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Feel helpless? You're not.

VastmindVastmind Memphis, TN Veteran
edited June 2013 in General Banter
You can give life to someone.
Just wanted to encourage those who are able, to donate blood and platelets.
Here are some quick facts:

There is no substitute for blood.

A single whole blood donation can save the lives of as many as four people.

Cancer patients, organ and stem cell recipients, victims of traumatic injuries and patients undergoing open-heart surgery all require platelet transfusions to survive. Because platelets can only be stored for five days, the need is vast and continuous......Fortunately, a platelet donor can give every seven days.

90% of us will need blood before age 70, but less than 10% of the general population actually donates blood.

Every three minutes, someone needs a life-sustaining blood transfusion.

Victims of car accidents can require up to 50 units of blood per hour until they stabilize.

Sickle Cell patients require up to four units per month for life.

Cancer treatments can require four or more units of blood.

Brain surgery requires anywhere from two to 25 units.

Hip replacement surgery calls for two to five units.

---http://www.lifeblood.org/
personLucy_BegoodJeffreyriverflowmisecmisc1karmablueslobsterTheEccentricericcris10senCittasndymornMaryAnneEvenThirdmisterCopecvalue

Comments

  • Good advice! My sister is a nurse and she has a rare blood type. Early in her career she worked as a trauma RN late at night. A patient arrived and they needed blood. She donated blood (thereby saving that life), and then went back to work and finished out her shift.

    If she can do that, in such a stressful environment, I figure I can always do it in a much more relaxed setting. (We have the Bloodmobile stop by our office at lunch time quite often.)

    Thanks again for the gentle reminder. ;)
    JeffreyVastmindSillyPutty
  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    Can they filter out medicines you are on?
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Gentle Man Veteran
    Jeffrey said:

    Can they filter out medicines you are on?

    Only some, but they know what invalidates a donation (makes giving one useless as the result could harm someone) so you tell them what you are on before donating in most places in US. I can't give due to meds I am on.

  • VastmindVastmind Memphis, TN Veteran
    If I can't donate...then what?
    There are plenty of other ways you can help:

    -Encourage your family and friends to give blood. You could even become a coordinator/volunteer.
    -Help the Red Cross by volunteering for one of their humanitarian programs.
    -If you are a social media user you can help spread the word on the importance of blood donation.
    Lucy_BegoodStraight_Mankarmabluesperson
  • Vastmind said:

    If I can't donate...then what?
    There are plenty of other ways you can help:
    -Encourage your family and friends to give blood. You could even become a coordinator/volunteer.
    -Help the Red Cross by volunteering for one of their humanitarian programs.
    -If you are a social media user you can help spread the word on the importance of blood donation.

    Thanks for those great ideas. I use to donate regularly until hospitals in Thailand started adopting a new rule prohibiting donations from those who lived in the UK during a certain period of years when there was quite a high occurrence of mad cow disease. This is because they don't have testing facilities in Thailand for mad cow disease yet. I was really disappointed by this.
  • VastmindVastmind Memphis, TN Veteran
    ^^^ Interesting.
    Also, remember everyone some of the reasons u can't
    donate might be temporary...so check back with the
    blood bank. I have had to take a hiatus myself several
    times due to a tattoo or most recently while trying to
    get some health issues resolved.

    Another side note...Check with your employer.
    Here in the US, some companies
    give you leave so you can donate. Federal agencies
    give you up to 4 hours in a day to go, and the
    railroads also give you time to go.
  • VastmindVastmind Memphis, TN Veteran
    edited June 2013
    Just bumpin'....

    Our Donor Fest here has wrapped up, and I wanted
    to shout out one more time.....

    Just left the blood bank...whole blood only takes
    about 30 mins....you can get a soda, cookies, a t-shirt that
    says your a hero, hahaha,....... and I always leave wearing a
    smile.... Feels incredible to know you can give life to
    someone. It takes understanding of interconnectedness to
    another level..... giving something priceless when I have no
    money.... Life is good. :)

    riverflowkarmabluesDandelion
  • Sad to say, even though I work in hospital, I confess I am absolutely TERRIFIED of needles!

    It may be my only real phobia... I have no problem with blood per se-- I have seen some truly gory things in the ER which I won't describe here-- and none of this bothers me in the slightest (as far as bloodiness goes-- witnessing the suffering of the patient and family members is another story altogether). But if there is a nurse doing a simple needle stick on any patient, I ALWAYS look away until it is over. I've always been this way about needles.

    I know its a truly good cause though. Draw an extra pint for me, will you? haha
    Invincible_summer
  • CittaCitta Veteran
    Four years ago I was in a situation where I needed a total of 17 pints of blood...I cannot be a donor anymore..but I am very grateful for those who gave the gift of extending my life..
    riverflowSillyPuttyInvincible_summerkarmablues
  • VastmindVastmind Memphis, TN Veteran
    edited October 2013
    Bumped. My 60 days is up and I'm off to give blood on Halloween
    day... :sawed:
    Give if you can..if not, spread the word. .....interesting facts in the
    OP for those who didn't read it the first time.

    Go save a life...... :zombie:
    lobster
  • Blood. Yum.
    (oops what a give away) :sawed:

    Feed your vampire victim fantasies for Halloween. Good plan.
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Gentle Man Veteran
    While I would like to, I would be screened as inelegible to give. Indeed, what goes through my blood 24 hours a day would give a normaller person the heebie jeebies.
  • VastmindVastmind Memphis, TN Veteran
    ^^^ Jeebies, I don't mind...but yes, please keep your heebies to
    yourself. hahaha


    No worries...alot of people are unable to give blood. :)
  • NomaDBuddhaNomaDBuddha Scalpel wielder :) Bucharest Veteran
    edited October 2013
  • VastmindVastmind Memphis, TN Veteran
    ^^^ Wow! I'm going to find out more about that.....
    interesting, to say the least. Life changing, to say the most. :)
  • NomaDBuddhaNomaDBuddha Scalpel wielder :) Bucharest Veteran
    @Vastmind

    There is not quite a lot to find. At least now. On Romanian TV media, the news was barely mentioned ( maybe the news is still too 'raw' to be fed to the media ).
  • Vastmind said:

    You can give life to someone.
    Just wanted to encourage those who are able, to donate blood and platelets.
    Here are some quick facts:

    There is no substitute for blood.

    A single whole blood donation can save the lives of as many as four people.

    Cancer patients, organ and stem cell recipients, victims of traumatic injuries and patients undergoing open-heart surgery all require platelet transfusions to survive. Because platelets can only be stored for five days, the need is vast and continuous......Fortunately, a platelet donor can give every seven days.

    90% of us will need blood before age 70, but less than 10% of the general population actually donates blood.

    Every three minutes, someone needs a life-sustaining blood transfusion.

    Victims of car accidents can require up to 50 units of blood per hour until they stabilize.

    Sickle Cell patients require up to four units per month for life.

    Cancer treatments can require four or more units of blood.

    Brain surgery requires anywhere from two to 25 units.

    Hip replacement surgery calls for two to five units.

    ---http://www.lifeblood.org/

    Do you suppose it will hurt a little to help?
  • VastmindVastmind Memphis, TN Veteran
    Hurt what? Your arm?
    Most people get used to it.
    I know the lady that does the smoothest entry....
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    @Straight_Man....

    'normaller'....? :scratch:
    riverflowVastmindStraight_Man
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Gentle Man Veteran
    federica said:

    @Straight_Man....

    'normaller'....? :scratch:

    More normal.

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