I gave blood for the first time today and I thought it was a really great atmosphere and I'm going back in a month to give plasma...

Just wondering who here gives blood and/or plasma?

Not me!

I got mad cow disease when I lived in UK... :lol: or at least they think I have it and I'm still waiting for the symptoms...

I do support those who can and do give blood! Great thing you can do for others.

Not me!

I got mad cow disease when I lived in UK... :lol: or at least they think I have it and I'm still waiting for the symptoms...

I do support those who can and do give blood! Great thing you can do for others.

Are you serious?

Are you serious?

If you visited or lived in the UK when the mad cow epidemic thing was happening youre not eligible to give blood

If you visited or lived in the UK when the mad cow epidemic thing was happening youre not eligible to give blood

Ah I see. That makes more sense.

8) :lol: Yeah sorry for not explaining. It is if you ate meat in UK between 1970s and 1986 or something... then you may carry the virus that causes CJD, the human equivalent of mad cow disease.

But I prefer to say I have mcd cos I'm happy to be a mad cow rather than some completely unpronounceable disease. :lol:

Half the world population gets mad cow disease for a week every month.

I think I will let my sig answer Ira :lol:

I have been a blood donor for years. It is my way of giving back for all the surgery my son received over the years (although none required a blood transfusion as they just recirculated his blood during the heart surgeries then pumped it back in)

Half the world population gets mad cow disease for a week every month.

I have been a donor since a teenager. Initially it was my way of "getting out of work" for a while :-) :-) crazy lady... I really enjoy being able to "give something back" too

I am! Apparantly my blood is the most sort after or somthing?! They ring me up every now and then and ask me to donate if they have a big emergency case or something?! Well that's what they tell me, probly just trying to put the guilt's on me!? :lol: I think they use my blood with new born baby's??

my donor card say's: O Rh Negative (whatever that mean's)

I too started to donate as a way to get out of work, but soon felt it was my way to "give something back". My dad has allway's donated but recently after some medical problem's he is unable to, so I see it as carrying on what he cant?! (wow that was deep!?)

Hoody - according to the bookmark I got today from the donor place only 8% of the words population is O-

I am an A-. One brother is a B- so even rarer still but my mum beats us both as she is an AB but not sure if she is a + or a -

Brother used to get police escorts in the middle of the night when he lived in Wgtn and they needed his blood quickly after an accident or something.

My blood type created problems when I had kids as I have the rhesus incompatibility factor :roll:

42% - O+

35% - A+

8% - B+

7% - O-

5% - A-

1.7% - AB+

1% - B-

0.3% - AB-

I don't have a clue what my blood type is. I'd probably do it if there was somewhere convenient to give blood, but I'm definitely not going to drive 20 minutes, spend 10 looking for a place to park, spend $8 on parking just so someone can jab a needle in my arm...

I am b- and my brother is ab- (if I remember correctly ab is the universal receiver)

AB+ is. AB- will have a reaction to any RH+ blood.

I think AB- can take from any neg and AB+ can take from any pos. I think a negative mother's blood attacks a positive baby but the greatest problem is after the first child as the antibodies are increased. Negative mother and negative father no probs but pos father can produce a pos baby.

My brother used to get called up to donate blood but it was some other facter that they were after rather than the AB neg.

I am looking at becoming a donor now that I don't have any meds in my system...

I am O negative and they are often screaming out for O neg blood.

I had a huge blood transfusion when I had my accident back in 1992, so only feel that I should give back as in appreciation for what others provided for me I am very thankful, if it weren't for donors then I sure as hell wouldn't be here

I'm A+ Common as muck! I used to be a whole blood donor but then I changed to being a plasma donor when i lived closer to the proper facilities (you can only donate whole blood when you go to the mobile vans).

I used to enjoy donating plasma when I was a student because you could donate every four weeks (they put all the red cells back in you, so you don't have to wait for them to regrow before you donate again). So every four weeks I would give plasma then they let me have as much tea and biscuits as I wanted AND read their newspaper!! Luxury for a poor student! It was my Big Day Out every month! lol!

I also think the machine they use is really fascinating. They take out your whole blood, centrifuge it on the spot, then reverse the pump & put the red & white cells back into you and they just keep the plasma. Amazing.

They used my plasma to make Factor VIII & Factor IX for people with haemophilia, so I felt quite useful.

Unfortunately I can't donate any more as I had cancer a few years ago so I got disqualified as a donor

im an A+ too

i donte whenever they come to uni but my gf cant cos shes under 50kg

im an A+ too

i donte whenever they come to uni but my gf cant cos shes under 50kg

YOu dating a 15 year old? :lol:

shes older than me - 20

I give plasma, takes a bit longer..I have time for a wee sleep 8)...after my tee and bickkies of course.

Apparently I get a "gift " next time I donate Whoo Hoooo

O- is the universal donor, so anyone can have O- blood given to them with no reaction.

I donate platelets - so they take whole blood, spin off the plasma, spin the plasma into platelets and put the plasma and blood back in. Each donation of platelets can save 5-6 people if they need blood products - they make platelets from the whole blood donations they get.

I donate every time someone needs them usually every 2 weeks or so; so if there is a premie baby who needs blood products, or they are really low, they give me a call, I donate right there, and they take the platelets straight to the baby.

It takes about an hr and a half, but is so worth it to know that I'm directly saving someones life. Also, not everyone can donate platelets because you need a platelet count over 250. The average is 50 - 100. Mines 550, that's why they don't mind me doing it lots.

Remember, whole blood donations only last a month, plasma lasts about 2 weeks, and platelets only last 72 hrs, so if you've never donated blood before, I'd really recommend doing it - and they're so nice there, and there's great snacks!