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Blood Donation.

My biologic injections have such a fine needle that I often don't feel it when I put the needle into my abdomen.
 
It now seems to have become difficult to book an appointment to give blood, I suppose the social distancing regime means they have less capacity . Next available appointment here is in August.
 
I decided to check again to see if I was eligible, and I'm not. But it's because I'm over 70! Oh well. :( I used to donate in my teens, and even sold blood in Spain, but all in the past now.
 
Just had a TXT from the National Blood Transfusion Service. My blood is safe and useful - released for use!

Please, my initiation of this was simple ... to provoke others who can donate blood to donate.

It is really easy to sign up [online], but expect a few weeks for the first local donation slot.

As always in my experience, the staff of the NHS and their affiliate branches, is simply in the class of heroic. In these difficult times, don't fear to go out and help those unknown through a practical gift that actually does help, and costs nothing beyond making the effort.

Best wishes from George
 
Glad all is OK George. I have also just had a text checking that I was still prepared to attend my next appointment for a donation. That hasn't happened before so far ahead of my appointment so my guess is that donations are down at present or they are having to think about 'social distancing' during the donation sessions.
 
Donations are down. If you can venture to food shops, then donation of blood is much safer, as the staff and donators are completely sensible to the normal precautions of social distancing and hygiene.

Anyone who can, should, as so many have fled the donation field.

Best wishes from George

PS: I am O+ but don't know if that is significant.
 
Being a filthy invert, they don't want my blood; despite the fact that I've been in a monogamous relationship for 25 years.
Seems odd they're happy to have my organs (and I'm obviously on the register), but not my blood.
 
George J said:
PS: I am O+ but don't know if that is significant.
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O pos is the commonest, in the UK at least, so that makes you very useful. It's not the "universal" one , I think that's AB, but that's rather rare. Still your blood can be used on most people coming in, which is good news.
 
me. >

"B negative blood is one of the rarest blood types as just 2% of our blood donors have it."
 
Were the old-style NHS cards colour-coded depending on blood type, or is that just my memory playing tricks? I don’t know what my blood group is, but I remember I had a buff-coloured card!
 
Marchbanks said:
Were the old-style NHS cards colour-coded depending on blood type, or is that just my memory playing tricks? I don’t know what my blood group is, but I remember I had a buff-coloured card!
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At one time everything official was buff-coloured, or so it seemed
 
Haven't been to donate in a few years, but I think I got to 19/20 donations. They used to come in mobile clinics to a few of the places that where I worked and I was always surprised how few of my colleagues were prepared to have a needle stuck in them.
It's not painless but a small pin prick is a lot less than some of the pain I've inflicted on myselfin the name of DIY.
Only had one occasion where I had a noticeable bruise, I think the needle went through the vein. I'll have a look and see if they are pulling pints in my area.
 
RXH2 said:
Only had one occasion where I had a noticeable bruise, I think the needle went through the vein. I'll have a look and see if they are pulling pints in my area.
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I should have mentioned earlier. When the Donor Carer removes the needle and presses a clean piece of cotton wool or gauze over the puncture wound they will either -

A) apply pressure on the dressing for a few minutes to stop the bleeding

B) ask you to apply pressure on the dressing for a few minutes.

Here is where the bruise often occurs. Whether the Donor Carer does or not, apply pressure for about 3 minutes (not too hard, but firm) to the dressing covering the needle exit site.
If the vein bleeds under the skin = bruise.
That sort of bruise can be painful.
 
This has been really frustrating for me, I signed as as part of a work group, I had to drop out of my first appointment as I was ill, then my second appointment was cancelled owing to Covid. You've just reminded me I need to try and get a slot locally as I'm working from home.
 
I managed to bring my first-ever donation forward to this afternoon, to avoid any risk of having to cancel due to quarantine following a trip to France next month. So take a bow, @George J, that’s at least one pint the NHS has that is completely down to you posting. And there should be more if it passes muster (and it obviously pretty much goes without saying that it will, given the Marchbanks bloodline.)

I must have dawdled a bit, it took me seven minutes to squeeze a pint out - so your speed record is still intact. And there was no talk of thoroughbred horses, which was a shame given the location.

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Marchbanks said:
I managed to bring my first-ever donation forward to this afternoon, to avoid any risk of having to cancel due to quarantine following a trip to France next month. So take a bow, @George J, that’s at least one pint the NHS has that is completely down to you posting. And there should be more if it passes muster (and it obviously pretty much goes without saying that it will, given the Marchbanks bloodline.)
Click to expand...
Hooray - my pint has been accepted! I wasn’t ever in doubt, all that nurturing of my bloodstream with Rochefort and Rhône was bound to pay dividends. And although some people might say O+ is boringly common, I like to think of it more as my blood showing solidarity with the masses.
 
B- before I stopped donating after about 30 pricks. I stopped because of malaria and extensive travel to malaria countries
 
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