Donating blood--does it bother you?

[Nomad]

I have very low blood pressure and am mildly anemic, which means that I occasionally pass out from a vasovagal reaction, and the last couple of times I've tried to give blood, they turned me away because the iron levels were below their threshold.

So I don't try anymore. My wife gives regularly and has for years. The only problem she has is that the nurses often have difficulty finding viable veins.

 

[jks9199]

Just for the smile value, on needle phobias...

My mother is extremely afraid of needles. I have two younger brothers, and growing up, we got the usual rounds of vaccinations. My brothers and I would hold each other's hands during shots, since my mother couldn't even be in the room!

 

[Dirty Dog]

My missus donates as often as she is allowed - she is that magic universal blood type {O negative?} so they are always happy to see her.

Myself, I am trypanophobic (altho' I have always called it aichmophobia as that was what I was first told it was called), so the odds of getting me to sit still for such a process are nil :lol:. The irony of my being deathly afeared of needles when I wield a sword for fun is not lost on me .

Thanks to my martial arts training (and not looking ) I can have blood tests or local anesthetic - I turn my head away (if possible) or close my eyes and run through kata in my head :lol:.

We call that "manginitis" and usually recommend treating it by rubbing vagisil over your entire body.

 

[David43515]

The only part that really bothers me is after donating while they`re messing with the bag, they have you hold your arm straight up fore a bit before putting on the pressure bandage. My arm gets frickin` tired.

 

[mook jong man]

I don't mind donating blood , I considerate a civil duty , I usually donate at the mobile blood bank.

The only thing is ....... well its probably nothing , I probably shouldn't even mention it.
But the guy driving the van makes me feel very uneasy , I don't know what it is about him , but the dude just creeps me out.

 

[girlbug2]

Yikes! that face would be enough to creep anyone out!

 

[Balrog]

It bothers me that I can't donate any longer. I have rheumatoid arthritis and the drugs that I am one exclude me.

But it sure doesn't bother SWMBO. She is the universal donor, O-, and she just got her 10 gallon cup from the Blood Bank.

 

[RandomPhantom700]

My missus donates as often as she is allowed - she is that magic universal blood type {O negative?} so they are always happy to see her.

Myself, I am trypanophobic (altho' I have always called it aichmophobia as that was what I was first told it was called), so the odds of getting me to sit still for such a process are nil :lol:. The irony of my being deathly afeared of needles when I wield a sword for fun is not lost on me .

Thanks to my martial arts training (and not looking ) I can have blood tests or local anesthetic - I turn my head away (if possible) or close my eyes and run through kata in my head :lol:.

I used to have similar issues with needles, mainly because of so many hospitalizations when I was younger. I got over it eventually by learning to 1) engage in conversation, even if it's idle, in order to not dwell on the anxiety, and 2) request the larger needles, because the bigger ones are more likely to successfully penetrate the vein. I had a nurse once try to use a smaller needle so it would hurt less; she ended up having to make 4 attempts because of it. I was not a happy patient.