I flunked blood donation

[MissJeanLouise]

Stupid, tiny, collapsing veins.

It was really important to me, too. I started to cry in my car on the way home. I realize, of course, how utterly ridiculous that sounds and that I can still donate in other ways...but I just really wanted to do this.

[Uthrecht]

I've told you before, last minute crams are no substitute for learning the material.

[Hi, Neighbor!]

I have organized a blood drive here at work for tomorrow morning. Let's hope none of my donors have collapsing vein syndrome.

[MissJeanLouise]

But...I actually passed the computer-based test, verifying that I do not have sex for money and have not injected myself with needles for anything.

ETA: Yes, Hi, Neighbor, let's hope they don't have loser veins like I do.

[Uthrecht]

Originally Posted by lorene

I do not have sex for money and have not injected myself with needles for anything.

Well, now I've lost complete interest in this thread.

Anyways lorene, I'm sorry that not being able to give blood got you so down. Really, don't sweat it. If you can't, you can't, and it doesn't help Random Person G if you go and hurt your veins, or pass out, or do any of a thousand things that your body decides to do. There's nothing really helpful I can say on it, though.

[Hi, Neighbor!]

Your veins are emo and have self-esteem issues! I can give you the number of a good counselor if you want.

[MissJeanLouise]

Well, silver lining is that I won't be too tired to go running. Thanks.

[Queen Tonya]

I have great veins, and used to donate regularly at our quarterly drives at work. We haven't had one in over a year, so I'm overdue. If I can find one in my area, Lorene I'll go donate for ya, okay?

[Ferret Herder]

I'm sorry, I know how you feel. Being a woman and a vegetarian has led to problems with me qualifying for doing blood donations for infants (their standards for how "good/thick" the blood must be are a little more stringent). So I figured well, the Red Cross accepts my blood; I'll donate at their upcoming blood drive at my workplace.

Of course, my body says "sucker!" and triggers my menstrual period right before the draw. I didn't even bother going to check, as that has D/Q'd me from the Red Cross donations before. (Edit: It's not menstruation itself that's the disqualifier, it's the resulting just-barely-too-low hemoglobin level that this creates for me and for many women.)

[SweetPea]

Oh lorene I'm sorry! I know this was important to you. But at least you tried. Maybe next time make sure that you're really well hydrated and that you've eaten well for the couple of days before hand, as well as the day of. That really helps plump the veins up!

[Illuminati Primus]

I'd love to give blood (and the posters I see everywhere pleading that I do make me want to), unfortunately I have dirty dirty tainted homosexual blood, so I'm not allowed.

Oh well.

[GreyCloud9]

Originally Posted by Illuminati Primus

I'd love to give blood (and the posters I see everywhere pleading that I do make me want to), unfortunately I have dirty dirty tainted homosexual blood, so I'm not allowed.

Oh well.

Same here. I disqualify because I have had sex with a man who has had anal sex with other men. Doesn't matter that we both tested clean, I still test clean, and he is long dead and buried.

[LurkMeister]

I've occasionally had trouble with my veins; I had to take some time off from donating platelets because they started having problems keeping the needles properly positioned. Once or twice I've gotten dinged for low hemoglobin because I forgot I was going in the next day and didn't eat properly the night before. I remember one time mentioning that I'd had a vegetarian dinner and was handed a brochure on what vegetarians should eat if they want to donate blood.

[Helen's Eidolon]

I can't give blood in Canada because of some weird syphilis issue.

I can't give blood this year in the US because I went to China in October.


No, I don't have syphilis!

[SisterCoyote]

Originally Posted by lorene

Stupid, tiny, collapsing veins.

It was really important to me, too. I started to cry in my car on the way home. I realize, of course, how utterly ridiculous that sounds and that I can still donate in other ways...but I just really wanted to do this.

I was heartbroken the first time I was turned down, too. For years, I'd had no trouble donating, and then I tried to give here the first time and didn't have enough iron in my blood. And haven't had, ever since.

I blame the elevation.

[Muskrat Love]

I have a few reasons I can't give blood. The stupidest is because I had sex with a woman who had lived in Africa. Doesn't matter that she immigrated to the USA when she was still a virgin.

I've also had sex with someone who had used IV drugs (although she was recovered at the time, and this was about 13 years ago), and sex with someone who has had sex for money.

