Donating blood

Mongolmike

Mongolmike

Hall of Fame
Any blood donors?
I gave yesterday (Red Cross site) after not donating since 2012. I had given 32 pints to that point, but I do not "enjoy" the process so I just stopped doing it.
Now, with covid, seems like the need is there, plus l am O- (universal donor), so I just said suck it up and go donate.

Things have changed for sure since 2012. All the electronic registering vs a simple walk-in with your card and ID to any site. No walk-ins apparently. My old card and donor id, no longer valid, so I had to phone in, get shuttled to tech support, and walk thru the whole "yes, this is me, but phone #, email, etc. are all different".

Then you can answer all the questions online vs on site beforehand. And you can see your donation history and stuff.

The check for your iron count is WAY different too. No centrifuge anymore, they slip the blood drop in a small table top scanner and bleep blip...there's your iron count #. Technology is cool.

Also, now, for certain blood types (O-, +, and AB +/-?), they really want you to do the double red donation...you donate 2x the red blood, but get back your white blood, plasma, and a saline drip bonus. I said what the heck, go for it. It took a bit longer and the process is a bit more complicated, but it wasn't that big a deal vs regular donation.

That said, l went for a vigorous bike ride today and whew, maybe it was in my head, but it sure seemed more fatiguing...guess l was working my limited red bloods overtime today. Anyone else do the double red thing? Notice any difference?
 
Mr.Lob

Mr.Lob

G.O.A.T.
I donated about 4 months ago. B negative blood type. I believe you can donate every 3 months.(?) I have the Red Cross app on my phone, so I can check whichever rotating site is closest to where I live. My employer has blood drives a couple times a year. So yeah, I think I'll try to donate again in the next week or two.
 
Mongolmike

Mongolmike

Hall of Fame
Mr.Lob said:
I donated about 4 months ago. B negative blood type. I believe you can donate every 3 months.(?) I have the Red Cross app on my phone, so I can check whichever rotating site is closest to where I live. My employer has blood drives a couple times a year. So yeah, I think I'll try to donate again in the next week or two.
Click to expand...

Yeah, my work place had drives too.... get paid to donate while at work?-sure. Plus the after snack was usually decent, and for a while my company was giving coupons for things like a pie, or an oil change too. Just enough incentive for me.

They told me that if you are a double red donor, it is every 3 months? I dunno. But I'm 100% sure I'm on their reminder list now for sure. Surprised I didn't get a text or email already from yesterday!
 
ollinger

ollinger

G.O.A.T.
sureshs said:
@ollinger What's the latest in synthetic blood? Are we there yet?
Click to expand...
lots of work being done on this, nothing as yet comes close to the genius of the real thing, some they've tried don't want to give up the oxygen when they get to the capillaries, some aren't good at grabbing CO2 from the tissue and then releasing it in the lungs, etc. Given the advances in tissue culture, I wouldn't be surprised if the ultimate achievement will be synthesizing actual blood cells with synthesized actual hemoglobin -- and without Rh incompatibility antigens on the outside of the cells.
 
Genious at Work

Genious at Work

G.O.A.T.
ollinger said:
lots of work being done on this, nothing as yet comes close to the genius of the real thing, some they've tried don't want to give up the oxygen when they get to the capillaries, some aren't good at grabbing CO2 from the tissue and then releasing it in the lungs, etc. Given the advances in tissue culture, I wouldn't be surprised if the ultimate achievement will be synthesizing actual blood cells with synthesized actual hemoglobin -- and without Rh incompatibility antigens on the outside of the cells.
Click to expand...
Whatever.

Bela_Lugosi_as_Dracula.jpg
 
Genious at Work

Genious at Work

G.O.A.T.
Mongolmike said:
Any blood donors?
I gave yesterday (Red Cross site) after not donating since 2012. I had given 32 pints to that point, but I do not "enjoy" the process so I just stopped doing it.
Now, with covid, seems like the need is there, plus l am O- (universal donor), so I just said suck it up and go donate.

Things have changed for sure since 2012. All the electronic registering vs a simple walk-in with your card and ID to any site. No walk-ins apparently. My old card and donor id, no longer valid, so I had to phone in, get shuttled to tech support, and walk thru the whole "yes, this is me, but phone #, email, etc. are all different".

