Do you donate blood?

[renovation]

do you donate to the red cross ?
Im giving Sunday at church is why im asking .
i have been called in at times early after giving just 4-5 weeks earlyer.
i know im type O negative
do you know your blood type ?

[oblongmelon]

No. I was the 7th person in New York State to be diagnosed with Reyes Syndrome when I was a kid..myself and a girl named Missy McGavin were diagnosed within two weeks of each other. She didn't make it. I did. I can't take aspirin or donate blood because of it.

[chrissy]

I do.

I donate when I can. I will be donating on the 12th of this month acutally. The GS have a blood drive with the cookie season kick off in January and I donate then and when they call me after that and I am eligable and pass the iron test. That seems to be my downfall.

[cheapie]

when they come to the office and i'm here i do.

[ramazank2]

I used to donate all the time but then I developed a fear of needles during a visit to the dentist...

[TofuNinja]

I can't... I have a huge fear of needles.... I hate seeing blood leave a body... I flinch at all needles in movies..... however I think if push came to shove and a loved one needed my blood I'd do it..... Nearly freaked out earlier this week... had to take a blood test.... yes I am a wuss... but damn I hate needles.

[Layla]

I do, every eight weeks or whatever it is...they call me, I say ok and go. O positive.

[Sirrich3]

I do, I do, I do!

[LPMiller]

i tried, my veins collapse. Also, bleeding disorder. My wife used to, until they found a factor in her blood that gives off a false positive for syphillis, so she's not allowed to either. I do know I'm B pos.

[ramazank2]

I can't... I have a huge fear of needles.... I hate seeing blood leave a body... I flinch at all needles in movies..... however I think if push came to shove and a loved one needed my blood I'd do it..... Nearly freaked out earlier this week... had to take a blood test.... yes I am a wuss... but damn I hate needles.

I got you beat. Last time I went to give blood I fainted after they pricked my finger for iron testing....

[zippyjuan]

Red Cross says I am inelgible to donate blood since I was in Europe for an extended period of time during the Mad Cow disease thing- even though it was 20 years ago.

[molecularfire]

Can't give blood. My blood is too tainted with disease.

[uncledaddy]

I donate when convenient, as in, if the blood drive happens to be going on at a location that I am at at the time. :D I would donate more often but in San Diego it seems you have to drive forever and deal with traffic to do anything.

[Jenny]

I don't anymore. Veins are hard to get to ever since I was pregnant with Josh. Same for my mom, even tho she's stick thin. I did several times before I was pregnant. I'm A neg and so is Josh. Scott is O neg.

[Markel]

I'd consider it, but I have to wait for a while due to visits to the Dominican Republic.

[Napoleon54]

O+. I donated blood regularly for a few years, then I donated platelets for a few years, but I'm pretty sure I'm ineligible now. Should ask rather than assume though, 'cause I might not be.

[riskykougra]

My blood type is A+. But I'm so anemic I would never be able to donate. It barely keeps me going LOL

[mcs328]

My skin allergies sometimes breaks out into rashes on my arm. When I went in I was almost about to get drained until another employee noticed the rash so they said no. And I ust came back from Asia a few months ago. My wife gives when she can.

[Jcranmer]

I would, but I am a diabetic. Back in the day I don't think they would take my blood. I understand now as long as your sugar levels are in control they will accept it. (Mine are never even close to being in control)

Then there is that whole nearly passing out whenever they draw blood for lab work. :D

[ShawnLee]

I know my blood type, and I donate when I can - but it's difficult. Korea sometimes won't take me cause I've been to the states. The US sometimes won't take me cause I've been to Korea. Fun fun.

[Jeffbx]

I do as often as I can since I'm O negative ("the universal donor")

But I may have some more trips to India coming up, and I'm not allowed to donate for 1 year after I return because of risk of Malaria.

[Kevster]

I'm a frequent donor. I have donated just over 5 gallons overall. I'm type AB+, aka the universal receiver as I can only donate blood to people that are AB+. I am however the universal donor for plasma/platelets as I have both types. Genetically I have both dominant A and B phenotypes, and logically so my little daughter is B+.

[Napoleon54]

I'm a frequent donor. I have donated just over 5 gallons overall. I'm type AB+, aka the universal receiver as I can only donate blood to people that are AB+. I am however the universal donor for plasma/platelets as I have both types.
Wow, BRAVO Kevster! You da man!! :cheers:



Genetically I have both dominant A and B phenotypes, and logically so my little daughter is B+.

huh?

[Maarchk]

I do, every eight weeks or whatever it is...they call me, I say ok and go. O positive.

With her. Although I'm B+.

oh and ZJ, WTF? Not at you, but that is just an awkward statement. You were in an area with mad cows, so you can't ever give blood...

I wonder who makes such rules. Like maybe if we couldn't test for it, but thats just odd. Oh well. I'll give once in your name.

m-

[InfiniteNothing]

huh?
Assuming Kevster's wife isn't also AB his daughter can be A, B, or AB.

[Kevster]

Genetically I have both dominant A and B phenotypes, and logically so my little daughter is B+.
huh?

For simple blood typing, (human blood genetics are much more complex, but the ABO system is a bit simpler) A and B are co-dominant genes. O is a recessive gene. A person that will have AA or AO genetic traits will have A-type blood. a person with BB or BO will have B-type blood. People that have OO only will have O-type blood. One of my genetic parents (I'm adopted, another story) gave me a A gene and the other genetic parent gave me a B gene, giving me AB-type blood. Since I can only pass along A or B to my children (and my wife is type O), then my children will have either AO or BO type blood. There are some genetic instances that can cause someone to pass two genes instead of one, but those are very rare.

