Giving Blood

[Kiani]

Originally Posted by ash88

my dad donated blood once and he ended up getting a infection from one of the tools they used and the spot when they stuck the needle in turned all black for a few weeks, i would never give blood unless they find better ways to do it, i hate needles.

When I was in hospital once I had an IV cannula that got infected, I ended up having to stay in for longer than I was supposed to because of it.

[Coloured_Dreams]

I'll hopefully get over my needle phobia with age, since it's not as bad as Miranda_'s seems to be.

I think I'm O-Positive, the most common type, and my Dad gives blood a couple of times a year. So I want to do it too, when I'm older! But they make sure they sterilise each needle before and after each session where he goes to give blood, it says so in the pamphlet and I've seen them doing it before!

When I was about nine or ten, I remember coming along to a session and was quite interested to see what they'd do. They had a hall place full of stretcher-like beds with all the necessary tools beside each one. The nurse wouldn't let us stay, so we went to this cafeteria place in the next room and got free drinks and crisps. Yay! When my Dad came in holding an antiseptic wipe to his arm, I didn't ask him what had happened, because I'd already seen papers hung up, and he'd said something on the journey.

That's one of my most vivid memories of my younger childhood! It was sometime in March, I think.

[Doctorwho_gal]

I would love to give blood but 14 is too young , I know.. I also don't see why more people donate organs , whats better in your death than giving someone else life? Its also a sure fire way people don't forget you when you die xD

[Silent_Wolf]

My school takes part in blood donations, and if I were sixteen I'd take part. Though, part of my problem would be getting a nurse that knows what the heck she's doing; my creative writing teacher was telling us about the drive she went to last year for a leukemia student and the lady she got was a total IDIOT, swirling the needle around in her arm trying to get the blood in the needle; my teacher ended up with a bruise from her wrist to her shoulder when the minor hemmoraghe (sp?) the nurse caused went away.

[dudettel]

There is a weight requirement and I don't meet it. I am slightly underweight so I can't donate.
I don't think I would though anyway...unless a family member needed it. They take about 1/7th of your blood and...well...thats 1/7th of your blood that isn't in your system until it builds up again...what is it, two weeks before it builds up?
I'm pretty sure I would not be able to function

A friend of mine donated and she met the weight requirement only because she was muscular...the loss of blood caused her to pass out and she was extremely ill for about a week...
scary

[Silent_Wolf]

I'm somewhat overweight, and I could probably handle it as long as I had something to keep me moving after. Like a wheelchair. XD Kidding, but I'd still donate.