Giving blood SUCKS

[house]

dammit im pissed. saw there was a blood drive on campus here today and thought what the hell. ive done it 3 times before with no problems, but today i guess i wasnt hydrated or some shit like that. so after sittin for almost a half hour they got a bag of my blood that they hafta throw away cause they didnt get enough. fuck, what a waste. i want that blood back, fuckers.

guess i hafta fill the void with something now. did someone say beer?

[non grata]

bastards. they could have at least let you keep your bag of blood for your own personal use.

[Dromond]

Nah man giving blood rules. You know when you succeed (i.e. stay hydrated or whatever) you blood is usually pulsing in someone else's veins within 10 days Trippy.

[cj001f]

they could have at least let you keep your bag of blood for your own personal use.

They did you a favor by taking it out. Giving blood usually drops my tolerance by a drink or three for a week.

[snowsprite]

At least you didn't pass out cold and whack your head on the floor like my big manly husband who dropped like a ton of bricks at the sight of a few drops of his own blood!

Sprite

[Innominatus]

bastards. they could have at least let you keep your bag of blood for your own personal use.

Nah. They just give it to Tyler Hamilton.

[altagirl]

At least you didn't pass out cold and whack your head on the floor like my big manly husband who dropped like a ton of bricks at the sight of a few drops of his own blood!

Sprite

I do that. It's not the sight of blood (obviously that doesn't bother me with all the DH injuries and such - my shoe was full of blood and I developed a 4" blood-sicle to pool on the floormat off my heel while driving myself to the clinic last time I needed stitches, and I felt totally fine) - it's needles that freak me out. I can sit there, try to stay calm and after a couple minutes I get tunnel vision and pass out. I hate needles.

[Theodore]

Last summer I was at the hospital getting some tests done to see what was wrong with me and the drew a LOT of blood out of my right arm no problem. I watched the needle go in, watched all the blood come out. Then they get to the last culture sample and say they need to take it from my left arm. Ok, no problem there.... wrong. Watched the needle go in, blood starts to come out and then I got reallllllly light headed. Turns out its a good thing to eat or drink something within 7 hours of watching all your blood flow out of your body. Who woulda thunk?

[altachic]

i have my blood drawn every month for the cancer issues i had. I'm a pro at watching that needle go in and out. Oh, and the tube full of blood isn't so bad either now that i've done it for so long...i think i'm immune to it.

[L7]

Don't give blood during cycling season. Made that mistake this year while taking a training after a big ride. Over a week later I went out for 170kms and limped in feeling worse than I had for years if not ever. Close to 2 weeks to really come back and feel strong on the bike. I totally underestimated the impact of giving blood and the duration of that impact. I'll give blood again but not when it's going to screw my training.

[house]

forget giving blood, i found a plasma center nearby! they even give me my cells back, and MONEY. good gig.

[El Kabong]

I gave blood last week, and then got a message from the blood center saying "there is a problem with your donation"

so I spend the night trying not to freak out and call in the morning. Apparently the week I spent in India in May makes me ineligble to give blood for a year. I wish they had told me that before they sucked a pint of blood out of me which they then proceeded to throw away.

[cantunamunch]

El Kabong, you've got to start reading the fine print. You know that section about Nigeria/Cameroon, all the other Peace Corps and endemic HIV countries? Well, guess what: that now includes the mad moo countries. If there's a better than fair chance you ate a hot dog or burger in the UK since 1980, you're out. If you've lived in Europe for more than 6 months since then, you're out. Funny that, how all those gallons I gave before that went to perfectly good typeO use with no ill effect whatsoever.

L7, and here I had you down as a well-thought-out, careful and reasonable kind of fellow.

[El Kabong]

actually, if you read my post I was in India. But nonetheless, they should have screened me out in the pre-donation interview. I dont mind that I cant give blood, i just am annoyed that they had to waste my time and plasma before they figured out that they couldnt use it.

[cantunamunch]

E K, a part of my point, but not all, was that you cannot assume they will take the trouble to speak everything that's written. This is true of medical forms, legal forms and about every other form you will be asked to sign/verify/read. Yes, I read your post and followed up with a supporting alternate example.

[El Kabong]

is cool, really I am just happy I dont have HIV, which is the first thing that crosses your mind when they call you to say they have a problem with your donation.

In the end it is just a shame I cant give blood for another 9 months, I am in med school right now, and as far as I can tell, donating is one of the easiest ways you can save another person's life. Even though it can be a pain in the ass to do, everyone should do it.

[EPSkis]

.....as far as I can tell, donating is one of the easiest ways you can save another person's life. Even though it can be a pain in the ass to do, everyone should do it.

Without question. I give regularly because of my blood type (A-), but after the experience with my son's kidney problems - I also realized that organ donation is something everyone should seriously consider...

Yeah, you CAN take 'em with you - but why?

Good on ya, El K.