Blood Donations

Arrghh! I'm watching the news report which says that operations have been cancelled due to a lack of blood donations. I gave blood 3 times a year in the UK from the age of 18 to when I moved here 10 years ago (and was approved for white cell donation just before I left which is a much more involved procedure) but can I donate here? No! Why, oh why.

Rant over. (for now).

Sarah

www.rea.ie

Sarah - Is this something to do with the notion that anyone who lived in the UK at the height of the CJD scare and other livestock plagues might - just might - be carriers so the Irish transfusion board can't risk it on account of their public health liabilities? Perhaps someone can confirm. Did the transfusion service not give an explanation? My story is the reverse! I donated several times a year in 'Pelican House' from mid-teens to mid-20's and achieved a Silver Pelican as a kind of 'service award'. Since coming to live here in the UK the blood transfusion collection system has changed so much I can rarely work out how to donate or where to find them!

I gave blood a few times when I was younger but I can't find any clinic in Dublin that is open when I'm off work. I looked at the [broken link removed] web site and the opening hours are a joke.
From the BTSB web site:

Stillorgan Donation Clinic opening hours are as follows:
Monday Closed
Tuesday 10.00am » 8.00pm
Wednesday 1.00pm » 8.00pm
Thursday 1.00pm » 8.00pm
Friday 10.00am » 3.00pm

National Blood Centre, James's Street, Dublin 8
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday
First appointment 8.00am & last appointment 6.00pm
Wednesday & Friday
First appointment 8.00am & last appointment 2.00pm

Why can't they accommodate their donors?
I am sure I am not alone in wishing to give blood but not being able to because of the un availability of open clinics.

The Blood Board send me several text messages every so often letting me know where the nearest clinic is and the times. Its an excellent idea.

Is it time to consider weekend (and especially holiday we) donation clinics?

I emailed the blood board from their website asking about local clinics because the website showed none for my area. Now they text and email me whenever theres one in any of the three locations I specified. Shame it takes so long though - the last time I was there for over 2 hours.

D'Olier Street is open until 8 pm Monday to Thursday, and 5 pm on Friday. They have lots of couches lined up, so you normally don't have to queue for long.

People who lived in the UK at certain times are barred because there is a theoretical risk of transfer of vCJD.

I think there's also a new requirement on people coming in from the USA (even from holidays) to wait for 90 days.

I get the texts as well (as an O- donor). Unfortunately I haven't managed to get in for a few years now even though I keep saying that I must. The questionnaire filled in before donating certainly seems to grow longer every time I go and rule out even more people but I suppose, especially after previous blood/health scandals/scares here and in other countries, they are being ultra cautious these days. Do they still provide Guinness afterwards?

Yep they still have Guinness (bottles) but I'm always too dizzy to drink it!

Must go along so! I've only been to D'Olier Street a couple of times. I found it a lot more claustrophobic than the old place in Pelican House which I preferred. Possibly just nostalgia though...

ClubMan said:

(as an O- donor).

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Well cm at least we have one thing in common.

ClubMan said:

Unfortunately I haven't managed to get in for a few years now even though I keep saying that I must.

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To be honest ,you should make the effort. only 9%(I think) of the population has O-. The advantage of this blood group is that it can be given to anyone, it doesn't matter what blood group the person has. this is the only blood type that this works for. The disadvantage of having this type is the fact that we (yes that we again) can only get O- and it rare.

ClubMan said:

The questionnaire filled in before donating certainly seems to grow longer every time I go and rule out even more people but I suppose, especially after previous blood/health scandals/scares here and in other countries, they are being ultra cautious these days.

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And only right to, better safe than sorry.

ClubMan said:

Do they still provide Guinness afterwards?

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Ya. it contains loads of iron so builds back the bolld levels quicker, or so I am told.

Yeah - I'm aware of the importance of O- universal donations (especially for new born babies whose blood cannot be typed). As for the Guinness thing I think that's a bit of a myth (and was certainly dismissed as such at some ante natal classes which I attended recently even though they used to give it to pregnant women years ago). I must drop in soon though...

Food / Drink1 pint of guinness100g ready-to-eat apricots100g ready-to eat prunes1 eggbowl of weetabixbowl of porridge (40g)3 oz grilled lamb chop
As you can see, Guinness is not a good source of iron despite the fact that many people think it is.

If they start giving out prunes in the blood donation clinic I think I'll run a mile!

You'll run to the jacks anyway.

The last time I gave blood the nurse (or whatever she was) really hurt my arm. Usually when giving blood, for donation or blood tests, I hardly feel a thing and it doesn't bother me to watch the needle going in so I think she was just fairly useless at her job. If she's there the next time would it be appropriate for me to ask for someone else to insert the needle?

You definitely should. I give blood every 3 months and usually go to Stillorgan and never had any problems however if I did I would have no hesitation in asking for a different nurse if I wasn't comfortable with one in particular.
Its great to give blood so it shouldn't be a painful experience

Not long back from D'Olier Street. Bit chaotic down there, they've had a massive response since the news yesterday evening and are on about two to three hour waiting times. Luckily my boss is out for the afternoon so there wasn't too much hassle for me to wait this long and I'll make up the time in work next week. But quite a lot of people ended up just leaving. The annoying thing was that there were four beds not being used for most of the time I was there. I commented on this and was told that two are right-armrest beds which are only used if there is a problem with someone giving the blood from their left arm. The others were empty because staff were on lunch. The nurse I spoke to said that they'd all only gotten 15-20 minutes lunchbreak but that they were short-staffed anyway. Seems like if would have been useful to ensure they had enough staff to cope with the amount of people donating following a nationwide emergency call for donors. She suggested I write to management about it (which I will) as not enough people complain about that type of thing and so nothing is ever done about it. I have to say that usually I go to D'Olier Street to donate at lunchtimes and don't often have to wait more than a few minutes. But I was there for over two hours today.

Anyway, if anyone is interested in going they are also going to open on Sunday from 11 till 4.

Janet said:

Anyway, if anyone is interested in going they are also going to open on Sunday from 11 till 4.

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Just to clarify this is a special Sunday clinic this weekend, 12th June 2005. How will I be able to identify other AAM users if I drop down?

um, they're not generally nurses. They train laypersons with no medical background to take blood pressure and to take bloods. Same in hospitals - I met one phlebotomist whose previous job had been hairdressing.

ClubMan said:

How will I be able to identify other AAM users if I drop down?

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Either by (a) we all wear something red/black/whatever colour we agree on or (b) By the tired streaming eyes, arthritis in our hands and shaking from separation anxiety from our computers - LOL

But lets face it Clubman - will you be going with out your Blackberry?

Hope to see yez there...............