Reply 1
Reply 2
Reply 3
O positive which apparently they really want but they might just tell everyone that
Reply 4
Nope, they don't. I am not allowed to donate but for my blood type, their website says you can only donate when they contact you.
Reply 5
Well done.
Can you talk about the experience?
Reply 6
Can you talk about the experience?
No I can't, I'm afraid it's classified
Reply 7
Alright. No worries.
Reply 8
JK of course I can.
•
First you go in and talk to the nice receptionist and he gives you a form where you tick all the boxes reassuring them that no, you don't have any chronic infections, no, you don't inject drugs, no, you haven't had sex with anyone who does/has those things, no you haven't recently returned from abroad, no you don't have any mysterious illnesses etc. There's free snacks and fruit squash in the waiting-and-form-filling area and you're encouraged to have plenty to make sure you're not dehydrated and your blood sugar is okay.
•
Then the nurse takes you to a room where you have a little chat if they're not sure about anything from your form and she pricks your finger and collects a tiny amount of your blood for reasons I don't totally understand but I don't mind.
•
Then if everything's okay she takes you to the actual blood-giving area. You put your stuff in a box and sit in a nice comfy chair that tilts back. The nurse chats with you in a friendly way to distract you while she puts the needle in your arm which ngl is not 100% comfortable but only for a second. You're encouraged to clench and relax your hand, gently kick your legs and squeeze and relax your butt muscles to keep your blood pressure high. You tell the nurse a joke about how some of the donation centres are serving Turkish food now... what you haven't heard of donor kebab? And she laughs and says that's exactly her kind of humour, she's stealing that.
•
The blood goes into a bag attached to some furniture next to the chair. The bag is on a little oscillating swing thing to stop it from coagulating; and that whole doodad is attached to a scale, which makes a noise to signal the nurse when it's full. It's all very clever. The nurses are very attentive and make sure you're doing okay throughout.
•
When the bell rings, another nurse removes the needle and replaces it with a cotton wool thing that he asks you to put pressure on. Then he puts a proper dressing on it. He suggests you stay in the chair for a few more minutes to make sure you're feeling okay and offers to bring you another snack. In my case, I asked for a KitKat and he brought two. ****in jackpot.
•
And then when you're ready you head out the door. I feel just slightly giddy and faint like my brain isn't quite running on all cylinders but it's totally fine and wears off pretty quickly. I wouldn't want to run a marathon just now but I had no trouble at all commuting home and making supper.
•
I want to stress that it's such a nice environment. Everything is spotlessly clean, comfortable, and functional, and the people are all so kind and competent. I would recommend it. It's almost like being in a spa, except the treatment is, they take your blood 
Reply 9
•
First you go in and talk to the nice receptionist and he gives you a form where you tick all the boxes reassuring them that no, you don't have any chronic infections, no, you don't inject drugs, no, you haven't had sex with anyone who does/has those things, no you haven't recently returned from abroad, no you don't have any mysterious illnesses etc. There's free snacks and fruit squash in the waiting-and-form-filling area and you're encouraged to have plenty to make sure you're not dehydrated and your blood sugar is okay.
•
Then the nurse takes you to a room where you have a little chat if they're not sure about anything from your form and she pricks your finger and collects a tiny amount of your blood for reasons I don't totally understand but I don't mind.
•
Then if everything's okay she takes you to the actual blood-giving area. You put your stuff in a box and sit in a nice comfy chair that tilts back. The nurse chats with you in a friendly way to distract you while she puts the needle in your arm which ngl is not 100% comfortable but only for a second. You're encouraged to clench and relax your hand, gently kick your legs and squeeze and relax your butt muscles to keep your blood pressure high. You tell the nurse a joke about how some of the donation centres are serving Turkish food now... what you haven't heard of donor kebab? And she laughs and says that's exactly her kind of humour, she's stealing that.
•
The blood goes into a bag attached to some furniture next to the chair. The bag is on a little oscillating swing thing to stop it from coagulating; and that whole doodad is attached to a scale, which makes a noise to signal the nurse when it's full. It's all very clever. The nurses are very attentive and make sure you're doing okay throughout.
•
When the bell rings, another nurse removes the needle and replaces it with a cotton wool thing that he asks you to put pressure on. Then he puts a proper dressing on it. He suggests you stay in the chair for a few more minutes to make sure you're feeling okay and offers to bring you another snack. In my case, I asked for a KitKat and he brought two. ****in jackpot.
•
And then when you're ready you head out the door. I feel just slightly giddy and faint like my brain isn't quite running on all cylinders but it's totally fine and wears off pretty quickly. I wouldn't want to run a marathon just now but I had no trouble at all commuting home and making supper.
•
I want to stress that it's such a nice environment. Everything is spotlessly clean, comfortable, and functional, and the people are all so kind and competent. I would recommend it. It's almost like being in a spa, except the treatment is, they take your blood
That was detailed and impressive, thanks for sharing.
What motivated you to give blood? How many times have you done it? Did you have to eat specific foods before the session?
Reply 10
What motivated you to give blood? How many times have you done it? Did you have to eat specific foods before the session?
You're welcome
This is the third time I've tried to give blood and the second time it's been successful - the first time was years ago and they couldn't find a good vein in my arm. I guess maybe I'm a little beefier now.
They don't tell you to eat any specific foods but they do recommend you eat well and stay hydrated the day of. If you turn up hungry or dehydrated you're much more likely to faint afterwards. I usually eat plenty of spinach and broccoli the day of and afterwards, since iron is one of the main things you need to replenish. But I often eat those things anyway.
It just seems like it needs doing, y'know? There are medical situations people get into that we can only really deal with if we have plenty of blood to transfuse. Overall I'm luckily a pretty healthy guy, so it seems like something I can comfortably do for people who have not been as fortunate. Someday I'll have an accident or just get old and sick and I'll be relying on someone having done the same for me.
Reply 11
This is the third time I've tried to give blood and the second time it's been successful - the first time was years ago and they couldn't find a good vein in my arm. I guess maybe I'm a little beefier now.
They don't tell you to eat any specific foods but they do recommend you eat well and stay hydrated the day of. If you turn up hungry or dehydrated you're much more likely to faint afterwards. I usually eat plenty of spinach and broccoli the day of and afterwards, since iron is one of the main things you need to replenish. But I often eat those things anyway.
It just seems like it needs doing, y'know? There are medical situations people get into that we can only really deal with if we have plenty of blood to transfuse. Overall I'm luckily a pretty healthy guy, so it seems like something I can comfortably do for people who have not been as fortunate. Someday I'll have an accident or just get old and sick and I'll be relying on someone having done the same for me.
That’s excellent. Thanks for sharing.
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