Poll: Are you a blood donor?

[The Lawn]

I'm apparently unable to due to having lived in England 18 years ago.

I'm almost certain that at least 90% of me is derived from American foodstuffs, but if they don't want my general all purpose bloods... that's their loss.

Edit:
Well I can however donate organs... and other tissues...
Which strikes me as odd.
They'll take my innards and skin... but not the blood that passes through them.

 

[cartzo]

"remember that time i gave blood"
"who's blood?"
"some guy's"

i've had a transfusion so i can't actually give blood.
and i had cancer when i was fourteen so i can't be a donor of anything else either.
although the NHS did give me a nice tattoo on my stomach that says "REJECT".

 

[hazabaza1]

Too young. Not sure if I would anyway, I hate needles.

 

[DanielDeFig]

There was no option for "im allowed, but i just don't want to" are we bad ppl for not wanting to donate blood?

Ok i have to be honest, i would like to donate some blood int he future (mbe), and i really should cuz i have type O-. As i understand it, O- donated blood is compatible with patients of all blood types, but O- blood types can only receive O- blood. I know O- Blood was crucial for my own survival when i had several extensive operations when i was little, and i know its a rare blood type. But getting injections is bad enough, i always feel queasy when giving small amounts of blood for tests, i cant imagine what it would be like to give more than that. NO, ive never felt the need to donate blood, even if i can perfectly agree with the rational and logical reasons why i of all ppl should donate some blood.

 

[teisjm]

Nope, as far as i know, they can see traces of marijuana when they scan it, and they wouldn't use it when they found it, so it would be awaste of theirs and my time.

I'm listed as an organ doner though
I've thougth about donating to a sperm bank, mainly for the money though and to be able to truthfully say tham i'd be a professinal wanker, that would be quite funny.

 

[JMeganSnow]

I won't give blood, but that's not because I don't want to. It's just that I get scared of needles, I have a real fear of people sticking a needle in me. Weird thing about me is that I'm a sadist, but I hate pain in myself.

Actually, I'm kind of a masochist (not sexually), so I like it when they stick the needle into me.

The next time I go there, I'm going to ask them if they draw blood on commission. What I mean is, if I pay for the work and the material used, could they draw some of my blood for me to take home and drink? (Of course I wouldn't drink it all in one go; I'm aware of the risk of diabetes that entails.)

You can't get diabetes from drinking blood. Diabetes is a failure of your pancreas to produce proper amounts of insulin in a timely fashion. It's caused by a number of things, but not blood. You'd probably be healthier if you drank blood instead of, say, soda. Er, assuming said blood was not contaminated, though. Them pathogens are nasty.

I read in a book that you can get it from doing the vampire stuff, but I am aware that books can be wrong, so I'm wondering if you're sure that drinking blood can't give you diabetes, or if you just hadn't heard about that before.

Yes, I'm sure. And I've heard this claim before. It's bunk. Diabetes is not contagious and there's nothing in blood that isn't already in your body anyway.

You're actually NOT that likely to get a disease from drinking blood unless you have an open cut/sore somewhere in your mouth/upper digestive tract. (Which is fairly common, however, since a lot of people have periodontal problems). Your stomach acid does a number on pretty much any bloodborne pathogen out there.

 

[Insomniac55]

I've given once, and plan to again once it's been long enough that I'm allowed to. The first time I tried to donate they woudlnt' let me because I get occasional heart palpiations... I had to get the doc to fill out a form confirming it's harmless before I was able to give.

 

[Sarahcidal]

I totally would if I could.. when I was in high school and the blood donate crew came by i had always recently gotten a new tattoo or piercing so they wouldnt accept me

now i'm on a drug called Warfarin.. it's a blood thinner.. it would make donating much easier because i bleed like a freakin hemophiliac lol.. but alas it makes me an unacceptable donation candidate.

 

[Anthropaphagi]

Don't feel too bad. People who are AB can only give blood to other people who are AB. And since you guys are indeed pretty rare, there's also not a lot of demand for it. Granted I've worked in relatively small hospitals, but I have never given out a unit of AB blood and I've been doing this for thirteen years now.

It's interesting you mention that because I get contacted often about donating, especially if I wait longer than the prescribed timing because AB is rare "and they need it so desperately" according to the letters I receive. I often wondered how often it just sits on a shelf or is broken down into blood products as it's got so little use. In fact, when I signed up for the bone marrow registry they never bothered to follow up with me.

I'll continue to do it as long as I can. You never know, someone may need it one day.

 

[Cryogaijin]

Next donation date is the 26th. I have a personal exsanguinatrix who calls and reminds me.

 

[Dags90]

No one will take my blood because I had protected sex with another man, which puts me in the same risk category as IV drug users. I'm also on the weight borderline and have low blood pressure, so it's probably ill advised to donate anyway.