blood donation

viztopia

I have donated blood a good few times - roughly 34 tiems and I am 34 years old. One thing that always strikes me is the poor quality of the refreshements that you get after giving blood. Nothing wrong with the service just the food snacks etc. First of all the sandwiches. You get one slice of bread with someething baic like ham or chese on a plate which is wrapped in cling film. Its like something you would get after working afor a day on the bog. Anif if you go late in the evenings there isnt a chance of getting one. And the snacks are always the same - tayto chese and onion, time outs and custard creams and the likes. Would it kill them to change the variety of food? Also i have spoken to a coupel of polish people who donate at hoem and they get loads of chocolate etc. We are not going for the chocolate of course but it would be nice to be appreciated. Has anyone else any opinions on this or have you ever donated abroad?

Mark200

Donated blood a few times. Never had a problem with the refreshments.. the point of the food is to get your energy up, not to give you a free lunch!

Fago!

Well they can hardly give everyone a 3 course steak meal when they give blood!

Stop being so goddamn scabby and just do a good deed without complaining.

Immaculate Pasta

We are in a recession to be fair :cool:.

During the Celtic Tiger period I remember getting caviar and champagne after donating blood. It was a grand old time.

El Weirdo

Pretty sure I got a glass of stout when I gave blood. No complaints from me.

cocoshovel

I wouldn't expect more than a plastic cup of water. Food would be last thing on my mind if I was going to donate blood.

The King of Moo

You don't even get the sandwiches outside Dublin with the mobile unit!

While I'm not really bothered about the refreshments, I do remember going along with my parents as a kid, and they got bottles of Guinness!
I wonder when they stopped doing that.

overshoot

wheres my guinness?!

themadchef

Bath in the sunshine and warmth of your generosity, not theirs

LLU

not sure if the blood transfusion people monitor AH very closely, have you tried complaining to them directly?

Fey!

They still do the bottles of Guinness. Along with tea, coffee, minerals, snack bars, taytos, timeouts, and a variety of biscuits.

LeeHoffmann

I'm not allowed to donate blood (because I lived in England for a few years as a child).

delta_bravo

Fey! wrote: »

They still do the bottles of Guinness. Along with tea, coffee, minerals, snack bars, taytos, timeouts, and a variety of biscuits.

The stout is gone about a year. Diageo stopped giving it for free as they have long abandoned the "Guinness is good for you" line and didn't think it was suitable to market it as a healthy drink.

Merrick

I've donated blood 5-6 times and thought the refreshments were grand. Greater variety of food? It's a blood donation clinic, not a café. What do you want, raspberry creams instead of custard creams?

MagicSean

The last time I went they weren't able to get a full bag from me. The nurse told me I would have been better of not donating as she had just wasted 15 minutes and they would have to throw it out because it wasn't a full sample.

Haven't gone back since.

tonsiltickler

I usually donate every time i can. Which in total is about 12 times so far. My last experience was not a good one. I got a complete manbeast of a nurse who literally stabbed me with the needle. It was the only time I've been in pain while giving blood.

Was going to get my club orange and biscuits when I realized I couldn't chew, and i felt really weak. Next thing i knew I was on the floor. They got me to lay down for a bit. I had a huge black bruise running the full length of my forearm for a month. I'm picking the nurse next time, that brute is never coming near me again.

Knasher

tonsiltickler wrote: »

I had a huge black bruise running the full length of my forearm for a month.

That sounds like they hit an artery, last time I donated they thought they hit mine as well because the blood was the wrong shade of red and it came out very very fast. Luckily they spotted it quickly and, either they were wrong about hitting the artery or because I had various nurses putting pressure on my arm for over an hour I didn't get any bruising. They did warn me that my full arm would likely get bruised, as well as advising me to go to the A+E just in case (which I think was just a legal thing so I decided against it) and paying for a taxi home.

