Donate Blood in UCD - Tues. 4th to Fri. 7th

**Timbuk2** · 02-10-2011 5:48pm #1

The Irish Blood Transfusion Service will be in UCD next week looking for donors, so please, if you have time, go donate blood - you can literally save a life in between lectures.

Dates: Tuesday 4th October - Friday 7th October
Time: 11.30am - 3.00pm
Where: Astra Hall, Student Centre.

You don't need to know your blood type if it's going to be your first time.
See www.giveblood.ie for more details, and to take a quick quiz to see if you're eligible.
If you can't make it next week, remember that they have a permanent clinic on D'Olier Street (beside O'Connell Bridge and Westmoreland Street), the 46a, 145, 39a and 3 buses all stop beside there.
Edit: They're also in Stillorgan permanently, but you need to phone up and make an appointment for Stillorgan (unlike D'Olier street where you can walk in any time). Again, 46a, 145 brings you near it. The 84 will drop you right outside it!

(I'm not affiliated with IBTS, it's just it's not always that well advertised in UCD)

Conor108 · 02-10-2011 6:00pm

Always forget to do this when it's in my town. I'M THERE. Thanks:)

Siuin · 02-10-2011 7:13pm

Awh, just found out I'm ineligible because I've been to Israel in the past 28 days

Will · 02-10-2011 7:15pm

Got a tattoo recently, no dice for me

shofukan · 02-10-2011 7:18pm

Damn my sketchy blood!
Those who can, make sure to for those of us that'd like to but can't

GoldFour4 · 02-10-2011 7:41pm

How exactly do I get to the astra hall ? Yes I'm a first year :L

**Timbuk2** · 02-10-2011 7:49pm

malachyscott wrote: »

How exactly do I get to the astra hall ? Yes I'm a first year :L

Walk into the student centre. Do you know where that is? It's between the Science Building and the Sports centre. It's easy to find because it's at the end of the covered walkway through the centre of UCD - on the Clonskeagh / Water tower side.

Go in the main doors and it should be to your right. There'll be signs!
If you were around for freshers week and saw the societies tent, that tent was behind the student centre!

bnt · 04-10-2011 5:25pm

seanor3 wrote: »

Damn my sketchy blood!
Those who can, make sure to for those of us that'd like to but can't

Same here: lived in the UK in the 90s, so they think I have Mad Cow Disease. :rolleyes:

Killer Pigeon · 04-10-2011 7:50pm

I'd love to, but unfortunately gays are barred from donating blood for some archaic and unscientific reason, even if they get their blood tested to show that it's just as clean as any straight person's. Oh well.

**Timbuk2** · 04-10-2011 9:07pm

bnt wrote: »

Same here: lived in the UK in the 90s, so they think I have Mad Cow Disease. :rolleyes:

I've always thought that's a bit silly, but I suppose they have to air on the side of caution. However, it seems a bit ludacris that you could donate blood in Belfast but not in Dublin - it's still going to patients either way!

Was anyone at this today? Was there a big turnout?

WeeBushy · 05-10-2011 11:17am

I've worked with monkeys before so unfortunately can't give blood. I've only been able to give it once, when I turned 18, and its a shame I can't give it again because its such an amazing and easy thing to do.

hidinginthebush · 05-10-2011 11:19am

Thanks OP, I'll hopefully get down tomorrow

uppishhauk · 05-10-2011 7:34pm

WeeBushy wrote: »

I've worked with monkeys before so unfortunately can't give blood. I've only been able to give it once, when I turned 18, and its a shame I can't give it again because its such an amazing and easy thing to do.

working with monkeys isn't an automatic no when it comes to blood donation, i know someone who also worked with monkeys and was allowed to donate, they just asked him about it as in to what degree he worked with them etc

Laserhead · 05-10-2011 7:56pm

They won't take mine because I've got a runny nose. :rolleyes:

I'll try again on Friday. I don't know what my blood type is, but if it's O- like my sisters I suspect it won't be the last time I hear from them...

LifesaverNiall · 05-10-2011 9:38pm

I have to wait until the 26th

.. my iron levels were low 3 months ago when i tried to give blood.. by like half a percent.. pretty annoying!

**Timbuk2** · 05-10-2011 9:45pm

LifesaverNiall wrote: »

I have to wait until the 26th .. my iron levels were low 3 months ago when i tried to give blood.. by like half a percent.. pretty annoying!

You have to wait 3 months after the last time if your iron was too low, even though no blood was actually donated? That's strange, I would have assumed you could just come back whenever, and if your iron is ok the next time they'd let you donate!

