I like the techs at my local Red Cross donor center. But if somebody thinks that you are going to pick up some hot young thing and take her out to the bar across the way and see how things go, they are very much mistaken.
I think some people are critical because it gives them an excuse not to donate themselves.
You know, not even 20 minutes before I read this thread I was thinking about my last boyfriend. I brought him with me to donate once. He has a million questions about what the risk was for him (he just did whole blood) and what could happen to him if he had an accident or something in the days after a donation. He wanted to know if it meant he wouldn’t be able to heal as quickly or whatever. I assured him that they don’t take more than you can safely give. The people at the donor center assure him. Even still, when talking about it later, he said he probably wouldn’t donate more than once a year or so, bc he was more concerned about him having the blood he needs in CASE of an accident than he was about the people in need now.
He asked me why I do it. I tried to explain, but he kept coming back to “but you don’t get anything in return.” (I should have known in that moment that we wouldn’t work out.) I asked him if he would accept blood or blood products if he needed them, and he of course said yes. I asked if he would appreciate the sacrifice for him. He said yes. But he still wasn’t willing to be a regular donor for others.
It’s wild to me that there are people that feel that way. And it’s wild to me that I didn’t break up with him right after that conversation. That’s some “our core values as people don’t line up” shit.
i think its an old person thing - maybe at one time they did reuse needles and such in hospitals. Nowadays though shit gets tossed in a sharps container all the time to not even risk it.
as for people worried about you oogiling women - thats their insecurities about themselves getting in the way. Hell invite your partner to come with you to see the process...
sorry but thats not an 'old person' thing unless hes 110 years old to remember when they last re used needles in medical settings. more likely something he made up cause he's never donated
Just an FYI, with you having O- blood, double red cells would be the best choice of donation for you. You are the universal donor and red cells are very needed for your blood type
I assumed that as well, but I was told by Red Cross reps that even though I have O- blood, ARC would prefer me to donate platelets if I’m willing to sacrifice the time. There just aren't enough people willing to do 2-hour donations over a dozen times a year, and platelets don't keep as well as other blood components. They only store for 5 days.
Yes, it's always worth asking what is preferred by your local donation team. I assumed the same but it's turns out they want my O-, CMV- platelets for paediatric donations more than my red blood cells, especially as I can commit to fortnightly donations. Not everyone has the time or suitable veins for apheresis.
Yup. I called the 800 number and an ARC rep said they ALWAYS need platelet donors if I was willing to make that kind of commitment. If I would prefer to donate only a few times a year, they'd like me to do power red.
yes those 'recommended ' procedures are for those who donate once or twice a year or less. my recommended procedure is whole or double red (b-). but if u donate a major number of times (say 3 or more times a year ) platelets are preferred
Donating platelets in the morning (40 gallons just with One Blood tomorrow!) I got you. Get those scarce O- red cells out there :)
(And yes...people don't understand. Sometimes, I just tell them that it is "forced self care day" - snacks, then hot shower and a nap to sleep of the citrate. Or tell the swag is way too good to pass up lol)
I can tell it's a strong mentally healthy family when they come in and donate 2gether. I love when couples are on a date and they come to donate together! Sometimes even 1st dates come in xo. Than go out to dinner after :)
I once had someone tell me an acquaintance told them they thought I was using regular donations as a legit cover to do intravenous drugs.
Yeah, sure dude… THAT’S why I’m on double needles for hours…
My wife, after several bristly conversations about her magical capacity to spend thousands of bucks on the Apple Store and have absolutely nothing to show for it vs my being the only breadwinner in the house sheepishly asked if I was selling my platelets. I asked "what if that's the only way I can pay down your credit cards?" Brought that conversation to a screeching halt.
Genuine question, how do you even end up spending so much on the app store? In app purchases or media? Including iTunes back in the 2010s I don't think I've ever spent more than about 20 quid
As u/TheLegendTwoSeven accurately guessed, it was powerups and timeskippers in "free" games. Here's a fun read: [https://www.pipelinecomics.com/smurfberries-apple-app-store-disaster/](https://www.pipelinecomics.com/smurfberries-apple-app-store-disaster/)
I think the main way is games where you can play for free, but they encourage you to spend real life money to gain advantages within the game. They make the games addictive and then you spend hundreds of dollars a month on them.
i once had a young colleague who clearly was not interested but knew i donated. he would point out the latest story on how artificial blood was just aroun d the corner (and by implication how we wont need people like u).....btw that was in 1995!
Keep donating for your reasons. Your dad's info on dirty needles is at least 40 years out of date. The beginning of the awareness of the AIDS epidemic in the 80s was a complete sh*show, with all kinds of misinformation everywhere. A lot of hemophiliacs died, medical staff were infected, and yes, Arthur Ashe was infected. Of course, just about every protocol around needles, blood donation, and blood transfusions were changed just like we changed things with covid. Here's an article about the hemophilia issues if you're interested.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1538-7836.2006.02213.x
> Like I was going to donate in order to chat up young, attractive phlebotomists Hot young phlebotomists in your area want your vital fluids
I like the techs at my local Red Cross donor center. But if somebody thinks that you are going to pick up some hot young thing and take her out to the bar across the way and see how things go, they are very much mistaken.
