Give blood this Christmas!!!

January

I know this is not really AH related, but the IBTS are in urgent need of donations for over the Christmas period. If you can donate, please do!

Current supply levels: http://giveblood.ie/Current_Blood_Supply/

Clinics for the next week: http://giveblood.ie/

Pawwed Rig

Bear in mind with a pint less of blood you will be around .6kg lighter so you can justify an extra lump of turkey and pudding on Christmas day

LivelineDipso

Christmas with Dracula.

saiint

dont you need to have a load of checkups first to give blood?
like do they take smokers blood? ive heard weird things

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

im assuming donating blood when you have a squash game in the evening is a silly idea ... ill head up on friday

cheers op, wouldn't have occured to me to do it on my own. I'd gotten so used to the idea that I wasn't eligble thanks to the wonderful drugs I used to take when i was younger.

Mr Benevolent

saiint wrote: »

dont you need to have a load of checkups first to give blood?
like do they take smokers blood? ive heard weird things

You heard wrong on all accounts.

Merry Christmas to the National Vampire Support Board!

NU8

saiint wrote: »

dont you need to have a load of checkups first to give blood?
like do they take smokers blood? ive heard weird things

Just a questionnaire and an iron level test. Smoking does't make you ineligible. It's quick and painless!

Pawwed Rig

saiint wrote: »

dont you need to have a load of checkups first to give blood?
like do they take smokers blood? ive heard weird things

See this link http://giveblood.ie/Become_a_Donor/Give_Blood/Can_I_Give_Blood/
it will tell you if you can donate.
I haven't heard of then not taking smokers blood. I used to smoke and donate

MarkR

I give every time they are in Shannon, think it's every three months.

• Doesn't take long, but I bring a book
• Usually get a free pen / pencil
• Free biscuits, crisps, softdrinks and tea or coffe

It's like a kids party!

Corcaigh84

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar wrote: »

im assuming donating blood when you have a squash game in the evening is a silly idea ... ill head up on friday

I did exactly this a couple of months back, I was fine but still not a great idea

MurdyWurdy

I'm presuming you can't donate if pregnant? I was living abroad for a few years and they didn't want my mad cow tainted blood. Would love to donate but I reckon I'm out for being up the duff?

Pawwed Rig

MurdyWurdy wrote: »

I'm presuming you can't donate if pregnant? I was living abroad for a few years and they didn't want my mad cow tainted blood. Would love to donate but I reckon I'm out for being up the duff?

See this link http://giveblood.ie/Become_a_Donor/G..._I_Give_Blood/
Unfortunately, you are unable to give blood during pregnancy and for 12 months after your pregnancy.

MurdyWurdy

Pawwed Rig wrote: »

See this link http://giveblood.ie/Become_a_Donor/G..._I_Give_Blood/
Unfortunately, you are unable to give blood during pregnancy and for 12 months after your pregnancy.

Wow -wasn't expecting the 12 months after as well. That's me off the list for a good while then.

Larianne

Thanks for the reminder January! Will do it tomorrow. Will be my first time.

Pegasus Galactica

I've already giving this December

javagal

Would love to do this but had a baby 4 months ago.
But when I had her, I was very sick and needed 4 litres of blood and I have rare blood,so if anyone knows the importance of this,its me!

Pawwed Rig

MurdyWurdy wrote: »

Wow -wasn't expecting the 12 months after as well. That's me off the list for a good while then.

If you have mad cow tainted blood (ie spent one year or more in total/cumulatively in the UK* between 1980 and 1996, including living, working or on holidays?) then you cannot give blood until the IBTS changes it's policy.

TouchingVirus

My blood's not good enough for 'em - jaundice of an unknown cause after the age of 13 and I'm out. Guess they can afford to be picky, it's a bit different in the UK

GalwayGuy2

Can you give blood if you have bad circulation?

iDave

Would love to help but I used to live in the UK

danniemcq

Sigh they can't take my blood anymore,

used to give it every three months till i discovered i was allergic to nuts. They won't take blood as thats how the allergy could spread.

kinda annoying but i tell everyone i know that can donate to donate.

