Any blood donors here?

I used to donate plasma regularly and have donated blood on many occasions, but I had a very serious blood clot in my late 20s and was told not to donate any more because I am “hyper-coagulable.”

I think donating blood is a good sacrifice. I have not done that in many years. I probably should. I think it would be ok, but there is an interesting story attached to that.

I used to donate plasma a couple times a week when I was in the Army stationed at Ft. Lewis in Washington state. That is even freakier than donating blood. They take the blood out, centrifuge out the plasma, mix the solids with saline and then pump it back into you. It also involves a larger-gauge needle. Me and a couple other buddies would make it a regular “social” event. I had to stop after several months because the spot on both my arms they used started taking too long to close up and heal… I still have scars there as battle wounds RAWR! It is sort of fun now too ’cause I can tell my kids I literally bled for them to put food on the table and to buy diapers (and make a dramatic face like a martyr of a parent), hehe.

I stopped donating blood after participating in a research experiment at John’s Hopkins University. I desperately needed to buy a computer because I was going back to school for accounting (after leaving active duty Army). The experiment was testing the ability of a certain drug to prevent malaria infection, which involved us going into this high-security research lab and being bitten by three specially bred, infected mosquitos. The malaria was also specially bred from strains known to be extremely susceptible to common drugs they had to treat it.

I ended up being one of the random placebo recipients. The good news was I got paid the full amount and was allowed to drop out many weeks earlier than the others. The bad news was that I contracted malaria (which they treated). I have NEVER been so sick in my life. I was basically out of it (nearly unconscious) laying on the couch for three days, alternating between a raging fever and uncontrolled freezing chills.

Anyway, the researchers said we would probably be denied in the future for donating blood. We could explain to the Red Cross (or whoever) that we had malaria at some point in our lives, which is normally an auto-denial due to some strains being impossible to cure (you can have relapses years later) and can be spread through blood transfer. But we could also tell them it was in a special research environment and we should be fine. The strain they used in the experiment is not known for laying dormant in liver tissues, and dies easily to drug treatment. They might allow us to donate and they might not.

Wow, Brian! What an ordeal you went through! I’m glad you survived fine.

Speaking of blood, I’ve heard that your blood type influences what foods are best for you, which to avoid & hormonal dominance.

I have been giving blood for years Some time they are nice sometimes they are not. Sometimes I am able to donate and sometimes I’m not. I now give platelets which takes 2 hours or more for me. This can be done every 2 weeks; so I am well known at my local blood bank. I don’t give that often. About once in every time I am disqualified for over a year. I had been on a cruse and unknowingly to me entered an area that was on the Do not Visit list most of the times my Iron level is a tenth to low. What happened to you was sad but every day lots of people are turned down. Please try again and I hope you have a better time. The advantages in my area are watching a video with good free air conditioning and a free colosterol screening and a free T-Shirt.

Please try again and I hope you have a better time.

Our bodies replace plasma in a couple of days. I don’t know the timing on platelets, but I assume that is also a quick turn around. Red blood cells take several weeks to replenish. So you can only donate whole blood every 6 to 8 weeks or so (I am not an expert, just from my fuzzy memory). You can donate plasma like 2 or 3 times a week.

I donate blood all the time and I think that I know the answers to all of the questions people have asked so far. There are several types of blood donations: whole blood, plasma, platelets and double red blood cells. When someone donates whole blood, the whole blood is separated in a lab into red blood cells, plasma, and platelets. Whole blood can be donated every 8 weeks. When someone donates platelets, plasma or double red blood cells, the blood is removed and then separated by a machine spinning the blood into the different parts. Whatever is not being donated is then put back in the donor by the machine. The process takes a while longer than donating whole blood. The advantage of doing donations other than whole blood is that more of what is needed can be safely taken. For example, donating double red blood cells provides two units for transfusion. It takes on average 6 units of whole blood to get as many platelets as one platelet only donation. Also, platelets are only viable out of the body for 7 days. Your body will replace the platelets donated in about 3 days. Platelet donations can be made every week or two depending on the blood donor center. They are all necessary and beneficial and helpful to the community.

I have done the double red blood cell donation but it was a little rough on my body so I always just give whole blood now. I had a couple transfusions as a kid and I have O- blood so I try to donate as regularly as possible. I know so many people that are ineligible to donate so I feel a responsibility to do it because I can. My lifetime total is probably between 3-4 gallons of blood donated and I’m in my late 20s.

P.S. I’m also on the national bone marrow registry in case someone can use my marrow someday.

I actually really like giving blood (as much as one can…) because it’s a relatively effortless way to give back and then you get juice and cookies. This is also why I liked primary. All blood is needed, so if you can, donate! I haven’t been able to lately as I was living in the UK for a few years, but I’m eligible again in a few months.

I found it interesting when donating in the UK that they only have a 4-6 week wait period between visits as opposed to 8-10 weeks in Canada. Also, their snacks were better. Here’s to the NHS!

As an aside, the first time I donated as a little 19 year old, I was first completely bummed that a person can’t donate if they’d been to prison (they must know horrible things happen there…) and then trying not to laugh when a nurse with a heavy Newfoundland accent asked me the sex/drugs questions.

Clarification: I haven’t been to prison, I just found it sad that they officially recognize whatever horrifying things go on.