Just out of interest, seeing as your location is in Cork, did you donate in the clinic in St. Finbarr's? That's where it happened to me, but honestly the nurses were very good about it.

stupidusername

viztopia wrote: »

I have donated blood a good few times - roughly 34 tiems and I am 34 years old. One thing that always strikes me is the poor quality of the refreshements that you get after giving blood. Nothing wrong with the service just the food snacks etc. First of all the sandwiches. You get one slice of bread with someething baic like ham or chese on a plate which is wrapped in cling film. Its like something you would get after working afor a day on the bog. Anif if you go late in the evenings there isnt a chance of getting one. And the snacks are always the same - tayto chese and onion, time outs and custard creams and the likes. Would it kill them to change the variety of food? Also i have spoken to a coupel of polish people who donate at hoem and they get loads of chocolate etc. We are not going for the chocolate of course but it would be nice to be appreciated. Has anyone else any opinions on this or have you ever donated abroad?

see this is where the problem is, it's not a service for you.

MagicSean wrote: »

The last time I went they weren't able to get a full bag from me. The nurse told me I would have been better of not donating as she had just wasted 15 minutes and they would have to throw it out because it wasn't a full sample.

Haven't gone back since.

ffs, no need to be mean about it.

I really must go donate some. do you have to know what type you are?

ballsymchugh

Immaculate Pasta wrote: »

We are in a recession to be fair :cool:.

During the Celtic Tiger period I remember getting caviar and champagne after donating blood. It was a grand old time.

back in the real recession of the 80s, the clinic on mespil road used to have cream cakes all the time. when i went in with my parents, the nurse used to send me off to get some snacks while i was waiting.

every time i donate it reminds me of birthday parties when i was younger, when you'd just eat chocolate and crisps for the day. although i doubt they'd be happy if i turned up with a couple of water pistols someday.

Knasher

stupidusername wrote: »

I really must go donate some. do you have to know what type you are?

Nope, they will run tests on your blood to determine what type it is, if it's your first time. If it's just been a while then they will just look you up.

The King of Moo

stupidusername wrote: »

I really must go donate some. do you have to know what type you are?

No, they'll do a blood test the first time you go, and send you out the results, including your blood type.

I guess if you've done it before they'll do the test again if they don't have your type in their records.

tonsiltickler

seeing as your location is in Cork, did you donate in the clinic in St. Finbarr's?

I did, I kinda vaguely knew which nurses were good and bad. Wonder if its the same nurse?!

Oh_Noes

MagicSean wrote: »

The last time I went they weren't able to get a full bag from me. The nurse told me I would have been better of not donating as she had just wasted 15 minutes and they would have to throw it out because it wasn't a full sample.

Haven't gone back since.

Tbh it doesn't make sense to punish a potential recipient of your blood donations just to spite a rude nurse you happened to have encountered. It might take you several trips to the blood bank before they get a sample from you that they're happy to use. It's not really a straightforward thing where they drain blood from you and pump it into someone else, usually the recipients of it have badly compromised immune systems as well as being seriously ill.

As someone who has recived blood in the past I can confidently tell you that your donation would be extremely gratefully appreciated whether or not it appears that way when the donation is taken. I know the slogan that says "donating blood saves lives" or whatever it is, sounds a bit tacky but it's actually 100% true.

Unique User Name

Oh_Noes wrote: »

Tbh it doesn't make sense to punish a potential recipient of your blood donations just to spite a rude nurse you happened to have encountered. It might take you several trips to the blood bank before they get a sample from you that they're happy to use. It's not really a straightforward thing where they drain blood from you and pump it into someone else, usually the recipients of it have badly compromised immune systems as well as being seriously ill.

As someone who has recived blood in the past I can confidently tell you that your donation would be extremely gratefully appreciated whether or not it appears that way when the donation is taken. I know the slogan that says "donating blood saves lives" or whatever it is, sounds a bit tacky but it's actually 100% true.

+1 to this. I've had some bad experiences myself giving blood and don't particularly enjoy it but comments like that show how worthwhile it is.

Wetai

Supposedly, in the US the blood donation places sell a pint of it for like $300 to the hospitals .. and they give you, like, a fizzy drink ... :l

charlietheminxx

I'm grateful to get anything after giving blood! I don't do it for the freebies :rolleyes:

Luckily I haven't had any bad experiences with giving blood yet.

Lollipops23

I usually don't feel much like eating or drinking anything after donating (which I do as often as possible).

OP it says a lot about you that you can't just do something nice without bitching about what's in it for you.

harrythehat

Randomest complaint ever.

I've given blood a few times, keep meaning to go back but I always seem to remember too late. I've never had any bad experiences though, just look the other way to the needle and you're in and out in 15 minutes.

I was always more than happy with thefree biccies, especially when I was in college!

