Blood donation (1 Viewer)

[lyounamu]

I think I should try to donate some blood at this time around.

I did one 2 years ago and I unfortunately missed out the opportunity last year as my school didn't operate the donation scheme last year.

I heard that it's fine to donate blood like every 3 months but I am not sure if it has any adverse effect on my body such as growth and etc.

My mum is a bit worried that I won't grow if I give blood and opposed against it when I did it 2 years ago.

Is this true?

 

[axlenatore]

LOL no

Go Donate its hell fun, you get lots of poppers

 

[annabackwards]

I donate everytime i can and it's fine, nothing out of the ordinary at all for me.

And you get food everytime and i always miss out on classes i don't like hehe

I'm not sure about the height thing as i've sort of stopped growing much at all long before i began to give blood XD

Donating blood makes you feel good- you miss out of school, you get free food, you get to know you blood type and most of all you're saving 3 lives

 

[lyounamu]

Oh, thanks.

Hm...I think I will have to go to some centre to donate blood.

But I will first contact my school to make this donation scheme happening this year at my own school.

And yes, 2 years ago when I donated my blood, I got some free stuff, haha. But that was not the reason why I donated blood, lol.

 

[lyounamu]

lol, when you donate blood, you actually get rid of the unecessary iron in your body, which contributes to heart problems, because the excess iron in the heart will interfere with the heart's ability to circulate blood. Plus, it's a way of checking on your own health...you have to undergo many examinations before you donate, e.g. blood pressure, hematocrit level, etc.

and and...my friends told me you get FREE FOOD afterwards =D

I don't think I underwent many exams when I donated last time around.

They just checked on my drop of blood. But it's true. You can check on the health of your blood. They told me that my blood is really good (it got little creepy afterwards...)

My another issue is: When I donated last time, I got little bit dizzy afterwards but now, I am much more thinner than the last time. I am worried that I might faint. They said that amount of blood is proportional to the weight of the person. And my weight hardly increased...when I actually got much taller.

Hm...I guess I need to put on some weight before I do anything.

Oh, I am not really counting on free foods. It's more like little show bag with snacks in it.

 

[lyounamu]

well lets say you were MEANT to go through many examinations...my PE teacher told me that =P

I don't think there are many examinations to go through anyway. But there are many forms to fill out. I think that's what your PE teacher is referring to. For example, I put stuff about my weight and height I think...and they go through the birth date and ask you heaps of questions (e.g. whether I have a virus, born in England from 1980 to 1995 or whatever). And if you think about it, what kind of examination can they go through apart from testing the blood?

lol most ppl feel dizzy after giving blood...due to the drop in pressure so DRINK HEAPS AND HEAPS OF WATER BEFORE DONATING.
lol...maybe you should....eat more?

Yes, they told me to get heaps of water since blood's major component is water. And I agree. I need to put on some weight...

little show bag with snacks? o___O' my friend told me you get a free pie, pack of biscuits, milk, water. ><

I certainly didn't get any of them. I just got little snacks, chocolate and etc.

 

[lyounamu]

lol...didn't you have to go through many physical examinations?Like ...they didn't measure your pulse? temperature? blood pressure? etc...okay fine. most examinations are done by testing the blood... lol

Not that I remember.

But it was 2 years ago so there might be some discrepenices in my memory.

 

[wixxy2348]

Depends where you donate on what food you get... at the mobile donation centres it's usually the snack bag. At centres like Newcastle <3 <3 they give you meat pies a milkshake AND a snack bag.
In Sydney you generally have the choice between a snack bag and a hot dog, with a milk shake.
As long as you have a high level of iron in your blood (which you clearly do Namu if as you said, they were happy with your haemo levels) then giving blood is a very worthwhile experience. Less than 1 in 30 people in Australia actually give blood yada, so it's important.
For me I've given blood every 3 months, having started a week after my 16th.
It definitely does not stunt your growth, as your body's natural response is, simply, to generate more blood.

 

[wixxy2348]

Not that I remember.

But it was 2 years ago so there might be some discrepenices in my memory.

Namu all they would have done is put a blood pressure cuff on your arm, and pricked your finger. Those 2 things allow for all those examinations.

