Blood Donation Time!

[mmmmm...beer 691]

In 2010 my wife and I went through a very heartbreaking miscarriage. During this my wife needed an procedure which caused her to severly hemmorage. I remember the doctor coming out looking scared to tell me we'd "almost lost her". She needed several units of blood to recover.

 

I've thought about that day many times over these last 8 years... I've thought about the people who took the time to give of their lifes blood to help my wife live.

 

Every 56 days I donate blood to the Red Cross in the hopes that there is a mommy, daddy, or child out there I can pay back for helping me keep my beautiful wife and mommy.

 

Please consider doing the same.

 

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e11/plainsmouse/Mobile%20Uploads/FB_IMG_1534556354789_zpsc72ilviq.jpg

[Fireballer 2,367]

I dont give as regular as I could, but Ive been giving at least once a year for 20+ years. They give you a pin for benchmark donations. I know Ive done at least 5 gallons.

[Djgb13 2,338]

Ive noticed on fb you are a regular donor which is good. I need to donate more since I have O negative blood

[mmmmm...beer 691]

Ive noticed on fb you are a regular donor which is good. I need to donate more since I have O negative blood

O is a universal donor right? Or... is that one of the rarer ones?

[wiffleball 4,631]

First, I'm glad your wife's okay. Second, think back honestly if you saw a detailed invoice. Were you charged for the blood?

[mmmmm...beer 691]

First, I'm glad your wife's okay. Second, think back honestly if you saw a detailed invoice. Were you charged for the blood?

Nothing in this life is free wiff... cummon man!

[Djgb13 2,338]

O is a universal donor right? Or... is that one of the rarer ones?

Its the universal donor but can only receive o negative. Theres always a big need for O negative and I really should take more time out to donate. I did all the time in the military cause it was easy to go across the street from the hospital to the donor center and donate. Now I have to go like 40 minutes to donate

[jerryskids 5,166]

When I worked for a large company I did the "power red" donations. Since then, I've tried signing up for the donation buses but UBS sucks at actually keeping donation times; each time they've told me it would be an hour+ even though I had an appointment.

[wiffleball 4,631]

Nothing in this life is free wiff... cummon man!

look, I'm just saying the next time your wife's nethers go all Carrie's prom on you, make a point of looking at the detailed invoice for blood.

 

that's the Scandal nobody talks about. People have no problem busting on drug companies who literally spend billions of dollars developing drugs for marking up their prices.

 

But look at some of these blood banks and break down their financials. It's a huge moneymaker. Their overhead is incredibly stable and very low. Refrigeration, administrative, testing and transportation.

 

They get all of their product for free from people like you. Then, they can mark up the price as high as somebody will pay for it. And when insurance is involved? The sky's the limit. So, they charge the hospital and outrageous amount, the hospital turns around and Doubles/triples that amount at a minimum. And everybody gets rich on a product that was given to them for free.

 

And, unlike the drug companies, like I said, there is literally no oversight nor outrage.

 

Oh, and did I mention that all of these are 501 C3 entity's? They pay no income tax.

 

I don't mind people covering their cost. Hell, I'm not opposed to them making a profit. But when you are charging literally an unlimited amount for a product you get for free to people who literally can't live without it? and then claim that you're doing it as a charitable Act? Oh, go fuuck yourself.

[wiffleball 4,631]

Its the universal donor but can only receive o negative. Theres always a big need for O negative and I really should take more time out to donate. I did all the time in the military cause it was easy to go across the street from the hospital to the donor center and donate. Now I have to go like 40 minutes to donate

yeah, but they probably give you extra cookies and whatnot for being hiv-positive.

[titans&bucs&bearsohmy! 2,745]

I used to do the thing where you donate platelets I think. Maybe plasma, I forget. Took about two hours hooked up to the machine and they pump saline in to replace it. Went every month.

 

The thing that always annoyed me is that the actual procedure takes two hours, but they always spend 30-45 minutes wasting your time with questionnaires and sh!t. There should be some sort of frequent donor program where you can just head straight to the chair. I mean, Im willing to give my time and blood, but could you try to make it quick as possible please?

[Cloaca du jour 2,064]

I hope one day they come up with synthetic blood. I know they have been trying.

[mmmmm...beer 691]

I used to do the thing where you donate platelets I think. Maybe plasma, I forget. Took about two hours hooked up to the machine and they pump saline in to replace it. Went every month.

 

The thing that always annoyed me is that the actual procedure takes two hours, but they always spend 30-45 minutes wasting your time with questionnaires and sh!t. There should be some sort of frequent donor program where you can just head straight to the chair. I mean, Im willing to give my time and blood, but could you try to make it quick as possible please?

 

https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/manage-my-donations/rapidpass.html#

[Gladiators 1,900]

I used to do the thing where you donate platelets I think. Maybe plasma, I forget. Took about two hours hooked up to the machine and they pump saline in to replace it. Went every month.

 

The thing that always annoyed me is that the actual procedure takes two hours, but they always spend 30-45 minutes wasting your time with questionnaires and sh!t. There should be some sort of frequent donor program where you can just head straight to the chair. I mean, Im willing to give my time and blood, but could you try to make it quick as possible please?

I think you need to go from wrist towards your elbow. That will be quickest.

[Mike Honcho 4,007]

When I worked for a large company I did the "power red" donations. Since then, I've tried signing up for the donation buses but UBS sucks at actually keeping donation times; each time they've told me it would be an hour+ even though I had an appointment.

 

That sucks about the time issues. I'm a regular every 56 day donor(one of my only redeeming qualities) and I never have an issue with times or waits. Make an appointment with Red Cross, show up and it's go time immediately. I'm in and out in 45 minutes every time. Apparently that's really fast, cause every single time they tell me that I filled the bag quicker than anyone else that day.