Dravokivich

Hmm, thinking bout it now, I haven't donated in at least 3 years. Must get around to rectifying that and updating the IBTS on my new address too.

stormcloud

Donated multiple times.
Regarding some of the nurses, most are good however one nurse took multiple times to get a vein which was very sore. But I guess that happens.

Regarding refreshments and the like. I was told by a South Korean that they get free cinema tickets and vouchers for stores after donating. That would be nice to get here.

Captain Darling

And whats worse, they take your blood!!! The feckin cheek!

Dravokivich

stormcloud wrote: »

Regarding refreshments and the like. I was told by a South Korean that they get free cinema tickets and vouchers for stores after donating. That would be nice to get here.

Regular donors are often given some sort of non-monetary recognition. In Italy, blood donors receive the donation day as a paid holiday from work.[92] Other incentives are sometimes added by employers, usually time off for the purposes of donating.[93] Blood centers will also sometimes add incentives such as assurances that donors would have priority during shortages, free T-shirts or other small trinkets (e.g., first aid kits, windshield scrapers, pens, etc.), or other programs such as prize drawings for donors and rewards for organizers of successful drives.[94] In Singapore, the Singapore Red Cross Society presents awards for voluntary donors who have made a certain number of donations under the Blood Donor Recruitment Programe: a "bronze award" for 25 donations, "silver award" for 50 donations, and so on

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_donation#Benefits_and_Incentives

I'd rather have the 3 extra days off a year. =]

CruelCoin

Never donated, but always wanted to.

I travel quite a bit, and as a result, am barred from donating.

I'm sorry, but i can't remember the last time i ever got sick, not one person in my family has any form of inheritable disease, we are all self employed and well educated, i eat well, and excercise on a regular basis.....I have grade A premo-delux blood.

Frankly, they should be fighting hand over fist to get a hold of my blood, but nope....Needs reforming.

ballsymchugh

CruelCoin wrote: »

Never donated, but always wanted to.

I travel quite a bit, and as a result, am barred from donating.

I'm sorry, but i can't remember the last time i ever got sick, not one person in my family has any form of inheritable disease, we are all self employed and well educated, i eat well, and excercise on a regular basis.....I have grade A premo-delux blood.

Frankly, they should be fighting hand over fist to get a hold of my blood, but nope....Needs reforming.

it was reformed a few years ago. before that they had to pay compensation because of the anti-d cases, and where infected blood was given to haemophiliacs. the easiest way to avoid that again, is to filter out anyone that may have tainted blood before they donate.
it may not be tainted to you, but to someone with a suppressed immune system it could wreak havoc.

Dravokivich

They put in those stipulations to minimise risk, not to personally exclude people from donating.

goldenhoarde

God be with the days of pelician house and the pints of guinness Still all in all a great thing to do. I'm on 60+ and the only thing i didn't like was the wee prick on the finger to test for iron. Giving platlets now and the grub in St james there is always top notch!

ClareVisitor

I remember being given a can of beer when I donated when I was in college in Galway, it was over 20 years ago mind!

I always look for something out of the ordinary in the biscuit department when having something after my donation, they had ginger nuts last time, I hadn't had them in ages.

stupidusername

CruelCoin wrote: »

Never donated, but always wanted to.

I travel quite a bit, and as a result, am barred from donating.

I'm sorry, but i can't remember the last time i ever got sick, not one person in my family has any form of inheritable disease, we are all self employed and well educated, i eat well, and excercise on a regular basis.....I have grade A premo-delux blood.

Frankly, they should be fighting hand over fist to get a hold of my blood, but nope....Needs reforming.

I'm actually a little gobsmacked. What has being well educated and self employed got to do with anything? You realise it's not your genetics you're donating right?

nice_very

El Weirdo wrote: »

Pretty sure I got a glass of stout when I gave blood. No complaints from me.

do they still do that? if so I might start donating my precious blood again

Glico Man

LeeHoffmann wrote: »

I'm not allowed to donate blood (because I lived in England for a few years as a child).

Like myself. The reason I was given was because of Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, the human form of mad cow. Although the number of cases of vCJDin the United Kingdom is declining, in the absence of a screening test, the full extent of exposure is not known.

Since 2004, there have been a small number of reported cases of patients in the UK diagnosed with vCJD who have been infected through blood transfusion. Most countries exclude people from donating if they've lived in the UK for 6 months cumulative or more from 1980 - 1996.