[eleanorigby]

When I was in college, I didn't make the weight requirement.

I haven't given in awhile. I will tell you why: LifeSource would not leave me alone. I have no problem or conflict with giving blood. I'm a nurse fergodsake. But I do have a problem with giving every 6-8 weeks. That is too often for me--I get run down, don't feel well and tend to get URIs etc. I am not anemic (not anymore), but still--I know my limits.

LifeSource would not listen to me. I used to give 2x/year. They insisted on calling me every 6 weeks to schedule another appt. I refused and got the guilt trip. I explained. I asked to not be called. No matter. I got called. I refused to go in. And there we are.

I will give at the hospital or my church, but the last time I did so, I asked them to not call me. (Lifesource runs the bloodmobile at my church). They have not, so perhaps things have changed a bit and I can go back to giving.

Donated blood saved my mother's life long before I was born. I support giving blood. I don't support getting harassed about it. Come to think of it, though, I am probably disqualified now due to an HIV+ needle stick a few years back. I've always tested negative, but...

[ivylass]

I can't donate right now...stupid breast cancer. I appreciate you trying.

[Islander]

Originally Posted by SisterCoyote

I was heartbroken the first time I was turned down, too. For years, I'd had no trouble donating, and then I tried to give here the first time and didn't have enough iron in my blood. And haven't had, ever since.

I blame the elevation.

When I was turned down for low iron, I came home, ate liver, and took a tablespoon of blackstrap molasses when I thought of it, which was several times a week. When donation time came around again I was better than good. Could be worth a try....

[brownie55]

Will it make it better or worse if I tell you that last time was number 80 for me?

[mnemosyne]

I can't donate either, since I lived in Europe during the early 90's. They think I may be a mad cow.



moo

[DogMom]

Originally Posted by mnemosyne

I can't donate either, since I lived in Europe during the early 90's. They think I may be a mad cow.



moo

Well, obviously you're not. Mad cows sound like THIS.

[SoylentPopTart]

I have the exact opposite problem. I pass blood donation with flying colors. I have these gigantic veins very close to the surface. So every time I donate they find the most inexperienced person in the blood mobile, make them put down the broom and use me as a training device. What's really special are the ones that still can't do it and end up sticking me multiple times. I feel like telling them to hand me the needle.

I'm happy that that last few times I've been letted it was in the lab where they are super professional and get me in one stick and it's done.

[Edward The Head]

I'm going today, in a couple of hours actually. So I'll give a few ounces for all of you that can't. Then we can all go to the movies as that's how I'm treating myself.

[jdr]

I remember your posts in the other thread, about how you were looking forward to donating. Sorry it didn't work out.

[hajario]

Originally Posted by Illuminati Primus

I'd love to give blood (and the posters I see everywhere pleading that I do make me want to), unfortunately I have dirty dirty tainted homosexual blood, so I'm not allowed.

This really, really, really pisses me off. It almost pisses me off enough to not donate but it really does save lives so I try not to think about it. Lesbian blood is allowed, which is, of course, hot. Gay male virgins can too. You just can't have had sex with a man if you are a man anytime after 1981, even if it was only once and you were drunk which doesn't make you gay god dammit.

[Kismet68]

Originally Posted by eleanorigby

--I get run down, don't feel well and tend to get URIs etc. I am not anemic (not anymore), but still--I know my limits.

I had similar run down feelings until I began donating just the red blood cells. I figured it was due to dehydration even though I did my best to drink lots of water. Now I get my fluids back and it counts as a double donation, so they have to wait twice as long before bugging me again. It's not for all blood types, locations for donating vary, and your iron level has to be a bit higher than for giving whole blood, but it might be worth your time to look into.

[Illuminati Primus]

Originally Posted by hajario

This really, really, really pisses me off. It almost pisses me off enough to not donate but it really does save lives so I try not to think about it. Lesbian blood is allowed, which is, of course, hot. Gay male virgins can too. You just can't have had sex with a man if you are a man anytime after 1981, even if it was only once and you were drunk which doesn't make you gay god dammit.

It used to piss me off, now I just see it as yet another piece of policy making that isn't in fact based on rational thinking (and if I got upset about every bit of that I encountered in my line of work I'd have killed myself by now).

It just means I have to ignore the pleading to give blood, because I know it isn't sincere.

[Hi, Neighbor!]

