S/O donating blood

NO.

Never have, never will.

I donate four times a year. My hemoglobin takes a little while to build up so I can't do it more often than that. I've been doing this for a while. I used to donate just a couple times a year and then my daughter had a friend who was diagnosed with leukemia. I could not believe how much blood product he received when he was first diagnosed and I've been making a point to go once every season since. I should be getting my third gallon pin fairly soon.

Good for you for starting. It isn't a big deal to do it and it really is satisfying to know that you've helped three people with each donation.

I haven't, because they can barely find a vein to stick me for a draw at the lab. They often need to resort to a butterfly (smaller, often used on kids) needle. The needles used for donation are much larger. I tried once, many years ago. I went with a coworker at lunch. There was no wait time, so we started about the same time (although I had to do a little prescreening first since that would have been my first donation). But they had almost finished her donation, and were still trying to find some place to stick me. They had to give up on me so we could go back to work.

I was bummed, too. My mom, who was O-neg, went as often as they would let her. (She worked in a lab herself, so she knew the need, especially for her blood type.) We often went with her, and the nice people let us have cookies and juice, too. So I wanted to be able to donate, they just can't seem to get in there.

I think donating is very important, but I haven't been able to because I leave the country every summer. Apparently that is a good enough reason for them not to want my blood. Having seen first hand a bad car accident and the amount of blood needed for recovery, I wish that I could.

I have donated 19 times in my lifetime. Both of my parents are 5 gallon donators!

I don't understand the attitude of refusing to give. If you have a reason not to donate like travel, illness, medication or difficult veins then that is understandable. Otherwise...why would you not?

Yes! It is a passion of mine and I try to get others to donate too. Unless you have a health reason or do not qualify, I honestly do not understand why anyone would not donate. You could literally save a life!!

I donate every 8 - 10 weeks and have been doing that for 5 years now. I wish I had started before then.

I donate platelets several times a year, I would like to do that more often but it takes much longer to donate and it takes a lot out of me when I do.

Good for you for donating! I hope that you will continue to make regular donations.

That seems like a really forceful answer, do you mind if I ask why?

I can't because of my perpetually low blood pressure and low iron. My sister is O negative, she gets called constantly to come back in ans give more.

It hurts too much to have blood taken.

I often refuse blood tests because it’s so painful...no way I would volunteer to do it.

After living in France for a year I became ineligible to donate because of possible exposure to Creutzfeld-Jacobs Disease (AKA Mad Cow Disease).

DH is O- and donates regularly.

DD wanted to donate in HS and was ineligible because of her size. Just checked, and she is still ineligible. At 4'11", she would need to weigh 142 lbs.

I try every few years, but my iron is too low. But as I’ve gotten healthier I’m hoping this will be my year to start again.

are the platelets the things they pay for?

I donated all through my 20s and 30s. In my 40s, my iron levels have been consistently low, so I haven’t been able to.
They always bring the blood bank to local areas (my work, the library, street fairs, high school). It’s a shame that it’s not like this everywhere.

I donated for the first time on July 2nd.  I was in and out in about 45 minutes.  It took under 5 minutes to fill the bag.  I had always thought it would take a lot longer to donate.  I'm O +.  Hoping to donate again in 3 months.  

Yes, I donate whenever I can. In recent years my blood pressure and iron levels have kept me from it, but I still try a few times a year. And it is very difficult to find a vein in my arm but I suffer through the poking because it’s the right thing to do. I like being a responsible member of the community and helping others, and while there are a lot of things I can’t do, this is one thing I can do to help someone in need.