Thread: Giving Blood..

yep i have been donating for as long as i can remember, have been a bit slack the last couple of year......

i used to donated plasma for kids.....now that cool watching your blood go out and back in

I used to regularly give blood but then I went and lived in England for a year and was still able to give blood for a while after I got back but then was told I could not - apparently anyone who was in the UK for a little while might have been exposed to Mad Cow disease (but I believe humans cannot catch it) so cannot give blood.

I lived for 12 months in the UK 30 years ago but still I am not allowed to give blood. I appreciate the integrity of the blood supply needs to be maintained but I don't believe Mad Cow disease is actually an issue for humans or the blood supply.

Garry

Ive donated blood for years and never had a problem BUT it is because on one of my first donations (at Coober Pedy mind you) one of the toughest opal miners I have ever known made it about 4 steps from standing up to having a "wee lay down" and sleep on the floor!

He dropped like a stone! Although he thought he'd drunk enough he realised later he had had very little to drink during the day, and he hadnt eaten at all. As a result I drink extra the night before and the day of and have a good breakky and or lunch before I donate.

In SA theyve just introduced a plasma donation machine into the blood bus, I do that and honestly feel even better after donating plasma than I did after straight blood!
Good on you for getting in and letting them "suck your blood"
Dont let the one bad experience deter you.!!

I used to donate all the time. Then they brought in the mad cow ban so I'm not allowed to anymore. I could fill the bag in just over 2 mins. They would never believe me so every time the nurse would have to come running over to unhook me.

Good on you for having a go.
Wife has tried 4 times now and they can't get much out of her.

There is a reason you can donate plasma every 2 week's and whole blood every 6...... Drink plenty of water in the 24hrs leading up to. Eat normally and within no more than 2 hrs of donations.

Giving isn't for everyone, but way more should.

Originally Posted by garrycol

I used to regularly give blood but then I went and lived in England for a year and was still able to give blood for a while after I got back but then was told I could not - apparently anyone who was in the UK for a little while might have been exposed to Mad Cow disease (but I believe humans cannot catch it) so cannot give blood.

Hi Garry

The human form of mad cow disease (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) is CJD or Creutzfeldt–Jakob Disease and is transferred by miniscule particles called prions. It's true anyone who lived in the UK (or other parts of Europe) for six months or more between 1980 and 1996 are excluded from the Australian Red Cross donor pool.

Diana

Me and the missus donate regularly, the trick is (as you have found out) is to eat well, and drink plenty of water the day of the donation. I don't drink much water usually, but I get down the best part of 2 litres the day of the donation, so I can get the bag full in under 3 minutes.

Good on you for having a go, and even after that experience, I hope you go back again.

Cheers - Gav.

I donate plasma every fortnight or so. I used to give whole blood but now just do plasma.

Definitely eat well and keep hydrated the day of giving, although I typically drink a fair amount every day, more habit now than anything else, typically 3+ litres a day.

My brother has had a few fainting episodes, so they just take less from him now for plasma. Not sure about whole blood.

I think donating is great for those who can - I tend to think the exclusion criteria are a little extreme, but if that's what's required to maintain an extremely safe blood supply than so be it.

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