There After My Blood!!

Re: There After My Blood!!

I think you should go ahead and donate every three months. It's the right thing to do.
When you are down there donating, ask them to take you off of their calling list.

Re: There After My Blood!!

tell them one of three things..
1) you are an IV drug abuser
2) you have recently gotten a tatoo
3) you have had sex with a man

That should stop them.

Re: There After My Blood!!

Yes, I have serious issues with their donation policies. Being gay should not keep one from being able to donate. I don't know why they do it anyway, because it's not like they are just taking people at their word. You could be the Virgin Mary or Typhoid Mary and they're still going to test against disease.

The only way they stopped calling my mom, who like me is O+, was for me to get on the phone and be rude to them. You cannot be nice to these people.

Re: There After My Blood!!

Contract Hepatitis. Worked for me.

Re: There After My Blood!!

Tell them you have mad cow disease.

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You can also get cancer. Chemotherapy makes you inelgible for the rest of your life!

Glenn

Re: There After My Blood!!

Why not tell them you'd rather donate to a more reputable charity?
American Red Cross fined for violations

Re: There After My Blood!!

lmao!

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That'll probably work.

Re: There After My Blood!!

Dave, why not tell them that you'd be willing to give if they would set up something closer to your home? Maybe they'll even drive the bus to your home? If they want it badly enough...

Or, what about just saying yes to the guy? Tell him you will and then don't show up? I would assume that once you say yes, they'll stop calling for a little bit.

Re: There After My Blood!!

Is it the chemotherapy that makes you ineligible? I always assumed that because cancer can metastasize via the blood stream, and therefore the blood could contain the pre-cursors to a nice big tumour...

I've never tried to donate, because the one time there was a blood drive at my college dorm, I happened read the list of exclusion periods due to illness (e.g. 30 days for a cold or something similar) -- IIRC hepatitis or something similar was 3650 days, i.e. 10 years, whilst cancer (which I had had a few years earlier) was 9999 days, which I interpreted as "never ever"...

But to return to the original poster's point, yeah, I think it's quite unfair that just because you've done a good deed once, you're expected to keep giving. "We want your blood, and you have to go out of your way to get to our offices to give it." Ask them if they'll send the bus by to "pick it up".

Also, I don't get the point about someone having just been in an accident and needing your blood or he/she would die "tomorrow" -- wouldn't that person die there and then due to blood loss anyway? On second thought, maybe surgery scheduled for later that day or the next would entail further blood loss. Anyway, probably some stretching of the truth to lay the guilt trip on you, and in any case, unfair of them to do so.

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I'm gay and AB-. You would think that they would be willing to take my blood and test me or the blood.

On a tangential note..."Dexter"has the same blood type. I commented on that when his blood type was revealed in a recent episode. Kind of neat to have the same blood type as a fictional serial killer. My partner raised an eyebrow. Haha

Re: There After My Blood!!

Sell your plasma. Use the proceeds to upgrade your speakers.

Re: There After My Blood!!

Tell 'em you're using it.

- Colton

Re: There After My Blood!!

A simple "remove me from your calling list, or you will be reported to the Attorney General for violation of the No-Call list law" should suffice.

Re: There After My Blood!!

Off-Topic:

I've been getting these 1-800 phone calls (that I've ignored) for a while now - I finally decided to answer one day (I was in a RIPE mood)....

Anyways, it was some phone service asking me to donate to the local police department. The guy went into his spiel about how I donated a few years back and gave me the guilt trip about a trooper that was killed and how my money would help....so then he asks if I would be willing to donate $50, and I said (forcefully) "No way!" - he was taken back and said "Well, how about $15?" and I said "Listen, I would be more supportive of the police department if they didn't use phoney 1-800 numbers to harass me into giving money. You (meaning the telemarketers) are the people that the police should be protecting me from. Sine they are NOT doing their job, then I will NEVER give them any more money! THANK YOU!"

Re: There After My Blood!!

I've had the same thing happen to me Mark regarding the vests thing. The organizations contract with an outside service who makes the sales pitch over the phone with the organizations literally getting pennies on the dollar. This went on in NJ some time back and it was found that the police weren't even using the money for bullet proof jackets. Well, actually they did but that was after the Attorney General's office got involved. My reply to them when they called was if fishermen need rods, reels, and boats to perform their job adequately then they should buy them and not expect the public to pony up. Same for cops. If you think you need it and aren't being provided, then buy it yourself and stop whining or get another job.