My brother's iron count 4 weeks ago was 13.7g/dL, it's slipping downwards (whereas mine is slipping upwards, and we're twins so it's strange that there's a difference - I was 15.9g/dL on the same day, up from 15.6g/dL beforehand).

I think he's going to take iron supplements of some description. Have you been doing anything to increase your iron count in that period?

WeeBushy · 05-10-2011 9:53pm

uppishhauk wrote: »

working with monkeys isn't an automatic no when it comes to blood donation, i know someone who also worked with monkeys and was allowed to donate, they just asked him about it as in to what degree he worked with them etc

Contact with monkeys is a 6 months exclusion, but if you've been bitten (which I have, a lot! It was inevitable with the work I was doing) you can never give blood. That's what they told me when I emailed them and phoned them. Understandable I guess but frustrating for me as giving blood is something I really really wish I could do. You are essentially helping to give somebody another shot at life. How cool is that?

LifesaverNiall · 06-10-2011 5:51am

**Timbuk2** wrote: »

Have you been doing anything to increase your iron count in that period?

I have indeed.. iron supplements.. just hope they work :P

Siuin · 06-10-2011 6:34am

Anyone have any idea how often these guys come round?

**Timbuk2** · 06-10-2011 7:22am

Siuin wrote: »

Anyone have any idea how often these guys come round?

Generally mobile clinics come around every 3 months (or 90 days, or 13 weeks), because you have to wait 3 months between donations! 3 months from now is roughly the start of January, so they'll probably be back shortly after the second semester commences, about halfway through January!

But remember that you can go to D'Olier Street or Stillorgan any time - but you may then be out of sync with the clinic that comes to UCD.

MissRealist · 06-10-2011 8:38am

bnt wrote: »

Same here: lived in the UK in the 90s, so they think I have Mad Cow Disease. :rolleyes:

Ditto! So stupid. nvCJD has yet to kill me sixteen years on. I undertand why they're wary of course, what really gets on my wick is when people get on my case about NOT giving blood. They won't take it damnit!:rolleyes:

Paul Tergat · 06-10-2011 8:42am

Im English so they wont take my blood

keepkeyyellow · 06-10-2011 1:22pm

**Timbuk2** wrote: »

I've always thought that's a bit silly, but I suppose they have to air on the side of caution. However, it seems a bit ludacris that you could donate blood in Belfast but not in Dublin - it's still going to patients either way!

Was anyone at this today? Was there a big turnout?

Well their air on the side of caution is testing all the blood before it's given to someone. It's a completely archaic thing to not allow gays give blood, and they can only give blood in the UK as long as they haven't had anal sex in the past year.

Sometimes I feel that everyone thinks us gays just go around bare-backing all the time....

Ilyana · 07-10-2011 6:35pm

I did my good deed today, I feel proud..despite my almost too low iron levels, hard to find veins and near faint :pac:

Still though, I'd do it again. It's so important

pseudo_23 · 09-10-2011 8:52pm

are 29 year old gays allowed to give blood?.....

**Timbuk2** · 09-10-2011 9:00pm

pseudo_23 wrote: »

are 29 year old gays allowed to give blood?.....

Well in Ireland, if a man has had sexual contact with another man, he is ineligible to give blood, regardless of how long it has been since sexual contact, and regardless of whether protection was used.
Sorry I'm sure that's not what you wanted to hear!

Gi joe! · 09-10-2011 9:30pm

Tried to give blood on Friday, but they turned me away due to me my medication. Am taking Lexapro and the nurse said because I haven't been on it long enough that there was a risk that I may have an adverse reaction.

Was quite disappointing, tried to convince her that the chances of me fainting were small as I'm on a small dose, oh well.

suzie987 · 12-10-2011 12:08pm

I recently got blood transfusions and want to say thanks to all those who give blood!

On another slightly related note: For anyone who was rejected due to low haemoglobin and iron count keep an eye on this!!!! I ignored their warning the last time I went to give blood and my haemoglobin continued dropping. In the end it resulted in a dangerously low blood count and I had to be admitted to hospital for a week.

Anaemia is a lot more serious than people think and can have a HUGE impact on your quality of life

**Timbuk2** · 12-10-2011 1:27pm

suzie987 wrote: »

On another slightly related note: For anyone who was rejected due to low haemoglobin and iron count keep an eye on this!!!! I ignored their warning the last time I went to give blood and my haemoglobin continued dropping. In the end it resulted in a dangerously low blood count and I had to be admitted to hospital for a week.