I gave blood today! Now I have a stupid band aid on my left middle finger, which makes it real fun to type.

[Muskrat Love]

Originally Posted by hajario

This really, really, really pisses me off. It almost pisses me off enough to not donate but it really does save lives so I try not to think about it. Lesbian blood is allowed, which is, of course, hot. Gay male virgins can too. You just can't have had sex with a man if you are a man anytime after 1981, even if it was only once and you were drunk which doesn't make you gay god dammit.

What's especially annoying about it is that it's obviously a way to discriminate against gay men without making it about being gay. If it was just the anal sex that was the problem, why don't they tell women who have had anal sex with a man that they can't give blood? After all, a woman is just as likely to catch something from anal sex as a man is.

OH, it's because a man can have anal sex with a woman and be straight, but a man who has anal sex with men is gay! But then, they are discriminating against gays again! And this way, they are allowing women who have been sodomized by gay men give blood but not men who have been sodomized by gay men. It makes my head hurt.

[Kismet68]

Originally Posted by Badtz Maru

And this way, they are allowing women who have been sodomized by gay men give blood but not men who have been sodomized by gay men. It makes my head hurt.

Actually, they'll turn away us women, too. Anyone who's had intercourse (anal or vaginal) with a man who's had sex with another man get's discriminated against.

Personally, I'm OK with lying on that question, but to each their own.

[Muskrat Love]

Originally Posted by Kismet68

Actually, they'll turn away us women, too. Anyone who's had intercourse (anal or vaginal) with a man who's had sex with another man get's discriminated against.

Personally, I'm OK with lying on that question, but to each their own.

Well, there's an easy out for gay men who want to donate. How can you be sure that the men you had sex with have had sex with another man? You can't know for sure unless you actually saw him having sex with another man.

[Edward The Head]

Originally Posted by Kismet68

Actually, they'll turn away us women, too. Anyone who's had intercourse (anal or vaginal) with a man who's had sex with another man get's discriminated against.

Personally, I'm OK with lying on that question, but to each their own.

Well that question wasn't on the list that I got today. It seems that different companies have different lists. They are similar, but not exact. A lot of those listed above are only good for 12 months, so if you've paid someone to have sex with you 2 years ago you're good. Though I did note that having sex with someone born in Africa is a permanent ban. And yes I did read the questions today mostly because of this thread.

[Illuminati Primus]

I understand the rationale behind it, it's just badly applied. I'm not too bothered about being discriminated against if there are good health reasons for it (and in all fairness HIV is far more prevalent proportionately in gay men than it is in heteros of either gender).

But saying "I know you only had sex with another man once 30 years ago and have tested HIV negative every year since then, but we can't take the risk" when they'll happily take blood of a straight person who's never been HIV tested because they don't think it affects them, just shows how badly thought out it is.

[dactylic hexameter]

Not to detract from the seriousness of the gay discrimination thing, but the "live in England in the 80s? You must have mad cow disease." is pretty stupid too. Yeah, yeah, unknown incubation period etc. But seriously? It was 20 years ago. I think if I had a prion disease I'd know it by now. Also, since mad cow has since shown up in the USA, you'd think that everyone would be a potential risk.

[Kismet68]

Originally Posted by Badtz Maru

Well, there's an easy out for gay men who want to donate. How can you be sure that the men you had sex with have had sex with another man? You can't know for sure unless you actually saw him having sex with another man.

I think the wording for Red Cross is something like, "If you're a man, have you ever had sex with other men, even one time, since 1977? If you're a woman, have you ever had sex with a man whose had sex with other men, even one time, since 1977?"

Oh, here we go: http://www.redcross.org/en/eligibility#hiv

[Illuminati Primus]

Originally Posted by Kismet68

I think the wording for Red Cross is something like, "If you're a man, have you ever had sex with other men, even one time, since 1977? If you're a woman, have you ever had sex with a man whose had sex with other men, even one time, since 1977?"

Oh, here we go: http://www.redcross.org/en/eligibility#hiv

And that makes more sense how?

[porcupine]

Another simple way to get your iron levels up is to cook in cast-iron pans. A little bit of the iron leeches into your food. I found this out from the nurse at my doc's office when I was slightly anemic, but couldn't take iron supplements because they made me too sick.

I unfortunately haven't been able to donate in years cause of the dumb migraines.