Then you can answer all the questions online vs on site beforehand. And you can see your donation history and stuff.

The check for your iron count is WAY different too. No centrifuge anymore, they slip the blood drop in a small table top scanner and bleep blip...there's your iron count #. Technology is cool.

Also, now, for certain blood types (O-, +, and AB +/-?), they really want you to do the double red donation...you donate 2x the red blood, but get back your white blood, plasma, and a saline drip bonus. I said what the heck, go for it. It took a bit longer and the process is a bit more complicated, but it wasn't that big a deal vs regular donation.

That said, l went for a vigorous bike ride today and whew, maybe it was in my head, but it sure seemed more fatiguing...guess l was working my limited red bloods overtime today. Anyone else do the double red thing? Notice any difference?
Click to expand...
I did the bicycle thing the last time I donated (late teens) and I regretted it. It is not in your head (neither the blood thing nor the blood).
 
mmk

mmk

Hall of Fame
I'm B-, which is fairly uncommon, so I am usually asked to do double reds. From a post I made in the stoopid injury thread a few years ago:

Not an injury, but totally stupid: I played a singles match a couple days after a double red blood donation - they take a pint, centrifuge the red blood cells out, put the plasma back then repeat. So you are down about 15% of your red blood cells for a while. I was having to breathe heavily just walking back to start a point, my heart was racing, I was thinking I was going to have a heart attack. But I went ahead and finished the match, which was the only time I ever lost to that particular opponent. I shouldn't have played at all, much less continued when I realized I was in danger. Not just stupid, nearly fatally stupid. That was also the last time I did a double red donation.

I have gone back to doing double reds since Covid. But I make sure that I don't play for at least four days, and then only doubles. For singles I wait at least six days. If you count double reds as two pints, then I've done about 15 gallons. I've had to switch from getting poked in my right arm to my left due to too much scar tissue from giving.

I've also done platelet donation, but that tends to mess me up more than double reds even though it shouldn't. It is also really difficult since they tend to want to use both arms, one for outflow and one for inflow. As soon they hooked me up I would feel the need to scratch my face, but couldn't move either arm. And it can take up to three hours. Someone needs to develop artificial platelets.
 
Genious at Work

Genious at Work

G.O.A.T.
Is there a way to self test your blood group at home? Any reliable home kits? I forgot what my blood test is and I don't go to the doctor because my health is fine (for example, my resting heart rate is 55 bpm (usually between 48 and 65), except when I watch Sureshs videos and then it goes up considerably).
 
Genious at Work

Genious at Work

G.O.A.T.
mmk said:
I'm B-, which is fairly uncommon, so I am usually asked to do double reds. From a post I made in the stoopid injury thread a few years ago:

Not an injury, but totally stupid: I played a singles match a couple days after a double red blood donation - they take a pint, centrifuge the red blood cells out, put the plasma back then repeat. So you are down about 15% of your red blood cells for a while. I was having to breathe heavily just walking back to start a point, my heart was racing, I was thinking I was going to have a heart attack. But I went ahead and finished the match, which was the only time I ever lost to that particular opponent. I shouldn't have played at all, much less continued when I realized I was in danger. Not just stupid, nearly fatally stupid. That was also the last time I did a double red donation.

I have gone back to doing double reds since Covid. But I make sure that I don't play for at least four days, and then only doubles. For singles I wait at least six days. If you count double reds as two pints, then I've done about 15 gallons. I've had to switch from getting poked in my right arm to my left due to too much scar tissue from giving.

I've also done platelet donation, but that tends to mess me up more than double reds even though it shouldn't. It is also really difficult since they tend to want to use both arms, one for outflow and one for inflow. As soon they hooked me up I would feel the need to scratch my face, but couldn't move either arm. And it can take up to three hours. Someone needs to develop artificial platelets.
Click to expand...
That's impressive. Is there any health benefit (to the donor) for doing this? Paging @ollinger
 
D

Deleted member 743561

Guest
Genious at Work said:
Is there a way to self test your blood group at home? Any reliable home kits? I forgot what my blood test is and I don't go to the doctor because my health is fine (for example, my resting heart rate is 55 bpm (usually between 48 and 65), except when I watch Sureshs videos and then it goes up considerably).
Click to expand...
Re blood type: Donate and find out!

