DONATING BLOOD

National bloodbank - no I don´t think so. But we have aplace where we can donate called "droppen" wich means "the drop" if u translate it =) They even give you presents for donating... They are trying everything to get people to donate and dthe last thing i heard more and more are joining in...

Thanks for the answer. Presents are always a good incentive, as long as they don't attract people at high-risk for bloodborne diseases. Although I'm sure your blood supply is screened as well as ours is, and is as safe as possible.

Thanks for the response! That would be a good "New Years Resolution", and one that's not too difficult to keep! Is there a National Blood Bank in Sweden?

I would be afraid if I were you, also. However, this was probably an isolated incident, and won't happen again. Was this the first time you had donated? Maybe you were a little bit anxious. This can also happen if you are near the cutoff point for the weight requirement; I think it's 100 or 110 pounds, or if you don't drink enough fluids the day before you donate, the day of your donation, and after you donate. Not eating before you donate can also cause fainting from low blood sugar. At least you tried! If you ever want to donate again, be sure to let them know when you register about the problem you had- it's actually not that uncommon. They will screen you carefully and have you drink some juice and eat cookies both before and after the donation, and just watch you and your blood pressure very closely.

Thanks for your response. I WISH that I didn't weigh enough to give blood, LOL! You must be tiny. Anyways, I worked as an RN in the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at the Comprehensive Cancer Center in my city for approx. 8 years. I truly admire you for being in the registry, as this is even more of a gift of life, as matches can be difficult to find. I am going to follow the link and see if I can register, also. It's something that I've thought about, but just never did. Now is a good time.

Thanks for your response. I can't say that I blame you for being a bit concerned about giving blood. The needle is larger, so that the blood cells are not damaged during the collection process and so that the blood will flow quicker. I used to have a lot of problems having blood drawn and giving blood, but the phlebotomists at the Red Cross are extremely well-trained; they can get blood out of stone, I think, usually on the first try. They have found my 1 and only vein, and I have them use the same spot every time; I even have lab people use that spot when I have blood tests done for my doctor, because otherwise I end up looking like I have track marks from so many tries. Not to try to talk you into it, but you could consider going to a Red Cross donation center, explain your previous experiences with blood tests, and give them 1 or 2 chances at the most to get the vein. They really are very skilled at what they do.

Here are a few reasons: Every 2 seconds, someone in the United States needs blood or a blood product to save his or her life. The only source of this blood is through volunteer donations, yet only 5% of the eligible population donates blood consistently. If you or a family member needed blood to save your/their life, you would expect the blood to be available...

Very understandable! If you are inclined to donate again, as I was telling another poster, the phlebotomists at the Red Cross are excellent! I have difficult veins to access also, and they always get it on the first try, and there is no problem with it flowing properly. Just be sure to let them know when you register that you've had a lot of problems in the past; all sites have a phlebotomist who takes the most difficult people.

My mom is 75 and she donates every 8 weeks! Different collection centers do have different rules for eligibility, though.

I just received my reminder call this morning, as a matter of fact! They sure keep track of the regular donors, don't they? I have to laugh about your partner- men can be the biggest babies, can't they? I don't blame him, though. I know that one bad experience can be very difficult, if not impossible, to get over.

Hey, I don't get jelly beans! Where do you live? I'm going to have to file a complaint! We get juice and cookies, but I would much prefer candy. You're right, some people do still believe that they can catch HIV from donating, which goes to show how much work is needed as far as HIV teaching goes.

Why not ask the staff at the main center to give you an elastic tourniquet to take with you to the bloodmobile? They are really cheap, and I'm sure they would do it. You could keep it in the glovebox of your car and take it in with you! I have deep veins also, and I know how bad it hurts if they are "fishing" around to find the vein.

It would be nice if more people had your good attitude about it. Donating saves a lot of lives. Some people are afraid to give blood, and I can understand that.

I'm not sure how long you have to wait after having a tattoo. I had mine done about 5 years ago, so they don't even care about it anymore.

Men can be such babies, can't they? I'll bet you haven't let him forget that, have you? I hope not, at least! It's great that you go through what you do to get to a donation center or to donate when the mobile collections come around. There are so many things about living in a rural area that those of us who live in larger cities or more populated suburbs never think of.

I didn't realize that you had to wait for 12 months if you got the tattoo at a place using clean needles in the states. That's good to know. As to getting one at a "ripe old age", I'm not far behind you. I had my first one when I was 42, and I'm now considering getting another one. What the hell, why shouldn't us "old" people have them too? It wasn't an option for females when we were younger, and that wasn't fair!

It is so hard to make that initial donation, especially when you hate needles. When I started to donate again this summer because of my brother's illness, I was extremely leery- I hadn't donated for years, and I hate the needles. It really isn't that bad. The phlebotomists are great at finding a vein quickly and painlessly.

Some people can never get past the fear of donating. If you feel nervous and "cold" at the thought of it, you may not be a good candidate to donate, since you may get so worked up that you feel faint. If you do want to try, just let them know that you are VERY nervous, and they will for sure take good care of you.

Thanks for responding. These facts are both true. As for the safety of the needles, I know for a fact that in the U.S. the American Red Cross uses new, sterile needles and tubing for each donation; there is absolutely no risk to the donor of getting infected with anything from a sterile needle. In other countries I assume that they do the same, but one could always ask to be sure. As for the fear of needles, I totally understand that. Some people just can't get past that fear. It does help to tell the nurses at the donation center that you are afraid of needles; they will take extra care to reassure you and help you through it. Once you've donated and see that it's so easy, you'll feel good about continuing to donate. The blood saves lives every day.

I'm surprised at how many people don't weigh enough to donate- you're lucky for that! I sure wish I had THAT problem, lol! You're right about a lot of people being afraid of the needles. Sometimes all it takes is getting through that first time and they realize it's not too bad. If they feel faint at any time during or after the donation,they probably just need to drink some juice, which they have at the donation center. Remind people that there are nurses there to take care of them, and nothing bad will happen if they donate blood and help others.

Lucky you for not meeting the weight requirement!! I can only dream of it... I think that I was born meeting the requirement, and proceeded to exceed it from there- lol Thanks for responding.