Donate

[Sampa]

Hello everyone. I hope this is the right place to post this...I do not want to get yelled at.:wink:
Anyway...I went to donate blood yesterday and learned about the shortage...and I mean they are desperate for blood donors, specially R-1 donors.

R-1 is the donation where they will hook you up to a machine and during the donation the machine separate the cells from the plasma; plasma is used mostly on cancer treatment.

The whole process (the "interview", donationa and snack time) took about 1 hour and it most likely saved a life.

During the donation they will test your blood for various things including cholesterol.

Please, donate 1 hour of you month to donate blood and save a life.

Some people never donate because they don't know how easy and safe it actually is; my husband never did before. I came from a family where blood donation is a tradition, sometimes you can't afford to donate money, but you can always afford to donate blood, giving thay you are healthy.

Thank you!:biggrin:

[gabriel]

I've actually been thinking heavily about doing this lately. I guess I'll take your post as confirmation! hehe :)

[LadyVol@330]

Ah, a subject dear to my heart. I have been a platelets donor on and off for many years, but as of late haven’t been doing any due to my cardiologist’s reluctance to allow it for now. Since it does not take any red blood cells in the process, recovery is much sooner than a regular donation. In addition to the cholesterol readings, one also receives an HIV test and other factors are sought as well. In the old days, both arms were punctured –new blood came out of one into the equipment, and the filtered blood that came from the equipment went back into the other. This whole procedure came out to about two hours, and from time to time, the nurses were actually asked to come to rub someone’s itching nose! :biggrin: We could also forget about our situation as we could watch a nice long movie.

I started donating whole blood after my 38-year old daughter was born. At that time my blood carried some extremely long-held antibodies most likely caused by the RH-factor incompatibility between our bloods, as well as the fact that I received a Rhogam injection after her birth. I was a complete celebrity at the blood bank until those antibodies disappeared. Later in life, I learned that I am CMV (cytomegalovirus) negative, as well as having O-, so my blood is used mostly for preemies and an occasional very ill surgical patient. I also had to give up being on the bone marrow registry as I aged (who wants old bone marrow?), but I was actually factored down to the final test once but proved to be non-compatible. I would have given anything to have been able to donate bone marrow to someone then.

It’s impossible to relate to another the joy and satisfaction that comes from donating something so simple to another when it can mean everything to their life. Almost as good as being a CHP officer!

[Chippysgt]

I am donating tomorrow as the blood mobil is coming to Cambria. Otherwise I have to drive aobut 40 miles to SLO. This will be about 45 pints for me. I started donating when I was the blood bank chairman for my American Legion post in the early 90s. After starting, I am sorry I did not start sooner.
The best part of tomorrow is getting a pint for a pint. Ice cream is the gold ring tomorrow...............

[Sampa]

That's right...I forgot to mention the ice cream and the fact that while I was hooked up to the machine I was also on the internet checking out what is going on around the world.....:cool:

[jgrant161]

For those of you that live in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, or San Bernardino Counties; The 95.5 KLOS FM blood drive kicks off Wed. July 30th. Los Angeles and Orange counties call 1-800-GIVE LIFE and Riverside and San Bernardino counties call 1-800-TRY GIVING to make appointments. For more info visit the following website: http://www.955klos.com/Article.asp?id=725482&spid=24575

[SB 405]

For those of you that live in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, or San Bernardino Counties; The 95.5 KLOS FM blood drive kicks off Wed. July 30th. Los Angeles and Orange counties call 1-800-GIVE LIFE and Riverside and San Bernardino counties call 1-800-TRY GIVING to make appointments. For more info visit the following website: http://www.955klos.com/Article.asp?id=725482&spid=24575


Since I live so close to the radio station I thought I'd just show up one year and try to give. Hundreds of people were in line and many were being turned away. My advice to those who plan to attend,arrive early.