But also, the app seems to have old data. At least it did when I first dl'd it and fired it up. So you never know... the old donation may still be reflected.
 
Mongolmike

Mongolmike

Hall of Fame
mmk said:
I'm B-, which is fairly uncommon, so I am usually asked to do double reds. From a post I made in the stoopid injury thread a few years ago:

Not an injury, but totally stupid: I played a singles match a couple days after a double red blood donation - they take a pint, centrifuge the red blood cells out, put the plasma back then repeat. So you are down about 15% of your red blood cells for a while. I was having to breathe heavily just walking back to start a point, my heart was racing, I was thinking I was going to have a heart attack. But I went ahead and finished the match, which was the only time I ever lost to that particular opponent. I shouldn't have played at all, much less continued when I realized I was in danger. Not just stupid, nearly fatally stupid. That was also the last time I did a double red donation.

I have gone back to doing double reds since Covid. But I make sure that I don't play for at least four days, and then only doubles. For singles I wait at least six days. If you count double reds as two pints, then I've done about 15 gallons. I've had to switch from getting poked in my right arm to my left due to too much scar tissue from giving.
Click to expand...

Obviously I'm not a doctor, but why do you think playing was nearly fatal? When I biked yesterday, I felt the fatigue, but it was more tired limbs. I told my wife it was like playing tennis at altitude, but without the shortness of breathe.

So my non medical pov is that with 15% less red blood cells, it is a matter of not the normal amount of oxygen getting carried. The volume should be about the same, so why do you think it could be fatal (other than the normal risks a person could have like stroke or heart attack stuff)? It seemed to me that, yes, I should take it easy, but normal exercise (biking, jogging, tennis) 20-24 hrs after donation should be "ok", but you won't be at your peak for lack of 100% oxygen flow via the blood.

100% open to being corrected or set straight by someone who knows more about this than I! (especially since I was going to bike tomorrow on a flatter route, and am supposed to play dubs tomorrow evening!)
 
mmk

mmk

Hall of Fame
Mongolmike said:
Obviously I'm not a doctor, but why do you think playing was nearly fatal? When I biked yesterday, I felt the fatigue, but it was more tired limbs. I told my wife it was like playing tennis at altitude, but without the shortness of breathe.

So my non medical pov is that with 15% less red blood cells, it is a matter of not the normal amount of oxygen getting carried. The volume should be about the same, so why do you think it could be fatal (other than the normal risks a person could have like stroke or heart attack stuff)? It seemed to me that, yes, I should take it easy, but normal exercise (biking, jogging, tennis) 20-24 hrs after donation should be "ok", but you won't be at your peak for lack of 100% oxygen flow via the blood.

100% open to being corrected or set straight by someone who knows more about this than I! (especially since I was going to bike tomorrow on a flatter route, and am supposed to play dubs tomorrow evening!)
Click to expand...
It might just be me. I've been told that I have unusually small red blood cells, and I also take a number of prescription medicines that might have contributed to what I experienced.
 
mmk

mmk

Hall of Fame
ollinger said:
Certainly not just you......small red cells is one of the hallmarks of iron deficiency, for example
Click to expand...
A doctor once asked me if I had Thalassemia, which I'd never heard of. I probably don't, I'm of almost 100% Germanic/northern European descent. Oddly, at times I've been iron deficient and at other times had much higher iron than normal.
 
Mainad

Mainad

Bionic Poster
mmk said:
A doctor once asked me if I had Thalassemia, which I'd never heard of. I probably don't, I'm of almost 100% Germanic/northern European descent. Oddly, at times I've been iron deficient and at other times had much higher iron than normal.
Click to expand...

Pete Sampras suffered from a mild form of that disease. He however was of Greek descent.
 