Re: There After My Blood!!

I give about 10 times a year. I give plasma only and it's a 28 day waiting period between donations. At least once a year there is a problem and I have to wait the 56 days similar to a red cell donation.

The only time they call me is to confirm the appointment and if there is any problems. I also have a standing appointment - same time, same day.

On the other hand IF you want to donate, you can make an appointment every three or four months - they encourage you to schedule your next one when you are in their clutches so make it when you feel confortable. If they call to step it up, reply no, you have an appointment and have made arrangements to be there then. You can not modify it.

I recall one of the "donation assistants" or wahatever they are called, telling me they get over the embarrassment of asking the sex questions really quickly since they have to say them soooooo many times. Although they did have a slight problem asking the nun about her sex life.

Off on the side-topic... Received a call from the American Cancer Association regarding a donation made by my "aunt" - she used to live with us - "last year" and would she be willing to make another financial donation this year? No, she was dead. Oh, they were very sorry to hear that! Would I be willing to make a donation in her name? No and I told them they should have kept the check as well as the envelope since she had died in 1982. Letters from Heaven would bring them a premium at auction!

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I believe non-profits/charities are exempt.

My biggest gripe with donating blood is that they expect everyone to take time off from work to donate. All the blood drives around here are all held only from 11-5 on weekdays. How about an evening drive? Or on a weekend? Don't want to do that? Then quityerbitchen about low blood supplies! If you make it a huge inconvenience for the donors, don't expect to get donations.

I used to donate all the time in college, but haven't been able since I began working a regular, full-time job.

Re: There After My Blood!!

What Malcolm said. Muhammad, moutain... You know the rest.

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I used to donate every now and then. The last time, many years ago, the blood letter person had trouble finding my vein. She stuck that needle in and out like 3 times before she found it and still didn't get it perfect. She could only get about half a pint out. (Or whatever the normal amount is.)

After that experience I said never again. And I've remained true to my word.

Re: There After My Blood!!

> If you make it a huge inconvenience for the donors, don't expect to get donations.

Yep, they often don't treat you like you're donating a valuable resource. If they made it easier, they'd get a lot more donations.

For a few years I had a gov't job, and the bloodmobile would come by every so many weeks, the amount of time you're supposed to wait between donations. Our employer allowed us to take a break during work time to donate, plus we were given snacks & a T-shirt for our trouble.

Without an arrangement like that, it's often too much trouble.

If they really call every week, tell them you just donated somewhere else the other day... should be no reason to call you again for a while.

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I've always donated locally, at either school or my job. I've never had to drive anyplace.

A cool story, which is true.

Lockheed in Sunnyvale had an indoor 50 yard shooting range for the use of the employees. Since it was a huge room with no furniture in the way, they used it for the Lockheed blood drives. They would announce over the intercom "today is blood drive day. Anyone wanting to give blood please report to the rifle range."

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The main donation center is less than 5 minutes from where I work. My appointment is at 4:30pm and they know that I will be about 10 minutes late which means they can clear some of the people that actually arrive on time for their 4:30 appointment. That also forces me to leave promptly from work
And this is the apheresis department. We get television to watch and even the local Wegman's (grocery store chain in CNY) provides recent releases at minimal/no charge so that the donors can watch movies. Especially since you are there for over an hour. For the most part, I give plasma - 820ml since I can't give platelets anymore. Platelet donation is just too long - last time I gave double platelets and they ended the donation at 2 hours(max allowable time) - and the anti-coagulant makes my face tingle.
BTW My arms look like I'm a long-time devotee of needle drugs since the scar tissue after 100 donations is pretty impressive.

As for the hounding, I never condone that tactic. If someone is going to give - be it money, toys, food, blood - they will give. But by applying pressure/guilt/whatever may get them one donation but a bucket of bad publicity because you're going to tell EVERYONE what an ass they were.