[SisterCoyote]

Originally Posted by porcupine

Another simple way to get your iron levels up is to cook in cast-iron pans. A little bit of the iron leeches into your food. I found this out from the nurse at my doc's office when I was slightly anemic, but couldn't take iron supplements because they made me too sick.

I unfortunately haven't been able to donate in years cause of the dumb migraines.

I'm not sure I'd be eligible anymore, anyway, due to a couple of meds I'm taking.

That said, thanks for the tip on how to raise my iron. I eat spinach and have tried just about every remedy known to man (iron supplements, seaweed pills, you name it), but it seems that short of resuming the ingestion of red meat (or possibly the cast-iron pans, I admit I haven't tried that one. But cast-iron pans, as I recall, are a little on the expensive side, yes?) my iron levels just won't go up.

Which is why I'm blaming the elevation.

[porcupine]

Originally Posted by SisterCoyote

But cast-iron pans, as I recall, are a little on the expensive side, yes?)

Actually, no, they are quite reasonable. You may be thinking of enameled cast-iron, which are very expensive.

This lodge 12" skillet is less than $20 at Amazon. And eligible for Super-Saver shipping, which is good cause it weighs a few pounds I suspect.

[eleanorigby]

Getting an enameled cast iron pan will defeat the purpose, btw, so now you can save money AND get more iron. If you cook tomato sauce in the iron skillet, it will aid in the iron absorption (Vit C helps iron absorption).


Re the HIV question. I thought black women were the fastest growing population to get HIV these days. stats


I dunno if this is from brothers goin' on the downlow and then doin' their women wrong or what*, but it's frightening.

All blood is tested for HIV, HepC and other nasty shit. The being in Africa isn't just because of HIV risk, it's for the parasitic diseases that are common in Africa. bloodscreening

And that's all I have time for today...


*as a nurse at work puts it.

[porcupine]

Originally Posted by eleanorigby

Getting an enameled cast iron pan will defeat the purpose, btw, so now you can save money AND get more iron. If you cook tomato sauce in the iron skillet, it will aid in the iron absorption (Vit C helps iron absorption).

Oh, absolutely. I only mentioned it because they are are the only cast-iron I know if that's actually expensive.

[Hijack]I thought you weren't supposed to cook tomato sauce in cast iron because it's very acidic, leeches out *too* much iron, and you'll have to reseason it. Google yields contradictory answers.[/hijack]

[bengangmo]

Originally Posted by hajario

This really, really, really pisses me off. It almost pisses me off enough to not donate but it really does save lives so I try not to think about it. Lesbian blood is allowed, which is, of course, hot. Gay male virgins can too. You just can't have had sex with a man if you are a man anytime after 1981, even if it was only once and you were drunk which doesn't make you gay god dammit.

I would try not to think and worry about it too much for a few reasons...

Firstly, in the earlier days of AIDS, gay men really were the very biggest risk factor, and anal sex just intensified the risk.

Secondly, anecdotally, the medical profession is fast to take precautions but slow to rescind them.

If the rules were to be rewritten from scratch today, I am very sure they would be different (or at least I would hope so, if I was writing them they would be). As they stand now though, I would guess the best way is to just keep plugging away at those in authority.

And also, just a random thought, and I don't want to take a broad brush here, but I do have a gay friend that goes to the "sauna" cruising. This, coupled with anal sex, seems to be inherently riskier than even a "male slut" picking up girls.

And do remember that other higher risk groups are also singled out. Those that have paid for sex (including hetero sex), those that have injected recreational drugs. When I donate I am also asked:
HAVE YOU HAD SEX WITH SOMEONE YOU HAVE KNOWN FOR LESS THAN SIX MONTHS.

[Illuminati Primus]

Promiscuity is not the issue, if you're practising safe sex then it's not a problem, and even less so if you're getting regularly tested and know your status. A lot of HIV positive men now sero-sort, that is they try and restrict themselves to having sex with other HIV positive men. But there are also bug chasers who go to conversion parties where they get fucked bareback by lots of positive guys in a row in the hopes that they catch is, so I'm not going to try and be some kind of champion for the sense in gay sex.

Your friend who goes to the sauna may, for all you know, suck a few dicks and get wanked off, that's not particularly unsafe.