Ihatecuddles-old

It says I can't because I had my tongue pierced in the last 4 months. I might just pop in anyway and tell them its been 3 months and see what they say!

I'll rope the whole family in

Rabies

GalwayGuy2 wrote: »

Can you give blood if you have bad circulation?

Depends on the doctor that did the circumcision

GalwayGuy2

Depends on the doctor that did the circumcision

?

Esoteric_

Only three months since I had my last tattoo, guess that counts me out for another month.

Pawwed Rig

Ihatecuddles wrote: »

It says I can't because I had my tongue pierced in the last 4 months. I might just pop in anyway and tell them its been 3 months and see what they say!

They tend to be pretty inflexible in their rules but sure if you're going in anyway with the rest of the family the worst that can happen is you get refused and a free bag or crisps with a brand new IBTS pencil

mfceiling

Would love to but....having lived in NI and been a regular blood donor I can't give blood in ROI due to my mad cow/aids/hepatitis/malaria/hiv/leprosy and any other ailments I'm carrying.

maximoose

I can't, damn you possible hemochromatosis!

MurdyWurdy

Pawwed Rig wrote: »

If you have mad cow tainted blood (ie spent one year or more in total/cumulatively in the UK* between 1980 and 1996, including living, working or on holidays?) then you cannot give blood until the IBTS changes it's policy.

In New Zealand, where I lived until recently, you cannot donate blood at all if you lived in Ireland during that period, as well as the UK and France. I never lived in the UK so am not precluded from giving blood here (apart from the pregnancy , of course).

intellectual dosser

GalwayGuy2 wrote: »

Can you give blood if you have bad circulation?

I don't think that's a problem as it would rule out half the population

Elliejo

Unfortunately my test drop of blood does a lazy back float instead of dropping like a stone, so they won't take mine.

GLaDOS

Haven't donated in ages, will try to find time over christmas

Micky Dolenz

I give blood when I can. I don't like the pin prick for the Iron test but the actual extraction of blood is grand.

Inspector Dhar

I went to donate blood - (my 48th pint...), and the 'nurse' asked me if I was 20 stone or more. I had just been to my Weight Watchers meeting the evening before, and my weight was 14stone 3lbs. It was June - I wasn't wearing either a snow suit or a Michelin Man suit. I was so upset, she very nearly put me off donating for life. Fortunately, I was anxious to make it to the 50th pint, so I kept going, but seriously, IBTS..... what a horrible person she was.

smallerthanyou

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

I give blood when I can. I don't like the pin prick for the Iron test but the actual extraction of blood is grand.

Used to hate that bit most too but they've changed it now and instead of the tip of your finger they take it from the side where its way less sensitive. Much easier.

mr bungle.

been giving blood for over twenty years until January gone.they informed me that ithere was a "false positive" result on the last pint of blood that i donated.i was told that they messed up the testing or something like that and now they won't take my blood for yonks now even though there is nothing wrong with my blood(i hope).

wyrn

I popped in last week and would urge anyone eligible to donate too. Supplies for the last few weeks have been quite low. The bone marrow nurse was also in, so I've consented to being tested.

This was posted on their page.

Folks, we want to keep you informed on the the status of the national blood supply. Last week, we collected 2514 units and we issued 2583 to hospitals . This means that our base stock is not sufficient to maintain supplies over the Christmas/New Year period . We really need your help. This week is our last chance to get supplies up to the level we need to see us through to the New Year.

Remember, 47% of us have have O+ which means that it's just as much in demand as the rare types. There's only THREE days supply! It's the best present you can give.

Jogathon

Donated last Thursday. Have rare blood, and got a phonecall to come in. I happily obliged!

Dad donated all his life, he used to get phonecalls too because of being Rhesus negative. He gave a huge amount of blood over the years (40 years donating), and he got it back when he had to have surgery to remove a tumour. So give! You might need it sometime.

spank_inferno

back when I was 18 I couldnt wait to start donating, as my parents were frequent donors.