Anaemia is a lot more serious than people think and can have a HUGE impact on your quality of life

It's interesting that you mentioned that, because me and my brother always go together to give blood every 90 days, and his iron count is getting lower and lower. It was 13.7g/dL about a month ago when we last gave, having decreased slowly from each time beforehand. 13.7g/dL is borderline low/normal for a 19yo male. I'm his twin (live in the same house during the summer, eat more or less the same diet) and had an iron count of 15.9, so it's a bit worrying.
Are there any obvious symptoms of developing anaemia, or is just subtle things like being tired during the day, etc.?

suzie987 · 12-10-2011 2:11pm

**Timbuk2** wrote: »

Are there any obvious symptoms of developing anaemia, or is just subtle things like being tired during the day, etc.?

My haemoglobin was 4.0g/dl which is really really low. Most of the docs and nurses I met when in hospital had never seen anyone with such a low haem level. So maybe my symptoms might be a bit extreme!

Mainly I had no energy to do anything. I didn't actually feel tired or sleepy but I just found it so hard to motivate myself to do anything (e.g. clean the house, cooking, go to shop, walk from car to work). I used just go home in evenings and lie in bed for the whole evening. I also noticed that when I climbed stairs I would be very weak and out of breath. Felling faint. I used to get heart palpitations as well when just sitting down. Another thing was that I had cuts in the corners of my mouth which were there for months and would not heal. Eventually my hair began falling out also (might not be very relevant for a guy though . . . ).

But in alll fairness all these things were subtle enough so I really didn't feel that bad at the time. However now that I'm getting better (up to 10g/dl now) I notice I have SO MUCH ENERGY, all the little things like cuts in mouth, fainting, palpitations have gone, and am just generally feeling alot happier

Killer Pigeon · 12-10-2011 3:00pm

Paul Tergat wrote: »

Im English so they wont take my blood

So far, it appears that the IBTS are both homophobic and racist. :P

It's all a waste of good healthy much needed blood if you as me.

Ilyana · 12-10-2011 5:21pm

suzie987 wrote: »

I recently got blood transfusions and want to say thanks to all those who give blood!

On another slightly related note: For anyone who was rejected due to low haemoglobin and iron count keep an eye on this!!!! I ignored their warning the last time I went to give blood and my haemoglobin continued dropping. In the end it resulted in a dangerously low blood count and I had to be admitted to hospital for a week.

Anaemia is a lot more serious than people think and can have a HUGE impact on your quality of life

That's mad, it's great you're better though! Must have been scary!

My haemoglobin was 12.0 exactly last Friday, only scraped by by the skin of my teeth. I'm starting to think they shouldn't have taken my blood though, because I very nearly fainted.

Perhaps I should look after myself a little better! :pac:

suzie987 · 13-10-2011 8:18am

Killer Pigeon wrote: »

So far, it appears that the IBTS are both homophobic and racist. :P

It's all a waste of good healthy much needed blood if you as me.

I completely agree. If you look on the IBTS website there is only ever around 6-8 days worth of blood. Which is not that much, especially considering when we get bad weather (like the snow last November) the supplies drop very low because people can't get to the donor clinics . . .

I know they have the attitude 'better to be safe than sorry'. But all the blood which is donated is cross matched and tested anyway?

Killer Pigeon · 13-10-2011 11:44am

suzie987 wrote: »

I completely agree. If you look on the IBTS website there is only ever around 6-8 days worth of blood. Which is not that much, especially considering when we get bad weather (like the snow last November) the supplies drop very low because people can't get to the donor clinics . . .

I know they have the attitude 'better to be safe than sorry'. But all the blood which is donated is cross matched and tested anyway?

I know. But I just can't understand how the UK authorities have no problem taking blood from people who lived in the UK during the Foot & Mouth outbreak, yet the Irish Authorities do. Clearly there isn't a major problem with people who are in that category. The same thing goes for the gay blood ban. Straight people are just as likely as gay people nowadays to contract HIV/AIDS. When the gay blood ban was introduced, they didn't know a huge amount about HIV/AIDS virus anyway. The UK authorities (apart from NI) have already lifted the gay blood ban.

I mean I wouldn't ever categories the above as being "better save than sorry", they're quite irrelevant. And as you say, there's a blood supply shortage and they test the blood anyway, which makes some of the regulation the IBTS doubly stupid.

Donate Blood in UCD - Tues. 4th to Fri. 7th

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