Donating Blood

po0k

I've made up my mind to donate a bit of blood now and again.
I've no problm doing so.
However, I would like a little it of information before hand regarding preparation.

Do I ahve to stop drinking/smoking/whatever beforehand? If so, for how long?

How much blood will they take out? I assume I shall ahve to drink plenty of fluids again afterwards to make up the loss.
Anything else i should take? Salt, sugar etc.?

I assume they'll also take a blood test before hand.

How long between test and donation usually?

www.ibts.ie

ykt0di9url7bc3

Irish Blood Transfusion Service

good for you for donating, just keep yourself healthy for it, plenty of Iron, dont have a cold or any other infections, dont go if you had jaundise in the last year...

The wait between the test and the donation is not long....if its busy, the longest wait is for a bed....you lie back, in goes the needle and 5 mins later you are done and have a bar, bag of crisps and a drink...

Dont be working/drinking afterwards.....take it easy and go home and relax for the night...

I wonder if we can get a boards blood drive going?

strat

you must have eaten some sort of meal in the previous 3 hours

nothing special after that afair

phobos

I gave blood while at college a while back. At the time I didn't think anything of it (ie, what preparations to I need to consider). It was sit in a chair, and wait your turn. A few of us did it, secretly because there was a free pint of Guinness or tea at the end of it.

I gave a pint of blood, and they gave me a pint of Guiness, and it was the best buzz I've gotten from a single pint since I said giz a can of that Bulmers stuff all those years ago. Shít pint, but it was the cost that counts (especially when you're a student). The doc just asked me questions like (yeah the jaundis one came up), have I used gear recently, had a cold, slept with a prosititute, etc (you can pretty much guess what kind of stuff they will ask you). Basically are you health. Oh yeah, you can't have given blood for at least months beforhand (something like that). But you're OK, on that one.

Now I came out of it all happy, and felt I did my part for the time being. But the part that annoys me is that every time the blood unit visit The Welcome Inn Hotel in Castlebar, I am sent a letter in the post asking me can they vamp any more out of me. I've ignored every one since, and feel guilty too. Hence them sending me letters all the time, coz it's been 3 years.

Oh yeah another thing, just struck me. Doesn't it cost to donate. Ie. if you walk in to your GP, and say "Meeeelk It", they will take more than blood off you. But when I got it done down in Castlebar, they didn't charge me for it. Now I cant see the sense in having to pay someone to take something like blood off you.

But then again I don't understand a lot of things

;-phobos-)

sceptre

Originally posted by phobos

Oh yeah another thing, just struck me. Doesn't it cost to donate. Ie. if you walk in to your GP, and say "Meeeelk It", they will take more than blood off you. But when I got it done down in Castlebar, they didn't charge me for it. Now I cant see the sense in having to pay someone to take something like blood off you.

I didn't know doctors were willing to do the blood donation thing (I've a feeling someone will tell me they don't)

I suppose the IBTS pay the nurses they employ out of their own funds so it's all covered there. Doctors have to make up their own costs and hence charge for any services they perform.

Haven't given blood in a few years. Used usually go in college. The fact that they usually have more than enough O+ makes me lazy about it.

Checked the nice listings service they have so may give on the 18th.

Hobbes

Originally posted by phobos
I gave a pint of blood, and they gave me a pint of Guiness, and it was the best buzz I've gotten from a single pint since I said giz a can of that Bulmers stuff all those years ago. Shít pint, but it was the cost that counts (especially when you're a student).

Obviously a first year. The secret is to say "No" when they ask have you eaten in the last three hours and they give you free food and free beer before and after you give blood.

yellum

If you have had a Tattoo or piercing done in the past 12 months you can't donate. If you're gay and are having sex you can't give either I think.

Since I got a piercing done a few months ago I can't give blood, and I'm getting more tat work done next week so thats me not giving for a year.

Lump

I must give blood before I go back to england..... I wouldn't trust them english ****....




John

phobos

Originally posted by Hobbes
Obviously a first year. The secret is to say "No" when they ask have you eaten in the last three hours and they give you free food and free beer before and after you give blood.

There was no food in sight, when I was there. It was a big room upstairs in the hotel (The ballroom I think). It was all open plan. No privacy, only when the doctor was asking me questions, and had me stand on a weighing scales, was I concealed from the general crowd. When giving blood I was lying on a bed in full view of everyone.

I don't think my donating experience was as posh as yours mate.

"Caviar....anyone?"

;-phobos-)

Borzoi

The way the Irish Blood Tranfusion Service funds itself, is by charging hospitals, and hence patients, for the blood that is used for operations/emergency procedures.

The advantage of being a blood donor, is that you are not charged for receiving blood, should you be unlucky enough to need it.

AFAIK a GP does not have the facilities to take blood donations.

And I happen to think that a blood drive would be a great idea, we could even go for a pint afterwards!

Thanx 4 The Fish

Am O-, universal donor so they are sending me letters every time I am elligible, which is every three months. I haven't donated in a while, they are a bit different on the local run though. When donating in Pelican house, ya get alot better beer for a start and a better standard of grub.

In c'bar, they give ya a can and some of those "three-in-a-pack" biscuits.

You or any member of your immediate family (child, spouse) who requires a blood transfusion will get it free too, which is handy.

po0k

right, tis in NUIG on the 8th, 9th and 10th of october.
The College bar has Warsteiner so i'm set
Thanks for the tip hobbes
/me trundles in at 4:55pm "No actually, I haven't eaten since breakfast"

Beruthiel

anything for a free meal Syxpak!!

a question which I have always wondered, maybe someone can answer it:
if one tends to have a little smoke of the ol' mary jane, does this show up/make a difference to your donation?

Thanx 4 The Fish

It would show up but they do not check for it, or at least if they do, they will not say anything to you. Have often donated after indulging in a bit of smoke and never admonished for it. Can't remember if they ask on the forms or not.

po0k

sound

I had neglected to ask about that sort of thing.

My mind is at ease.

Beruthiel

yup, thanks Mr./Ms. Fishie

Thanx 4 The Fish

anytime Mr.\Ms. Beruthiel...

amp

Yeah, I use to donate, until I got a tattoo and had to wait a year, so I got out of the habit. Keep meaning to find a place in Dun Laoire to donate at.