After about 6-8 donations and being man-handled by a succession of ham fisted "nurses" I eventually gave up.

I know I sound like a wuss, but every trip was very painfull.
I stopped about 10 years ago, its not worth the pain.

Pawwed Rig

spank_inferno wrote: »

After about 6-8 donations and being man-handled by a succession of ham fisted "nurses" I eventually gave up.

Honestly I understand what you are saying. The IBTS are not always the easiest people to deal with, they don't really have any value for your time and they have been guilty of some horrendous cock ups in the past. They also have questionable restrictions around who can and can't give blood (the UK restriction is bizarre as I assuming the UK has it's own blood donation procedure that would be presumably of an equal (or better) level as the Irish one). What I will say is that it is the only place we can donate blood in this country and the benefits of donation far outweigh the discomfort you may have felt in the past. If you think of the patient who you are donating too rather than the organisation. Please reconsider and try it again. As someone else here said it is the best gift you will give this Christmas.

saiint

im O- i think , can you ask them what type you are? i knew i forgot to ask something while i was getting an operation done ha ( will that affect me getting it? only had one about 2 months ago was a minor one)

RoyalMarine

Unfortunately, because of the risk of variant CJD you are unable to give blood.

Lived in the UK....

ronkmonster

mr bungle. wrote: »

been giving blood for over twenty years until January gone.they informed me that ithere was a "false positive" result on the last pint of blood that i donated.i was told that they messed up the testing or something like that and now they won't take my blood for yonks now even though there is nothing wrong with my blood(i hope).

I got the same in February. Did they give you a time to wait? My impression was that I can't go back ever.

Creature

How long do you need to sit down for afterwards? Or can you just leave the clinic and go about your business straight away?

Raytown Rocks

Im B-
Donated 90 times but mainly platlettes ( if you have time this is also very worthwhile). Takes about an hour, but they are used for various cancer vicims etc.

Alas I now have my own underlying complaint ( nout too serious) so cannot donate for 5 years. :-(

NegativeCreep

What weight do you have to be? I think I might be under the limit.

Knasher

saiint wrote: »

im O- i think , can you ask them what type you are? i knew i forgot to ask something while i was getting an operation done ha ( will that affect me getting it? only had one about 2 months ago was a minor one)

For minor surgery you have to wait 2 months and have had your stitches removed and the wound completely closed up and you can't be waiting on any tests. For major surgery you have to wait 6 months. If you were given any blood transfusions during surgery then you are disqualified for life.

And yes they will tell you your blood type. I'm o- too, which is the universal donor so it is the most useful group to donate.

NegativeCreep wrote: »

What weight do you have to be? I think I might be under the limit.

Greater than 50kgs and less than 130kgs.

Shad0r

Hmm I was going to give blood this Christmas. Glad I looked over the form of eligability questions they ask you before heading down there:
http://giveblood.ie/Become_a_Donor/BT1_Sample_Copy_Ver_19_Mar_12.pdf

Incredible how few things you are allowed have done in your life in order to be an eligible donor. No wonder they're so strapped for blood.

OldNotWIse

saiint wrote: »

dont you need to have a load of checkups first to give blood?
like do they take smokers blood? ive heard weird things

They just dont take it from us dirty gays :rolleyes:

ViveLaVie

I received two blood transfusions before when I was very seriously ill. They make a huge difference. I am grateful to everyone who donates. To the poster who gave up, please reconsider. I understand it is uncomfortable, but you could save somebody's life.

OldNotWIse

Shad0r wrote: »

Hmm I was going to give blood this Christmas. Glad I looked over the form of eligability questions they ask you before heading down there:
http://giveblood.ie/Become_a_Donor/BT1_Sample_Copy_Ver_19_Mar_12.pdf

Incredible how few things you are allowed have done in your life in order to be an eligible donor. No wonder they're so strapped for blood.

Yup agree. They lost me at monkey criteria
Beggars cant be choosers and all that