One of the television news stations has as a part of their evening report, the status of the local blood supply. Which ones are low? Where are the open blood drives? So the Red Cross can make their need known without pissing off any prospective donors. Although I'm sure they do that as well

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Yeah, forcing or guilting someone to volunteer, defeats the purpose of what volunteerism is all about.

Like I said, put more effort into making it EASIER for people to donate, instead of wasting your efforts on sleazy marketing tactics.

That's the one thing I loved about my old workplace - Anytime the local hospital had a blood drive, he'd let us go during work hours (as long as it took). It was great because it got people (who wouldn't normal give) to give because they wanted to get out of work for a few hours.

Re: There After My Blood!!

I serve on the advisory board to a large local (non Red Cross) blood bank. I can tell you much about the blood supply and how it works.

First of all - thank you all for donating - especially the aphaeresis donors. Aphaeresis takes about twice as long but is ten times as useful and can be given more frequently.

In this world it is easy to become cynical about charity - we hear of abuses and waste often - however there can be little abuse or waste of blood. Your blood is needed and used.

The average time between when you donate and when the unit is used is about three days. Think about that. Within three days your blood is being used to help someone; a cancer patient, sickle cell sufferer, accident victim or even a wounded sodier.

Very few blood banks operate at a surplus. Those that do ship their blood immediatley out to banks which are short. Blood has a very very short shelf-life. Sadly there are too few blood donors in the world. This is why there is so much research into blood alternatives - of which there are currently none. Therefore if people do not donate - blood becomes scares surgeries are postponed and people suffer.

Blood banks which collect blood for medical (as opposed to research) purposes are prohibited from paying donors. In fact they are even limited on the value of goodies they hand out to donors. Therefore they have been reduced essentially to begging. When they call you keep in mind why they need blood and how humble the request really is.

I am truly sorry if any of you have had poor experiences when donating. Be it long waits, long drives or rude service. I wish I could say that I've never caught myself being rude to someone - but then don't we all. Thankfully people who donate are often some of the most gracious and forgiving people on the planet.

I wish the process were faster. 20 minutes for a standard donation or 45 for platelets is less than most of us spend eating lunch, waiting in traffic or reading a newspaper. To anyone waiting for blood that seems insignifigant. In comparison to other charitable activities it is much less imposing on ones time. I like to use it to catch up my reading - trade journals, books, etc. Multi-tasking!

Sometimes a phlebotomist has a rough time with a needle. I've been a victim of that too. I suppose in every other industry people always do their job perfectly, but in this one there are various people of various skill levels working on an assortment of bodies of which all are different. Thankfully bruises dimished in time for my next donation. The need for blood didn't. I still have both arms intact today.

My blood bank is open 8AM to 6PM weekdays, we are open on Saturdays and we have two "bloodmobiles' which we send onsite to anyone who asks whenever the wish. We try to do everything possible to facilitate the process.

Many people consider themselves ineligible even though they are not. Even physicians make this mistake. I am excited becaise in January I become eligible again. (damn that cruise to Belize!)

The eligibility questions are a pain - but I like to have fun with them. I love the look on their face when they ask if I've had sex with a man and I reply "not yet" or if I've ever paid for sex and I ask if my wife counts.

Blood banks do not like to exclude anyone from donating - there are few enough as it is. Sadly this is a world where lawyers can attack without notice or warning and laws are vague and juries unpredictable. There are tons of lame policies as a result - including blood banks prohibition on gay donors. Get congress to grant bloodbanks immunity from liability from accepting donations from gay men and they will again.

I will implore everyone to donate. If you're a regular donor consider Apheresis, if you've never donated make a commitment to try once. If you've quit try again. It is free to do and more valueable than money to the recipient. I am going to begin apheresis donations in January. I have a book which I plan to only read when I am donating.

It is easy to forget where your charity goes - particularly with blood. Because of patient confidentiality issues you will likely never see the face of someone who has received your blood - but know that within three days someone has received it - it could even end up being you, your child, your parent, your neighbor. Taken in those terms considering a blood donation an annoying waste of time or "giving up a piece of yourself" seems a bit silly. Every person who receives a donation is a parent, child, or neighbor to someone. Don't hold out on them.

In January I'll put up a thread after I donate. I would love to hear from everyone else how their experiences went.

Thank you.