And, because of the extensive time period covered by the deferral and the possibility of unknowing exposure to beef or beef products, it is not possible to exempt vegetarians who have resided in the UK for a cumulative period of six months or more during the risk years.

The King of Moo

For those wavering or who have been put off by complications giving blood before:

unfortunately there can be small problems like bruising from hitting an artery or numbness after donating, but by and large it's quick and painless.

If you do and they have trouble getting blood, try your other arm.

A lot of people have a big difference between speed and strength of blood flow in their arms, and it's much much easier to take blood from your stronger arm.
I can basically only give blood from my left arm, and always tell them that when I donate to save time and energy on my right arm.

It can also be quite painful if they get to the point of actually putting a needle into your slow arm, which happened to me once.

It's strange though, I thought my fapping arm would be the stronger one .

ZombieBride

I'm too light to donate so I make sure my brother gives twice as much for me, I give him dinner in return.

Badly Drunk Boy

I'd like to give blood more often but it usually never works out because I work 2 shifts. In the past, they had one evening session, and one full day (morning and evening sessions) when they came to my town, but now it's just 2 evening sessions which always seem to coincide with my evening shift.

My blood type is A-. How about the rest of ye?

The King of Moo

Badly Drunk Boy wrote: »

I'd like to give blood more often but it usually never works out because I work 2 shifts. In the past, they had one evening session, and one full day (morning and evening sessions) when they came to my town, but now it's just 2 evening sessions which always seem to coincide with my evening shift.

My blood type is A-. How about the rest of ye?

Same here.

I agree with you that they should vary their times. It's a shame when someone like yourself who wants to donate can't, especially as A- is rare and always in big demand.

goldenhoarde

O Rh- for me

stinkle

MagicSean wrote: »

The last time I went they weren't able to get a full bag from me. The nurse told me I would have been better of not donating as she had just wasted 15 minutes and they would have to throw it out because it wasn't a full sample.

Haven't gone back since.

Ah don't let that put you off, she was very rude. The same thing happened to me - my blood pressure went down and they had to stop donation though I felt grand - and I asked was it a total waste of time and was told no, that my sample could be used for research. There's actually a disclaimer on the form that you sign allowing your sample to be used for additional research - they don't transfuse white cells but they also don't dump them either.

I've had a couple of lame experiences when trying to donating, like being slightly under the weight cutoff, taking ages to find one of my crap veins or the one experience above. Plus I had one fainting experience. But more often than not I'm fine, we all have off days. The more people that try to donate then the more successful donations there are every day. I was very embarrassed being weighed in front of people at the clinic and loudly being told I was under the weight guideline, but that never stopped me going back, cringey as it was!

Unique User Name

Badly Drunk Boy wrote: »

I'd like to give blood more often but it usually never works out because I work 2 shifts. In the past, they had one evening session, and one full day (morning and evening sessions) when they came to my town, but now it's just 2 evening sessions which always seem to coincide with my evening shift.

My blood type is A-. How about the rest of ye?

AB (can't remember if I'm negative or positive).
Guess I'll find out tonight, this thread has inspired me to go give blood.

whatdoicare

I give blood regularly and never got sandwiches!! I always liked the refreshments- snack bars and taytos and a large glass of club orange yum yum!
Oh man, I'd love a snack bar right now!

kylith

Thanks for this thread; I needed a reminder to donate. I'll go in on Friday.

The only thing I don't like about it is that gay men can't donate. As far as I know they're no more likely to have any communicable diseases than the rest of the population.

Micky Dolenz

When I donate blood the only things I ask for are a razor and a bucket.

mattjack

Knasher wrote: »

That sounds like they hit an artery, last time I donated they thought they hit mine as well because the blood was the wrong shade of red and it came out very very fast. Luckily they spotted it quickly and, either they were wrong about hitting the artery or because I had various nurses putting pressure on my arm for over an hour I didn't get any bruising. They did warn me that my full arm would likely get bruised, as well as advising me to go to the A+E just in case (which I think was just a legal thing so I decided against it) and paying for a taxi home.

Just out of interest, seeing as your location is in Cork, did you donate in the clinic in St. Finbarr's? That's where it happened to me, but honestly the nurses were very good about it.

you must have got the Jobbridge nurse...or maybe a Fas one