Rh factor is a lot more complex, but it generally is grouped into positive or negative even though there's about 30 or so different possibilities that a child could inherit from their parent.

Since AB is a rare blood type, I got interested in how and why I was this way, hence the reason I know all this now. The main reason I have donated so much blood is that I have very good veins and the determination of Red Cross/Blood Source people for getting a hold of me to donate. From when they get me actually started, I can fill a pint in about 5-6 minutes. I do feel bad for those folks that take up to 30-40 minutes, but hey I want to get those cookies.

[ShawnLee]

The main reason I have donated so much blood is that I have very good veins and the determination of Red Cross/Blood Source people for getting a hold of me to donate. From when they get me actually started, I can fill a pint in about 5-6 minutes. I do feel bad for those folks that take up to 30-40 minutes, but hey I want to get those cookies.
Gotta love the cookies.

Unless I haven't had much to drink all day, I usually take about five minutes. On a LONG day, I'll take ten.

[Napoleon54]

For simple blood typing, (human blood genetics are much more complex, but the ABO system is a bit simpler) A and B are co-dominant genes. O is a recessive gene. A person that will have AA or AO genetic traits will have A-type blood. a person with BB or BO will have B-type blood. People that have OO only will have O-type blood. One of my genetic parents (I'm adopted, another story) gave me a A gene and the other genetic parent gave me a B gene, giving me AB-type blood. Since I can only pass along A or B to my children (and my wife is type O), then my children will have either AO or BO type blood. There are some genetic instances that can cause someone to pass two genes instead of one, but those are very rare.

Rh factor is a lot more complex, but it generally is grouped into positive or negative even though there's about 30 or so different possibilities that a child could inherit from their parent.

Since AB is a rare blood type, I got interested in how and why I was this way, hence the reason I know all this now. The main reason I have donated so much blood is that I have very good veins and the determination of Red Cross/Blood Source people for getting a hold of me to donate. From when they get me actually started, I can fill a pint in about 5-6 minutes. I do feel bad for those folks that take up to 30-40 minutes, but hey I want to get those cookies.

Great explanation, thanks. Brain fart on my part. I had forgotten that AB are codominant... for a minute there I was thinking they were separate genes. :P

[Nija]

I wasn't able to donate for a few years because of tattoos, but as soon as my mom needed platelets I got to donate every two weeks (*shhhhhh*), and blood a couple of times.

I'm lucky, I can donate to newborns. (Apparently a big deal :P)

[Kevster]

I'm lucky, I can donate to newborns. (Apparently a big deal :P)

You're CMV negative too? :thumb: That's another reason they keep calling/hounding me to donate all the time.

[Nija]

You're CMV negative too? :thumb: That's another reason they keep calling/hounding me to donate all the time.
My mom works for a donor bank.

I can't escape no matter what!

[Mommypooh]

I tried to once but had two kids with me and was in this tiny trailer and just could not get my blood pressure to go down cause I was really stressed with the Chistmas shopping and dealing with a 3 year old and a almost 1 year old. So I hven't. I have been thinking I should make an appointment and get a sitter so that I can. But I can't be away from my youngest for more than about an hour and a half so not sure if Ican or not.

I do know I am AB+ I have to know that since I have had kids and we had a big dispute with an OB over whether or not I need the RH- shot which I didn't but she gave me anyways. So now I know so I can fight to avoid unneeded shots.

[ex-starlistener]

I'm a member of the gallon club too. I am donating this Sat.
I used to donate platelets for a few years. It just became to hard to schedule it. So now it is jsut whole blood.

[molecularfire]

Hey, I haven't seen you around before. Welcome to G|A and cool beans with the blood donation thing. :wavey2:

[Paymaster]

Red Cross says I am inelgible to donate blood since I was in Europe for an extended period of time during the Mad Cow disease thing- even though it was 20 years ago.

Same here.

They went through the questionaire on where I had visited...

Mexico? (checks books, clarifies timeline...) "no problem"
India? (checks books, clarifies timeline...) "no problem"
Malysia? (checks books, clarifies timeline...) "no problem"
England? (checks books, clarifies timeline...) Alarms start going off. They kick me out and deadbolt the door.


I asked if I would be able to donate in the future, and they basically said "don't call us, we'll call you".

[RIVERWIDOW]

I'm a frequent donor. I have donated just over 5 gallons overall. I'm type AB+, aka the universal receiver as I can only donate blood to people that are AB+. I am however the universal donor for plasma/platelets as I have both types. Genetically I have both dominant A and B phenotypes, and logically so my little daughter is B+.

I also am a frequent donor. I just hit 6 gallons ! I am O- so they are always happy to see me. 6 minutes to pump out a pint.....if only I could lose weight that fast. Donating is also my excuse for not getting a tattoo when my friends harrass me to get one.

[WhiskeyPapa]

I used to donate quite regularly. I've given 36 times, so I guess that's 4.5 gallons. Since I started my own business, I haven't given. Mainly because it's guaranteed to take two hours, and I just don't have that kind of spare time on a weekday anymore.

[Arch113]

Donated 18 times so far (A-)