Do you donate blood?

[mycoolcar]

So recently I donated blood for the first time. It was all in all a positive experience.

Since doing so I've talked to a few people here and there, and a lot of them have also donated blood at one point or another in their life.

Do you donate blood? If not, id urge you to do so. It's really not that bad. Only issue I see for some of you is that you cannot donate if you have had oral or anal sex with another man in the past few years. OHhurHurHur see what I did there?

[Kayne]

I don't donate as I'm a diabetic, and tell myself that so I feel better about not donating.

They probably wouldn't want my blood to be honest though, and for some reason, in the last 9 months, when I've gone for a blood test, I've gotten close to passing out (blood test every 3 months, yay diabetus). Start to lose hearing and eye sight until I lie down for 20 seconds or some bullshit.

Strange since I've been doing these 3 monthly tests for about 4-5 years now.

[Ninja]

i've donated for year, in fact im donating tomoro morning, as a platelet donor, i donate once a month and im in the chair for nearly two hours, I recommend that everyone who can, should, theres no downside, its helping give people life.

[benlav]

I had to get an ultra sound on my liver a few weeks back and nearly passed out. The fact that they were manipulating my organs in order to get a better shot was enough to make feel extremely uncomfortable. I'm not sure I could last giving blood.

[kookynic]

Ive given blood twice, haven't really had time lately to do so.

[Clin]

I get a call every couple of months. No skin off my nose.

It's funny though. The lady said they don't want your blood if you smoke pot, but twenty cigarettes a day? No problem.

[Mayhem_Lee]

Use to give blood frequently every 3 months with my old work, Group of us would wonder down before lunch donate the life giving fluids then munch some cookies. Been a bit slack of late though.

Few minutes of my time to give blood that someone needs isn't much to ask really

[The Demon Lord]

I've got Mad Cow Disease so can't donate.

Which annoys me immensely as I would like to Donate regularly

[Clin]

My donation centre has cups of tea and giant jaffas. Yeah boi.

[Spigalau]

Note: When you ask the new nurse where she has come from, if she replies SPCA, run... ended up with bruises on both arms.

[benlav]

Note: When you ask the new nurse where she has come from, if she replies SPCA, run... ended up with bruises on both arms.

Long story short, I had a bad reaction to sea food a few years back while working. Ambulance took me to the hospital. The guy who hooked my wrist up to the IV bag made an absolute hash of it. I had two massive sacks of blood on my hand where he went right through the vein I guess. A few weeks later, he i ran into him dealing at the Chch Casino Blackjack table!

[Arseynimz]

This got me thinking, I should probably donate. I haven't for years due to having health issues, or just because I was a lazy fuck. I looked up the donor centres:
http://www.nzblood.co.nz/Give-blood/Where-to-donate

A few places have "late nights" which counters my lack of time to do it. Going to rock over to North Shore Clinic on Thursday early evening if anyone wants to join me.

Edit: Holy shit, full credit to NZ Blood - online booking system, reminders, and ical appointment download. I'm booked for Thursday night.

[mycoolcar]

Edit: Holy shit, full credit to NZ Blood - online booking system, reminders, and ical appointment download. I'm booked for Thursday night.

Yeh, online system rocks, txt reminders n shit too.

I've donated twice. The weirdest part of it for me was feeling the warmth of my blood through the tube that runs down your arm. Really weird feeling it on the outside of your arm.

[Pyromanik]

Do you donate blood?

Nah, fuck that shit.

[Pyromanik]

Note: When you ask the new nurse where she has come from, if she replies SPCA, run...

And if she says "Ukraine"...


But yeh. I got talked into it once, which is not a good idea when you're not fond of needles. I thought "ah whatever, it's a shit excuse", just like the modern radio ads. But then after passing all the prelim tests (iron count, etc) the woman got this thing out that I can only describe as a drainpipe rather than a needle. I'd had many blood tests before, but this was on a whole other level from those needles. Thinking back now my mind is going "If blood taking needles were gay docking would probably be their sport of choice". My veins (usually very pronounced at that stage of my life, like a runty Sly Stallone) shrank away into my by then sheet white arms. There was no blood flow enough to have anything good come of me sitting where I was, but she tried anyway. The needled felt like it was red hot in my arm. Blood barely came out at all. I thought it was going ok until she goes "it should be going much much much faster than that, I must have missed the vein", at which point she straight up grabbed the needle and gave it a twist, while it was still in my arm. She didn't shuffle it, just grab and turn. Then after that didn't fix anything (surprise) she goes, "I'll try the other arm".

Takes out the needle, goes to move the equipment and notices how I am feeling by this point, probably about a minute thirty seconds from passing out if this were to continue. At which point she goes "maybe another time" and I have a biscuit after being helped over to the recovery area (felling pretty weak) and then leave with a new found pure hatred for blood extraction.

They told me they'd work up what they had and send me my blood type and stuff. They never did.

[Clin]

It really helps not to watch. I don't like needles either. They didn't bother me as a kid, but for some reason the older I get the more I feel them.

So I just don't look. I normally say to the nurse "I don't like needles, I'll just look away" and it takes your imagination out of the equation.

Try it next time you need a shot at your GP. Take it from ol' scaredy-bum.

[Arseynimz]

I'm kinda one of those curious types who has to know how it works. So I watch with great glee and interest while the nurse is all like, "are you okay watching". I mean hell, if shit goes wrong, you're in the right bloody place.

[Ninja]

i always watch lol, and if you think the standard donation needles are big you should try apheresis... since they take blood out, centrifuge it and put it back in...

[Apostrophe Spacemonkey]

I used to, quite enjoyed it. I can't at the moment due to a medical condition but will be able to again a few years from now.

[Apostrophe Spacemonkey]

Following oral sex with or without a condom with another man (if you are male).

How come oral sex between two dudes is not ok, but between a man and woman is fine?


How is it any different?

[Clin]

Statistics.

[Clin]

That's a guess. A non-judgmental guess.

[Lias]

Following oral sex with or without a condom with another man (if you are male).

How come oral sex between two dudes is not ok, but between a man and woman is fine?


How is it any different?

According to the 2009 review at http://www.nzblood.co.nz/Give-blood/Donating/Am-I-eligible/Review-of-donor-criteria, it's because homosexual men are 40x more likely to have HIV than heterosexuals.

[Craigor]

I've got Mad Cow Disease so can't donate.

I too, am in this mad cow category

If you lived in the UK, France or the Republic of Ireland for a total of six months or more between 1980 and 1996 then unfortunately you will be permanently deferred from donating blood in New Zealand.
This is because of CJD and vCJD – the human form of “mad cow disease”. We simply do not know enough about these conditions and how they are spread. At present there are no tests available to detect these conditions in blood donations. As a result, New Zealand and many other countries have introduced this criteria.

[Lias]

I too, am in this mad cow category

And that's nothing to do with travelling to the UK.. *badoom dum tish*