 

[lyounamu]

Depends where you donate on what food you get... at the mobile donation centres it's usually the snack bag. At centres like Newcastle <3 <3 they give you meat pies a milkshake AND a snack bag.
In Sydney you generally have the choice between a snack bag and a hot dog, with a milk shake.
As long as you have a high level of iron in your blood (which you clearly do Namu if as you said, they were happy with your haemo levels) then giving blood is a very worthwhile experience. Less than 1 in 30 people in Australia actually give blood yada, so it's important.
For me I've given blood every 3 months, having started a week after my 16th.
It definitely does not stunt your growth, as your body's natural response is, simply, to generate more blood.

Thanks for that. Yeah, mine was a mobile service. I guess that explains it.

I will check out few centres around my area. Thanks again.

EDIT: You are right about examination part too. It was just those two I think. Very quick and brief but the question time was rather longer.

 

[wixxy2348]

If you can, go to the Elizabeth Street Centre in the city. It's new and the staff are uber nice.

 

[annabackwards]

The one at Parra is good, you get lots of pies/pasties/vegie thingo/sausgae rolls + jelly beans + biscuits + a milkshake and the staff is graet too ^^

 

[z600]

I think as long as you are in the appropriate weight category then go and donate. I have a friend who is really tall and skinny, he vomited last time donated blood and couldn't stand up for half an hour. But if you've donated once and you are fine then go ahead. You get the key chain if you donated twice!! lol

 

[spence]

My another issue is: When I donated last time, I got little bit dizzy afterwards but now, I am much more thinner than the last time. I am worried that I might faint. They said that amount of blood is proportional to the weight of the person. And my weight hardly increased...when I actually got much taller.

Hm...I guess I need to put on some weight before I do anything.

Oh, I am not really counting on free foods. It's more like little show bag with snacks in it.

I wouldn't worry about fainting, I'm really skinny and I didn't. The ones from my school that did faint were the ones who didn't drink enough water, so make sure you do that.

 

[lyounamu]

I wouldn't worry about fainting, I'm really skinny and I didn't. The ones from my school that did faint were the ones who didn't drink enough water, so make sure you do that.

I never fainted before in my life. What happens if you faint? Do you like...Nah, I cannot really imagine it!

Yeah, I will make sure I get heaps of water.

Thanks for the advice

 

[spence]

I never fainted before in my life. What happens if you faint? Do you like...Nah, I cannot really imagine it!

Yeah, I will make sure I get heaps of water.

Thanks for the advice

I'm not really sure what happens, no-one in the group I was with fainted but a bunch of people in other groups did, it was no big deal

 

[gregdc]

I've recently had to give two units of blood over the last two weeks for my jaw surgery next week. Like everyone else said, just drink a lot of water on the day(I was told 2 litres for a morning appointment) and the difference in time the bleed takes is huge.
I'm fairly tall and skinny but felt fine after each time - helps not to look at the needle I suppose and the free food helps if you're a little nauseous.
And yea apparently you can donate every 3 months(to let your iron levels replenish) ~ seems worth the small hassle.

 

[annabackwards]

I never fainted before in my life. What happens if you faint? Do you like...Nah, I cannot really imagine it!

Yeah, I will make sure I get heaps of water.

Thanks for the advice

Make sure you drink a lot the night/day before you donate. Especially if you have small veins like me. If you're like me and you don't... the accursed machine WILL beep incessantly unless it's so low it stops (which happened to me last time because i forgot to drink the night before ==") and the poor person helping you out will have to manually rock it for you

 

[Riet]

I almost fainted because I was racing the guy next to me (we went from school as a year 12 thing) and pumping my arm on purpose. I lost the 600 mls or whatever it is in like 2 minutes so blood pressure dropped.

 

[lyounamu]

I almost fainted because I was racing the guy next to me (we went from school as a year 12 thing) and pumping my arm on purpose. I lost the 600 mls or whatever it is in like 2 minutes so blood pressure dropped.

lol

I think they take about 500 mL of blood. That's what they took from me the last time I did it. 600 mL is pretty huge if it was like in 2 minutes...