[wiffleball 4,631]

 

That sucks about the time issues. I'm a regular every 56 day donor(one of my only redeeming qualities) and I never have an issue with times or waits. Make an appointment with Red Cross, show up and it's go time immediately. I'm in and out in 45 minutes every time. Apparently that's really fast, cause every single time they tell me that I filled the bag quicker than anyone else that day.

They're looking for blood, not urine.

[Mike Honcho 4,007]

They're looking for blood, not urine.

 

Doesn't matter, it's still 80 proof coming out of me.

[Gladiators 1,900]

I agree with others that it needs to be quick and convenient. If it is more than an hour of my time, including driving, it is not happening. When my boys are older and I have more free time, I will consider it.

 

Sorry to hear about the miscarriage. Glad your wife made it through ok.

[mmmmm...beer 691]

I agree with others that it needs to be quick and convenient. If it is more than an hour of my time, including driving, it is not happening. When my boys are older and I have more free time, I will consider it.

 

Sorry to hear about the miscarriage. Glad your wife made it through ok.

Yup.. second trimester... supposed to be all good from there ya know.. it was a rough one.

 

I think the doc messed her up... we tried after that using zero protection... nothing for 4 years before I hit 40 we said... we're done trying...

 

I can retire at 50.. so didn't want to be the old man with little kids.

 

Still regret not having a couple more, but it wasn't for us I guess. Two healthy... boy and a girl... we're good.

[jerryskids 5,166]

 

That sucks about the time issues. I'm a regular every 56 day donor(one of my only redeeming qualities) and I never have an issue with times or waits. Make an appointment with Red Cross, show up and it's go time immediately. I'm in and out in 45 minutes every time. Apparently that's really fast, cause every single time they tell me that I filled the bag quicker than anyone else that day.

 

I may look into it, thanks. My blood is missing some virus (3 letters I can never remember, starts with a C I think) which enables it to be given to infants, so I feel it is my duty to donate. Especially since my wife needed some blood during one of our kids' births. Anyway, they were good at keeping schedules at the big company (and if they ran late so what, I was giving blood, are you going to fire me?). But those buses suck; they take whatever walk-ins or last minute signups and just hope people sit around for hours I guess.

 

I don't know if I've done Red Cross. If I did it was a long time ago. I'm sure there are facilities here though.

[Gladiators 1,900]

Yup.. second trimester... supposed to be all good from there ya know.. it was a rough one.

 

I think the doc messed her up... we tried after that using zero protection... nothing for 4 years before I hit 40 we said... we're done trying...

 

I can retire at 50.. so didn't want to be the old man with little kids.

 

Still regret not having a couple more, but it wasn't for us I guess. Two healthy... boy and a girl... we're good.

Wife and I didnt go through anything that traumatic, but she had an emergency C-section. Scared the fock out of me, but baby and wife were both good. They brought our baby boy over to me. I was not really interested...just wanted to know that my wife was ok. Wont forget that...until I get dementia.

[Brad GLuckman 518]

I have O- but hate having blood drawn so I never donated. The guilt finally got to me so I just donated for the first time a couple of weeks ago and plan on donating regularly moving forward.

[Kanil 519]

That's great! About 11 years ago I started working for the company that makes 90% of the blood donation equipment in the US (smaller shares worldwide but still the biggest). Every quarter we would have a huge staff meeting and they would have someone come in to give a testimonial. Most of the time those were parents of kids who had beaten leukemia and there wasn't a dry eye left during those speeches. I've moved on from that company but still donate blood platelets 4x/year. It's great to know without a doubt that the donations I've made have contributed to saving lives.

[TimmySmith 2,782]

Used to donate regularly. Then I got Lyme, and figured I couldn't do it anymore in good conscience. O+.

[kutulu 1,541]

[frank 2,144]

[posty 2,296]

No thank you... I am good at this moment in time...

[supermike80 1,284]

I donate once or twice a year. They usually do it at my work. Even though I always feel fine afterwards, I still feel weird Right before and during. But I do it anyway

[MTSkiBum 1,593]

Seems like a good place for this article.

 

https://www.livescience.com/63394-gut-bacteria-enzyme-change-blood-type.html

 

 

 

Enzymes made by bacteria in the human digestive tract can strip the sugars that determine blood type from the surface of red blood cells in the lab, a new study finds. That's important, because those sugars, or antigens, can cause devastating immune reactions if introduced into the body of someone without that particular blood type. A few enzymes discovered in the past can change type B blood to type O, but the newly discovered group of enzymes are the first to effectively change type A to type O.

[tanatastic 2,061]

My favorite is when you run into people who inexplicably still think blood is blue until it hits oxygen then turns red. Lol I swear, go talk to people you know, I guarantee some people still think this.

[wiffleball 4,631]

My favorite is when you run into people who inexplicably still think blood is blue until it hits oxygen then turns red. Lol I swear, go talk to people you know, I guarantee some people still think this.

Explain vericose veins.

[Mike Honcho 4,007]

Just arrived,. Checking

in now.

[wiffleball 4,631]

My favorite is when you run into people who inexplicably still think blood is blue until it hits oxygen then turns red. Lol I swear, go talk to people you know, I guarantee some people still think this.

I'm sure they taught us that. Blood going TO the lungs is blue...

[Mike Honcho 4,007]

And now getting prepped, vein found,. Iodine on....

 

 

And 7:11 later, done. Everyone is saying how fast that is, but I'm bummed cause it's my slowest time in3 years.