Blood Donors

Kali2

growstuff

As a female with AB positive blood, I'm afraid mine isn't needed.

wow, a rare twin

Indeed! By coincidence, my ex-husband is AB positive too, but he donated blood because, as a male, his plasma was used.

growstuff

As a female with AB positive blood, I'm afraid mine isn't needed.

wow, a rare twin

my sibling is currently giving a pint a week

Surely you aren’t allowed to donate weekly? Is it for a special reason, and for a limited time?

I understood males can donate every 12 weeks, and females every 16 weeks?

I always used to feel really healthy after giving blood. I only stopped when you could no longer have it done locally and I was having to travel further and further to do it. My mum ( and also a friend of mine who was a nurse) used to say that a nose bleed every now and again never did any harm. Has anyone else ever heard that said?

They never used to take my blood so I gave up trying. Then, a few years ago the team I work with all decided we’d go and give blood. I couldn’t actually get booked in for it! So I’m afraid I’ve given up! However my sibling is currently giving a pint a week so they’re contributing for all the family at the mo!

I have donated 63 times. I have O neg blood that can be given to anyone in an emergency. Now called ‘First Responders blood ‘ by the National Blood Service. I did ask a couple of years ago if there is an age limit- apparently not and I’m still donating, usually 3 or 4 times a year. It doesn’t affect me at all.
DH and our daughters have B neg blood, which is rare and in demand. Unfortunately they also have the family trait of very low blood pressure so don’t donate as they could faint.
Our son in law had a stem cell transplant recently so I asked if I could donate stem cells, which are much needed. Apparently you have to be under 60, so that rules me out by over 12 years!

Nonogran

Bridgetpark , why not ask the donor service if they will accept your blood group? Things / science might have moved on since Growstuff tried to donate? (No offence Growstuff).
Could they use yr plasma?

My information is the latest from the National Blood Donor site. I wouldn't have mentioned it if I didn't know it to be accurate.

Ooops! Just seen that Ladystardust has already given the reason.

BridgetPark

Growstuff, I am the same blood type, didn't realise it's not needed. Any reason for this? Just curious as I haven't read this anywhere, thanks

This explains better than I would:

www.blood.co.uk/why-give-blood/blood-types/ab-positive-blood-type/

Although there's quite a high need for AB plasma, it's only used from male donors. There isn't a high demand for AB platelets because only people with AB blood can receive it.

I gave my 58th donation this week. It only comes out of my left arm (no one has ever managed to get any from my right arm. ) No one should be anxious about giving blood the staff are very gentle, there is just a moments scratch (like a injection,) when the needle goes in but if you relax it won't be a problem. Then it is plain sailing and at the end you will get a biscuit and drink and you will have done something very special. Please give blood if you are able.

Cindersdad

As regards "Stale Blood" I'm not sure about this, but it was explained to me if you gave blood the body would make fresh blood to replace it improving the overall health of your blood. I'm just glad my bood (76 donations so far) is being used to help others. My blood group is B+ and they remind me that they need it. The shelf life of donated blood is not that long but it can be used for blood products if it is not needed for transfusions. There are many medical conditions which can make you unable to give blood.

Whatever age you are, your body is continually making fresh blood, donor or not. Can i ask who told you about "stale blood"? I would suggest that whoever it was, you don't take medical advice from them?

As regards "Stale Blood" I'm not sure about this, but it was explained to me if you gave blood the body would make fresh blood to replace it improving the overall health of your blood. I'm just glad my bood (76 donations so far) is being used to help others. My blood group is B+ and they remind me that they need it. The shelf life of donated blood is not that long but it can be used for blood products if it is not needed for transfusions. There are many medical conditions which can make you unable to give blood.

I’ve been a blood donor for nearly 50 years (B neg). I can’t say I enjoy it, but that’s not the main reason for going, is it? I must say I find it frustrating though when sessions are cancelled at short notice, local venues are no longer used, etc. This has been going on for a few years round here, so it’s not due to the pandemic. No doubt it’ll be cost cutting, but it must put donors off. I certainly used to grumble about it costing me a fiver in bus fares to get to my nearest centre, when there used to be a couple within walking distance that were always busy. I’ve got my bus pass now, of course, but not everyone’s so lucky.

