h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Yep!

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Hah!

I will have you all know, Hubby holds a gold badge for his donations as a blood donor and a platelet donor

OOokay, so he does seem a little flakey just before he donates, you can't blame me for that

Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to give blood..

I donated some platelets to the charity shop last week. Well, it was actually some plates, but I dropped the box on the way in.

*giggles*

Benjaminpmoore, Icy North is a bloke, I have that on good authority

I used to be a blood donor (I'm B+ quite rare) and I have three certificates but then the third time I collapsed and was told not to return! My veins are crap. But my blood pressure is perfect

I'm too old to go on the bone marrow register but I did my bit writing Shirley Nolan's story of how the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust was set up.

I've only ever given blood IN Africa. After spending 16 years on that continent no-one else will accept my blood and now I'm diabetic and 64 even they would think twice. We used to all go and donate if a friend with the same group was having an op. A good friend stayed off the brandy in Malawi in case I needed any for my second Caesar

Didn't you know? they get everywhere

If you're fit, donate blood !

I used to donate for some ten years until I was banned due to betablockers and other pressure lowering meds.

The criteria for accepting donors varies between countries, but usually age, weight, blood pressure and haemoglobin levels are quite set. Here in Sweden you're accepted if you're 18-60 yo, weighs > 50 kg and have sufficient blood pressure and haemoglobin levels (130 g/l for men and 120 g/l for women).

princess has been donating blood since she was 18, but her older brothers don't. According the head of the local blood bank it's more common that young women are donors than young men.

It's not painful or horrible either. You lay down and get a needle inserted in a vein in the bend of the arm, and your blood is donated within 5-10 minutes.

So, give it a try!

I agree, DQ. It's dead simple to do.

If you ever in the terrible situation that you need a transfusion, you might need tens or even hundreds of pints of blood, so it's up to all of us to donate it while we can.

I don't know why, but the UK stock has been falling since the beginning of February: http://www.blood.co.uk/pages/stocklevel.html

Don't know about the UK, but I know that the Red Cross here urgently called their regular donators in February: due to a wave of influenca and diarrhoea, they had had to do without very many of their usual donators.

Wandrin Star: the Beverly Hootoos are here because this is not a thread on 'Ask' which you probably thought, but just my journal.

*checks she's still in a journal and not wanderin' the threads with her Matt on show*


Hubby receives phone calls if stocks are very low and donors have missed appointments. For him to donate Platelets, he has to travel into Liverpool, receive adrenalin injections and, be prepared to wait a minimum of 45 minutes as the donation is taken. None of this is available locally. Friday afternoons are the only time he can get there.

I'm very proud of him..

'Benjaminpmoore, Icy North is a bloke, I have that on good authority'

Sorry Icy, my sincerely apologies. These mad sheep all look alike to me.

Does this mean I don't have to wear this dress any more?

Thank goodness for that.

You chose to wear a dress because somebody confused you with a ? They're , these Brits.

Well you don't have to, but I think it looks really good on you. Perhaps with a matching cardigan and a handbag. You need to accessorize.

When we'd all done our A-levels but had to stay at school until the summer hols, one of the things we did with our free time was go down and donate our first pint of blood (those of us old enough, anyway)

Then when I was in the Army I used to go regularly, and have done so on and off ever since. Funny, though, my blood pressure hasn't really changed much over the last 25 years, but when I was a soldier the German Red Cross loved my blood (well they took it) and now it seems to be hit or miss if they want it or not

But I'll get the Gruesomes doing it asap also, because ... well, it's a Good Thing, isn't it?
I'm also A+ btw - I found my Dog Tags the other day, and it says so on there so it must be true.

One of my sons is old enough, but he's like me, he has a very low BP, and I don't know what the weight limit is for men and whether he'd weigh enough. My ozther son isn't yet old enough, but should be the ideal blood donator once he's 18 (which i think is the age limit here).

Interesting to see how many of us can't donate. (I've never made the weight, not even when I was too heavy for my best.) I hate to admit it, but it's a bit of a relief. I've done some gory things out of necessity, but don't get along with thinking about this. For that metter, I'm going to have to get out of this thread.....

That's ok, hstwrd, I didn't mean to make people feel uncomfortable.

There you go!

Done it.

That's my 3/4 of a pint in the bag.

Silly me came home and started doing heavy work, dismantling my daughter's cabin bed which we've just sold. I am now feeling a bit sick and dizzy, so I'm going to do the unthinkable, and have an early night!

Goodnight all...