six times a year.

 

I started in my senior year of high school when the Bloodmobile came to the school. I admit, my reason for that first donation was less than altruistic - it got me out of class for a couple of periods. The other 169 times were for a better cause.

 

 

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Just made my double red appointment for sunday morning!

 

I'm on BP Medication, it's not an issue

 

1 hour ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

My mother would all the time.  They would beg her to donate... And palettes I believe.  I think she was type AB-  

 

Yet,  sadly she passed on almost 20 years ago... Will be 20 years this February 3rd.

 

Myself... I have been on BP meds since my 20s... Have had high BP since a kid.  Not sure if I can donate... Never tried.

 

Edited by The Poojer
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31 minutes ago, The Poojer said:

Just made my double red appointment for sunday morning!

 

I'm on BP Medication, it's not an issue

 

 

>>>  “How do you feel, Mr. Smith?  That was quite the accident you had”.

 

”Nervous, edgy, and frustrated, doctor, despite all the good reports...and I don’t know why!”  <<<

 

>>>. “Ah, here it is...you received three pints of blood donated by a Bills fan”.

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I'm  in for over 150 pints at this point.  Interesting story about my first donation in 1959.  I was in the Navy, standing in the payline and as I approached the pay officer a Marine "guarding" the proceedings asked me if I wanted to donate blood that day, I said no thanks.  He had his partner "escort" me to the end of the line; after working my way to the front for the second time, he asked me again.  Being a fast learner, I said, "of  course.."

 

 

After all those donations, the worst part of the process is when the phlebotomist pricks your finger for a drop of blood to check your iron level!

Edited by Keukasmallies
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Used to donate regularly when I worked about two blocks from a donation center, so it was easy to just go after lunch and do it. I did figure out that if you gave right after the New Year, you could give seven times in one year, as long as you kept to the schedule of when you could donate again. 

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I used to donate fairly regularly about a decade ago.  In recent years, I have donated less.  

 

This is unrelated to me donating less more recently, but there is an interesting podcast by RadioLab which explains the blood business.  Out of memory, many blood donation companies actually sell the blood to healthcare facilities.  Like most modern donations and charities it is a big business.  

 

Here is the link:  The donation portion starts a little after the 46 minute mark.  I may give it another listen to see if I am recalling this right.

 

https://www.wnycstudios.org/story/308403-blood

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