Your point about knowing someone for six months is also a bit academic - a female friend of mine and I were talking about this topic and she told me in her last few relationships that she used condoms at the start, but when it got serious they stopped using them. I asked if she had a policy of having an STI infection screening before she did that, and the answer is no. For all she knows she's been in no-condom relationships with HIV positive men, because if you don't check you don't know!

[bengangmo]

Originally Posted by Illuminati Primus

Promiscuity is not the issue, if you're practising safe sex then it's not a problem, and even less so if you're getting regularly tested and know your status. A lot of HIV positive men now sero-sort, that is they try and restrict themselves to having sex with other HIV positive men. But there are also bug chasers who go to conversion parties where they get fucked bareback by lots of positive guys in a row in the hopes that they catch is, so I'm not going to try and be some kind of champion for the sense in gay sex.

Your friend who goes to the sauna may, for all you know, suck a few dicks and get wanked off, that's not particularly unsafe.

Your point about knowing someone for six months is also a bit academic - a female friend of mine and I were talking about this topic and she told me in her last few relationships that she used condoms at the start, but when it got serious they stopped using them. I asked if she had a policy of having an STI infection screening before she did that, and the answer is no. For all she knows she's been in no-condom relationships with HIV positive men, because if you don't check you don't know!

Not trying to pick a fight man - looking at your posts so far, and your lifestyle, I think you should be allowed to donate.

Point to be made is that I can also see where the policy originated from, and how it was / is justified.

Sure - knowing someone for six months is not a fail safe, but its not totally academic. Its obviously meant to sort one night stands (which I'm sure we would all agree is a risk factor, whether a condom is used or not) - whether it does or not is another matter.

And sure, my friend may well just get wanked off - but I am also pretty sure that blood banks don't have the time or inclination to do a detailed lifestyle examination for every donor. End result is that they may toss a few reliable donors to stop the high risk ones - is it ideal? Not really. Is it better than an alternative of possibly letting through aids infected blood? On balance I think so.

Remember, you are not being denied for being gay per-se, but rather for what was (more so in the past) considered high risk behaviour, a position that is not all that unreasonable (IMHO)

[Illuminati Primus]

Originally Posted by bengangmo

<snip>
Remember, you are not being denied for being gay per-se, but rather for what was (more so in the past) considered high risk behaviour, a position that is not all that unreasonable (IMHO)

I completely get that, and I even said upthread that I'm happy to be "discriminated" (pejorative term, but accurate) against when the reasons are clear. I'm just not sure they are in this case, and given that all blood donated is screened and often treated I'm even less clear how excluding a lot of people from donating for reasons that aren't based on scientific fact is helping the shortage of blood.

Like I said, I don't care that much, if they don't want my blood they don't have to have it.

[Muskrat Love]

Originally Posted by bengangmo

When I donate I am also asked:
HAVE YOU HAD SEX WITH SOMEONE YOU HAVE KNOWN FOR LESS THAN SIX MONTHS.

Wow, how do they get any blood at all? Of the thirteen women I've slept with, I only knew one of them six months before having sex with her, and that was because she was my friend's old lady for years before we got involved.

EDIT: Actually, I just remembered that I had known the woman I lost my virginity to for a while before we had sex, not sure if it was six months but I think it may have been, so that's two. And there's another that I only received oral from for a while before we did the whole DIP thing, that may have lasted six months.

[Kismet68]

Originally Posted by Illuminati Primus

And that makes more sense how?

It means if you're a gay male prostitute junkie from Equatorial Guinea who lives with his hemophiliac boyfriend from Gabon, you're totally screwed!

BTW I believe kale is also supposed to be high in iron. For those who can eat meat, liverwurst/braunsweiger is an excellent and most delicious way to up those levels.

[Illuminati Primus]

Originally Posted by Kismet68

It means if you're a gay male prostitute junkie from Equatorial Guinea who lives with his hemophiliac boyfriend from Gabon, you're totally screwed!

But it's not fair! Sure I'm a gay male prostitute junkie from Equatorial Guinea but my hemophiliac boyfriend is from Malawi, so I shouldn't be excluded!

[MissJeanLouise]

Originally Posted by Illuminati Primus

But there are also bug chasers who go to conversion parties where they get fucked bareback by lots of positive guys in a row in the hopes that they catch is, so I'm not going to try and be some kind of champion for the sense in gay sex.

Wait...what???

/hijacking my own thread