LadyStardust, thank you so much, thats really interesting, and very informative. Gransnet community is wonderful for giving and sharing information, i am really grateful, Thankyou

Elegran

greenlady Those were the closest links that Google threw up. Nothing about older people's blood being stale, only about blood getting stale if stored for too long.

yes but that is not what the OP said and it is their statement that I am challenging!

growstuff me too. I donated regularly in the past but I ​have to wait to be called now. For anyone who is interested here's why!

Although the need for AB positive red blood cells is falling, the demand for AB positive plasma hasn’t changed.
Fresh frozen plasma is only produced from male donations.
This is because female donors (especially those who have been pregnant) can develop antibodies that, while no danger to themselves, can prove life threatening to patients transfused with their plasma.

We can generally meet the demand for frozen plasma and most red cells from our male donors, which is good news.
We encourage our male donors to donate as frequently as possible

There are occasions when demand for AB positive rises.
During these times we contact our female donors directly and rely on their support to ensure patients continue to receive the blood and blood products they need.

I think I've been contacted only twice in the last 10 years.

greenlady Those were the closest links that Google threw up. Nothing about older people's blood being stale, only about blood getting stale if stored for too long.

Unfortunately with multiple chronic illnesses mine is not acceptable, and I’m sad I can no longer help, as I did donate blood for many years. When we lived in the UAE in the 70s/80s we were actually paid for donating blood, as it was much in demand, particularly due to many serious vehicle accidents, and because people of several religions cannot/will not donate blood.

Elegran

Here is another (just found it) ashpublications.org/hematology/article/2013/1/651/20827/Fresh-versus-old-blood-are-there-differences-and

but those links are about blood storage AFTER donation....nothing about blood getting stale in the body of someone who hasn't donated and using donation to "refresh" blood. In France it used to be believed (might still be) that it was essential for women to menstruate as it "purified the body" and I belive that some medics in the UK believed this which is why the pill was prescribed in 3 week cycles with a week's break. This isn't a "real" period as there is no egg of course but withdrawal of the hormone causes the womb lining to shed.

Here is another (just found it) ashpublications.org/hematology/article/2013/1/651/20827/Fresh-versus-old-blood-are-there-differences-and

greenlady. I have searched for "stale blood" and this is the most relevant link I found. It doesn't mention the age of donors, nor that the blood of older people gets thicker, nor that thickening is involved in how blood can be less good after storage.
www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/blood-goes-stale-and-fairly-quickly

I can't give blood as I hemmoraged 3 times after birth (they left in a piece of placenta that eventually came out at home much to my horror) so I have received blood.

Thank you to those who save lives

I gave blood in my 20s. The next time I went to donate the doctor told me they should never have taken my blood previously - I am small and weigh under 8 stone, and apparently because of my stature I only have 6 pints of blood in my body (as opposed to the normal 8 pints the average person has). Who would have thought!

M0nica

I gave blood for many years, but when they tightened the rules when AIDS came in, in the 1980s, I was told I could no longer give blood because I was allergic to penicillin

DD and DH have at various times been discarded as blood donors because their veins are deeply set in their arms and are very difficult to find. DH has been ill in hospital recently and he reckons that each, almost daily, blood test took at least 5 attempts before they could get a needle in a vein. DGS, still a child, is the same, even though he is so thin, if he stands sideways yu cannot see him. It is clearly genetic.

that's interesting. I donated until around 2001. they knew I was allergic to penecillin and it was never an issue. I was asked to stop at perimenopause as every time I went, I keeled over post donation regardless of what was done to try and prevent it. In the end they asked me to stop as it was scaring some of the other donors.

Bridgetpark , why not ask the donor service if they will accept your blood group? Things / science might have moved on since Growstuff tried to donate? (No offence Growstuff).
Could they use yr plasma?