Community Chat

[tends2dogs]

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@hckynut wrote:

(thread title)

No, but I wish I could. I thank everyone that is so generous to not only share their blood, but also for taking the time it does to do so. Without donors, people like myself, that as had north of 120 blood transfusions, would not be alive.

My wife was/is in the "Multi-Gallon Club" in giving blood and platelets over many years. She gave on a regular basis, and the Red Cross would call her many times to donate platelets. Don't remember her blood type, but there is much less of it than with my B-Pos.

My wife now cannot donate because they(Red Cross) will not let you if your Hemoglobin level is under 12. We both also have to get checked regularly for our Iron Ferritin levels. Will find out tomorrow if I need an Iron Infusion, as I had blood drawn last Friday.

While my Hemoglobin is higher than it has been(15.3)recently, it does not always correlate with my Blood Iron Ferritin level. If it is low, I now have to have it Infused in 2 sessions, 1 week apart. Since I went into Anaphylactic Shock during one Infusion, they changed the type of Iron and cut the dosage in half, thus the 2 day method.

@tends2dogs a very thoughtful thread and as one that has taken the blood of the many donors, I thank you and every single person that has donated their blood.

THANKS TO ALL OF YOU

hckynut(john)

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@hckynut  I have to comment on the fact that you have iron infusions.  You mention you have had over 120 transfused units......did this ever cause iron overload for you?  My husband's ferritin was off the charts and had to go in periodically and have phlebotomies done.  This was a result of the numerous transfusions he had.  He did the phlebotomies for several years and his levels are finally in the normal ranges.  His HGB is rather high since his transplant.  He had bone marrow biopsies to look into this, but all is normal, thank God.  After living with low HGB levels,  a couple times as low as 6, the higher HGB is a welcome change. 

One other interesting side note of the transplant........his blood type changed to that of his donor, his sister, who by the way was a "perfect" match.  Finding a perfect match is rare.  She is his only sibling.

[tends2dogs]

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@SXMGirl wrote:

Yes--lifetime donor.  Even though I am anemic and my hemoglobin can be quite low, I finally figured out how to get my blood count up high enough to give on a regular basis.  I am O+ and that is needed always.

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@SXMGirl  Please tell me how you are capable of raising your HGB.  Mine tends to run low.

[Ilovetea]

I give every so often. My blood type is O- and they like to see me come in. I can't remember why I sometimes get turned away after preliminary checks but can give about half of the times I try. 

[SilleeMee]

There is no upper age limit set to qualify for donating blood as long as you are healthy.

[hckynut]

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@Usxmgirl wrote:

Yes--lifetime donor.  Even though I am anemic and my hemoglobin can be quite low, I finally figured out how to get my blood count up high enough to give on a regular basis.  I am O+ and that is needed always.

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@SXMGirl

Figured out how to raise your HGB levels? If my wife had a reading below 12gdl she the Red Cross would not except her as a donor. If you are Anemic, who excepts you for being a donor if it is under my above number? 

I have suffered anemia several times, for long durations of time. Being an athlete in excellent physical condition much of my life, when I was Anemic the last thing on my mind was trying to donate blood, just the opposite. I know tired from running full Marathons and other "to exhaustion physical treadmill testing". The fatique doesn't even come close to Anemia exhaustion.

I too figured out MY WAY to get my HGB levels up. It took over a year/getting off of coumadin/getting Iron Infusions, and a monthly B-12 regimen. 

Tell me your way and maybe my Hematologist doesn't know about it, and I can pass your way to him and his associates.

hckynut(john)

[SXMGirl]

@hckynut, @tends2dogs, my hemoglobin has been as low as 8.5, and, of course, I was advised that I was probably the last person who should donate.  However, for my insurance plan, I am obligated to give at least once a year.

In the beginning, I prepared like it was an olympic sport.  While I am not a steak eater, two weeks before my donation date, I would have steak almost every night.  I also refrained from drinking iced tea, which was recommended by the Blood Bank.

So, for the past several times, instead of doing all of that, I made sure that for a few days that I ate a good breakfast and lunch, and that dinner was broiled salmon, baked sweet potatoes, and sauteed spinach with garlic.  Then, the morning of the donation, I would have a protein shake; about an hour or so later, I would have a tuna sandwich on whole wheat.  This worked for me.  In other words, lots of protein and good fats.  Hemoglobin has been 13.5.

What is really interesting is that this dinner is really a normal dinner for me, but I probably was not eating enough.  It seems to be really important to get in at least one good meal about an hour or so before donating.  Will this continue?  I certainly hope so.  My family doctor said the only other thing that I could do is take B12, and she did not think that I would follow through because of the side effects, which we did not talk about.  She has known me for 20 years and knows what I will or will not do.

I hope this is somewhat helpful.  However, everyone is different and what works for me may not work for you or your loved ones.

[RedTop]

Yes, I am a donor for whole blood and platelets.   My last platelet donation was sent to Indiana; I am in West Virginia.    My platelets are often sent outside this region.   

The Red Cross charges B I G money for the blood products we willingly donate.   I drive 100 miles to an apheresis center to donate platelets, and spend 90 minutes with needles in both arms to give the life saving product.   The apheresis center is always staffed with 4 RNs.   I was told that each sterile pack used to collect one platelet donation costs the Red Cross $250.  This pack has the bags to collect the platelets, as well as the tubing and sterile needles that carry my blood out and back in.   I receive tickets to pay my parking fee, which is covered by the Red Cross.   At the end of the day, all platelets are picked up and driven to a processing center in PA, before being returned to the Blood Bank in Roanoke, VA.   

My iron level usually tests around 14.   Platelet donors are usually chosen on iron levels, as well as by passing all the blood screening tests.   

[ChynnaBlue]

I've tried multiple times, but they always send me away. I have allergies and asthma and they make me cough or sneeze. As soon as someone hears that, they refuse me out of an abundance of caution. I also run warmer than usual (I live in Texas and it gets hot here), so they turn me away because my temperature is too high, whether I'm coughing or sneezing or not.

[SilleeMee]

When I worked for the blood bank, anemia was checked by measuring hematocrits. This is the a measurement, given in percent of red cells to plasma. Sometimes, this number can be falsely high because of dehydration. Hematocrit is by far the quickest and most economical way to detect anemia, but it is not the best test to determine low hemoglobin. When low hematocrits are found then hemoglobin tests usually follow to verify anemia. Rarely will they come back within acceptable numbers to allow for donation. 

[Kachina624]

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@tends2dogs wrote:

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@Kachina624  No I haven't.  I wrote the post right after seeing the bloodmobile.......the same day.  I will keep my eyes and ears open for the next drive.  They have them quite often around here.  I didn't realize there is an age limit.  Do you know what it is?

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@tends2dogs  Funny you should mention that because after I wrote it,  I looked it up and there is no age limit so maybe I can still donate.   Depends on a person's state of health.