Sudacafan

Sudacafan

Bionic Poster
Mongolmike said:
Any blood donors?
I gave yesterday (Red Cross site) after not donating since 2012. I had given 32 pints to that point, but I do not "enjoy" the process so I just stopped doing it.
Now, with covid, seems like the need is there, plus l am O- (universal donor), so I just said suck it up and go donate.

Things have changed for sure since 2012. All the electronic registering vs a simple walk-in with your card and ID to any site. No walk-ins apparently. My old card and donor id, no longer valid, so I had to phone in, get shuttled to tech support, and walk thru the whole "yes, this is me, but phone #, email, etc. are all different".

Then you can answer all the questions online vs on site beforehand. And you can see your donation history and stuff.

The check for your iron count is WAY different too. No centrifuge anymore, they slip the blood drop in a small table top scanner and bleep blip...there's your iron count #. Technology is cool.

Also, now, for certain blood types (O-, +, and AB +/-?), they really want you to do the double red donation...you donate 2x the red blood, but get back your white blood, plasma, and a saline drip bonus. I said what the heck, go for it. It took a bit longer and the process is a bit more complicated, but it wasn't that big a deal vs regular donation.

That said, l went for a vigorous bike ride today and whew, maybe it was in my head, but it sure seemed more fatiguing...guess l was working my limited red bloods overtime today. Anyone else do the double red thing? Notice any difference?
Click to expand...
I am also O-. I know about only one other O- in the town I live.
 
S

sureshs

Bionic Poster
Be careful. I read yesterday that some people are demanding that they should receive blood only from non-vaccinated people. Maybe there should be a provision by which a donor can also indicate that his blood should never go to one of these people.
 
Mongolmike

Mongolmike

Hall of Fame
If someone refuses surgery or a transfusion after an accident because they only want non-vaccinated blood, then that idiocy is 100% on them.
As for me, l donate to help people. I don't like donating blood, but doing so is important. It can't be replicated or replaced by me sending a check somewhere. What they do with the blood, who they give it too? :unsure: idk...idontcare
 
PrinceMoron

PrinceMoron

Legend
Got DVT after donating 30 times
Vein in arm went like a rubber band, could literally twang it
Got covered in jelly and rubbed down by a nurse, so was not all bad

no symptoms subsequently but donate with other arm now

got into a Xmas Easter Summer Holiday loop of donations now but that adds to the gift of giving
 
Last edited:
Sudacafan

Sudacafan

Bionic Poster
Mongolmike said:
If someone refuses surgery or a transfusion after an accident because they only want non-vaccinated blood, then that idiocy is 100% on them.
As for me, l donate to help people. I don't like donating blood, but doing so is important. It can't be replicated or replaced by me sending a check somewhere. What they do with the blood, who they give it too? :unsure: idk...idontcare
Click to expand...
Blood transfusion in all circumstances is just against the principles of some religion.
 
Mongolmike

Mongolmike

Hall of Fame
Sudacafan said:
Blood transfusion in all circumstances is just against the principles of some religion.
Click to expand...

I understand that, and l applaud those who refuse medical treatment that is opposed to their religious obligations. They may die for holding onto their political or religious convictions, but way to stand strong! Forget science, faith will carry them through.
 
Sudacafan

Sudacafan

Bionic Poster
Mongolmike said:
I understand that, and l applaud those who refuse medical treatment that is opposed to their religious obligations. They may die for holding onto their political or religious convictions, but way to stand strong! Forget science, faith will carry them through.
Click to expand...
I don’t
 
bigserving

bigserving

Hall of Fame
Asian dad would be proud of me, A+ blood!
On my way to donate platelets right now. I think that I will watch a few episodes of "Drive to Survive" the Formula 1 documentary series. I hope that I don't miss too much of the men's semi.
 
mmk

mmk

Hall of Fame
Gave this morning, just did a normal donation instead of double reds. Good thing since I have a match tomorrow.
 
ollinger

ollinger

G.O.A.T.
sureshs said:
some people are demanding that they should receive blood only from non-vaccinated people.
Click to expand...
Ignorance can be deadly. Transfusions during surgery or after trauma are usually just packed red cells, as the blood is centrifuged into its various components used for various purposes. Vaccine and the antibodies it produces would not be a component of those types of transfusions.
 
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