New to the forums, hi everyone!
Does anybody else donate blood? I'm o+ and since I'm almost a universal donor I have a responsibility to help.
Yes, I have donated. It depends on the agency doing the collecting. It is safe for us and for any recipient (after all D isn't transmittable. Because anemia can be a problem for people with type 1, just be sure to tank up on iron for a while before. You don't want to fail the anemia test - they do a fingerstick test for it. And thanks for being a donor.
Here in CH only the red cross collects blood donations and they do not allow diabetics to donate. so i cannot donate. my blood group is 0+ too.
Where is CH? I San Diego where I used to live the Blood Bank did. Do you have any idea as to why the Red Cross where you are says no? Makes no sense to me, and there doesn't appear to be any science to back up that stance
Switzerland (German: die Schweiz, French: Suisse, Italian: Svizzera, Romansh: Svizra), officially the Swiss Confederation (Latin: Confoederatio Helvetica, hence its abbreviation CH), is a federal parliamentary republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities.
The country is situated in Western and Central Europe, where it is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east.
Source: http://www.wikipedia.org
Haha, sorry, Switzerland has just gotten too long for me to type, so i use the short two letters as a replacement ;)
Well, i can't find any reasons on pages and stuff, why they don't let me donate blood, but a few assumptions of mine are:
- Diabetics (especially insulin dependent diabetics) are in contact with needles a lot more than average people and therefore at a much higher risk to get one of those feared diseases. (HIV, Hepatitis, etc.)
- Back in the days where they used bovine insulin they were fearing that diabetics would get Foot-and mouth disease from the insulin.
- After all, they especially wanna protect the donor and obviously just think we are not capable of getting that much blood drawn, dont ask me why.
Those are just my ideas, no scientific background. i have come to the conclusion, that if they dont want my blood they seem to have enough donors, so i have never made an attempt to still go and try to donate, as i assume that would just be a waste of time.
Thanks for defining CH (Now I get the Swisschocolate name!) I come from a family with a long blood donation history. At first, when I checked into donating I was told no. So being a bit of a bulldog I followed up. When I asked why, they couldn't state any reasons. So I got to donate. In fact I recall one time, I took so long deciding which donut I wanted - after all it was a no-=guilt treat after donating, they ran out of donuts! At least in the States, we need a many donors as we can get, and I think that factors in. And...I think "they" finally have figured out, that most people with diabetes are more careful with their health - we aren't gonna borrow someone else's syringe that the risk factors re small.
Yes I have donated blood. In Massachusetts a PWD who has not ever used beef insulin and who is in good control can donate blood. I am currently participating in a clinical drug trial which precludes me from donating, but I will as soon as the trial is over in November. I'm A+.
And another point. My grandmother - who was an RN - contracted meningitis long, long ago. She had long been a member of the "gallon club". Her doctors said that her rather quick recovery was no doubt due to her frequent blood donations prior to her Dx. She was such a good new blood "factory" that it enhanced her recovery. I would think that the generation of new blood cells would benefit us as well. I don't think it would improve our A1C - but it couldn't hurt.
It's funny I'm O positive also, My wife is O negative and they smile when she walks in the door.
I used to donate years ago but stopped because I was told I couldn't after diabetes came to light. They tell me the rules have changed but I haven't tried in years.
I was told I could never donate blood and so I never have. I was told that about 25 years ago. Maybe the rules have changed since then.
Depending where you are, I am sure the roles have changed. The only stumbling block I've run into - and it didn't apply to me - was had I traveled to the areas of Europe with Mad Cow disease. Said no to that one. So I am still good to go. If you eant to be a donor, I'd call and ask. You'll never know until you ask. And having donated, I do have credit should I ever need blood.
I have never donated. For a long time I didn't weigh enough to donate. Then at some point my uncle, who was a pulmonologist in Canada, said it wasn't a good idea to do it more than 1 x every year or two because in some people it can have negative affects on bone marrow production. I'm not sure what the regulations are for blood donations where I am or if I'm allowed to, but I would got the route of donation if my family members needed it or vice versa.
I haven't had any negative impacts and I'm a big girl 120 lbs 5'6"
That's good.. I don't think everyone will, it's just something to think about as a precaution to limit how much you donate. I weigh more than enough now to donate but back then I was smaller and weighed around 100-108. I'm petite at 5'3" and weigh around 126 now so I think you must be pretty thin for your height! I have some low wbc lately and fatigue so I don't think I would consider donating blood anyway.
I do at work, although not so much besides the blood drive there. I went running the evening after the last time I did it and hit a wall 2 miles into it!! blammo!
I think I'm O+ too...
i really wanted to give back after getting 20 years of IM and IV gamma globulin for a primary immune deficiency and so I tried to donate here in spain and was told i couldnt donate blood because they didnt want me to have a low afterwards (??? dont i get some juice and cookies like everyone else??). i tried to get my celulas madre (stem cells in english i think??) put on the european donor list and they wouldnt take that either because i am IgA deficient (immune deficiency). :(
Here, the weight requirement is 110 lbs so I'm fine in that dept. I have always been somewhat anemic (even pre-Dx with D) so if I know in advance of a blood drive, I tank up the iron pills. It's a matter of pride for me - I refuse to be the only one in a family of donors to not at least donate some. I get enough grief regarding being short (for my family)
I'm glad to know a lot of people out there are helping too [= A lot of o+ though...I wonder if anybody's tested that in relation to D diagnoses.
My last donation was a double-red blood cell. I was exhausted for the next 3 days but it means that I donate more. Boyfriend was there for support and snack bringing haha
lol, I'm the most petite in my family, but it doesn't bother me at all. I don't think I will donate, just don't think it would be a good idea unless of course it was a family emergency or something like that.
regarding Dx and blood type. I don't know I'm A+ (probably the only A+ I ever got!!!)