I haven’t given in several months. It’s just not something I mark in my calendar. I got a call from the Red Cross during one of their blood drives, so I’m going in today.
Just figured I’d remind those of you who give blood but who have forgotten to give blood, to do so.
Of course, if you are a “broke college student,” you can still donate to charity by giving blood. It costs you nothing, and they usually give out a free meal voucher or have pizza.
Great reminder. I turned 18 two weeks ago, and I always said that as soon as I was allowed to, I would donate. Need to check when the next one is in my area.
The also give out OJ and AJ (you know we love “juice” here) cookies, T-shirts, sandwiches and once I even had chili.
Interesting timing. I just signed up for an appointment 1 week from tomorrow. I think this is a simple but great thing to do, especially in light of Alwyn’s Lift Strong project. People think of blood for things like surgery and such, but often forget about the incredible need of those going through leukemia and other kinds of blood-based cancers.
[quote]CaliforniaLaw wrote:
…they usually give out a free meal voucher or have pizza.[/quote]
You guys get pizza!!! Lucky bastards, all we get is juice and cookies.
Giving blood is great and I feel like a bum since I haven’t gone in a few months, last month I couldn’t go because of a series of shots the Army supplied me with and now this stomach flu/fever thing is kicking my ass. I usually give blood every 60 days, I just can’t stop being a puss and do the apherisis thing that they the Red Cross asks on every visit.
[quote]CaliforniaLaw wrote:
I haven’t given in several months. It’s just not something I mark in my calendar. I got a call from the Red Cross during one of their blood drives, so I’m going in today.
Just figured I’d remind those of you who give blood but who have forgotten to give blood, to do so.
Of course, if you are a “broke college student,” you can still donate to charity by giving blood. It costs you nothing, and they usually give out a free meal voucher or have pizza.[/quote]
Thanks for the reminder Cali, this was a good post. I made a point to donate atleast once a semester during my senior year of high school and freshmen year of college, but i havent gone this year yet, and i have no reason since i drive by the place everyday going from school to home everyday.
–JB
Good reminder!! I just saw a sign for a blood drive on the way to the shop this morning. Think I will stop by at lunch today!
Maybe I’ll see if I can get a couple of my guys to go with me.
I’m lucky enough to get 1/2 day vacation at work when I give. That’s an extra 3 days a year!
They even drive the bloodmobile up to the door.
Plus its good for me and good for others.
[quote]CaliforniaLaw wrote:
I haven’t given in several months. It’s just not something I mark in my calendar. I got a call from the Red Cross during one of their blood drives, so I’m going in today.
Just figured I’d remind those of you who give blood but who have forgotten to give blood, to do so.
Of course, if you are a “broke college student,” you can still donate to charity by giving blood. It costs you nothing, and they usually give out a free meal voucher or have pizza.[/quote]
you can also sell plasma for about $20 per trip, and are allowed to do it 7 times a month. of course, the pharma companies turn around and sell your $20 dollar plasma for hundreds, which finally end up in the patient’s veins, but it winds up being a better alternative for the donor with the same end results.
They don’t want my blood, it’s diiiiiiirrrrrrty from Accutane 
[quote]Ghost22 wrote:
They don’t want my blood, it’s diiiiiiirrrrrrty from Accutane :([/quote]
they still prescribe accutane?
I ended up giving red blood cells. I had no idea about this procedure.
When they take your whole blood sample (i.e., your pint of blood) they run it through a machine and separate the components, including red blood cells and plasma. This usually takes 5 or 6 days to do. By donating red blood cells, you save them a lot of time and effort.
Unless I’m really wrong here, they suck out your blood, put it into a machine that takes our your red blood cells, and then pumps your blood back into you. They do this cycle 5 times.
It was a weird procedure because you have to squeeze the damned ball 5 separate cycles to get the blood back out of you. I only did it since I got the usual lie that they really need red blood cells for surgeries, and that the 5 days it takes for them to get red blood cells out of a whole blood donation is too long. Plus, he said I had good veins. “You need good veins to make a red blood cell donation. You have nice veins.” He played to my sympathy and vanity. Great salesman.
I was a little spent afterwards, even though I have lifted heavy after given blood on many occasions. (Of course, I am at about 66% maintenance cals and low-carbing it; so that also explains the fatigue.) I conked out watching IFL afterwards. (It is just me, or is the IFL the “minor leagues” of MMA? The guys just aren’t nearly as good as UFC and Pride guys.)
By the way, I fretted giving blood since I’m megadosing on fish oil (24-36 grams a day). I tend towards paranoia and kept imagining a medical emergency, thinking, “If you can’t give blood after taking an aspirin, imagine what will happen when giving blood after megadosing fish oil?”
Anyhow, I didn’t have any clotting problems.
I would like to donate blood, but I have been told that my use of finasteride precludes me from doing so.
I suppose they can’t mark blood as “adult male only.”
I used to give every 60 days, they changed the rules to exclude me right after I gave the donation that put me at 3 gallons.
They will not let me donate anymore incase I have mad cow disease.
[quote]texasguy wrote:
Ghost22 wrote:
They don’t want my blood, it’s diiiiiiirrrrrrty from Accutane
they still prescribe accutane?[/quote]
Kind of, they made is so damn difficult for me to get, even as an adult male, that I stopped my last cycle of it earlier than I would have liked.
[quote]Ghost22 wrote:
Kind of, they made is so damn difficult for me to get, even as an adult male, that I stopped my last cycle of it earlier than I would have liked.[/quote]
They only require a month waiting period between your last ingestion of accutane and donating blood, if you’re now off of it.
Having a beer right afterwards (eat something first) is the best buzz on the planet. Something with some kick like an Arrogant Bastard. Not that I ever recommend this, it’s probably a terrible idea and you should never do it.