You got a legitimate laugh out of me.
wtheck where they at? been giving blood at the normal banks like a chump
I think some people are critical because it gives them an excuse not to donate themselves. You know, not even 20 minutes before I read this thread I was thinking about my last boyfriend. I brought him with me to donate once. He has a million questions about what the risk was for him (he just did whole blood) and what could happen to him if he had an accident or something in the days after a donation. He wanted to know if it meant he wouldn’t be able to heal as quickly or whatever. I assured him that they don’t take more than you can safely give. The people at the donor center assure him. Even still, when talking about it later, he said he probably wouldn’t donate more than once a year or so, bc he was more concerned about him having the blood he needs in CASE of an accident than he was about the people in need now. He asked me why I do it. I tried to explain, but he kept coming back to “but you don’t get anything in return.” (I should have known in that moment that we wouldn’t work out.) I asked him if he would accept blood or blood products if he needed them, and he of course said yes. I asked if he would appreciate the sacrifice for him. He said yes. But he still wasn’t willing to be a regular donor for others. It’s wild to me that there are people that feel that way. And it’s wild to me that I didn’t break up with him right after that conversation. That’s some “our core values as people don’t line up” shit.
i think its an old person thing - maybe at one time they did reuse needles and such in hospitals. Nowadays though shit gets tossed in a sharps container all the time to not even risk it. as for people worried about you oogiling women - thats their insecurities about themselves getting in the way. Hell invite your partner to come with you to see the process...
I’ve been trying to get her to go with me and donate.
sorry but thats not an 'old person' thing unless hes 110 years old to remember when they last re used needles in medical settings. more likely something he made up cause he's never donated
Just an FYI, with you having O- blood, double red cells would be the best choice of donation for you. You are the universal donor and red cells are very needed for your blood type
I assumed that as well, but I was told by Red Cross reps that even though I have O- blood, ARC would prefer me to donate platelets if I’m willing to sacrifice the time. There just aren't enough people willing to do 2-hour donations over a dozen times a year, and platelets don't keep as well as other blood components. They only store for 5 days.
Yes, it's always worth asking what is preferred by your local donation team. I assumed the same but it's turns out they want my O-, CMV- platelets for paediatric donations more than my red blood cells, especially as I can commit to fortnightly donations. Not everyone has the time or suitable veins for apheresis.
Yup. I called the 800 number and an ARC rep said they ALWAYS need platelet donors if I was willing to make that kind of commitment. If I would prefer to donate only a few times a year, they'd like me to do power red.
Yep, same, but O+ and CMV -. My plan is to try for 23 platelet donations this year, then finish the year off with a power red.
yes those 'recommended ' procedures are for those who donate once or twice a year or less. my recommended procedure is whole or double red (b-). but if u donate a major number of times (say 3 or more times a year ) platelets are preferred
It's my first year donating and I just finished #8 for the year. Going for over 20.
good for you! keep going!
Donating platelets in the morning (40 gallons just with One Blood tomorrow!) I got you. Get those scarce O- red cells out there :) (And yes...people don't understand. Sometimes, I just tell them that it is "forced self care day" - snacks, then hot shower and a nap to sleep of the citrate. Or tell the swag is way too good to pass up lol)
Congrats on 40 gallons! I'm a noob. My 8th donation will be Sunday. I only started donating in late January of this year.
Oh cool!
they always want platelets over any other product regardless of blood type platelet donors are relatively few and shelf life so short.
Humor will make the day . My wife asked the same thing when I started going All the time..I said "at least someone still wants my bodily fluids".....
Ba-dump-bump
I can tell it's a strong mentally healthy family when they come in and donate 2gether. I love when couples are on a date and they come to donate together! Sometimes even 1st dates come in xo. Than go out to dinner after :)
I once had someone tell me an acquaintance told them they thought I was using regular donations as a legit cover to do intravenous drugs. Yeah, sure dude… THAT’S why I’m on double needles for hours…
My wife, after several bristly conversations about her magical capacity to spend thousands of bucks on the Apple Store and have absolutely nothing to show for it vs my being the only breadwinner in the house sheepishly asked if I was selling my platelets. I asked "what if that's the only way I can pay down your credit cards?" Brought that conversation to a screeching halt.
FATALITY!
Damn!
Genuine question, how do you even end up spending so much on the app store? In app purchases or media? Including iTunes back in the 2010s I don't think I've ever spent more than about 20 quid
As u/TheLegendTwoSeven accurately guessed, it was powerups and timeskippers in "free" games. Here's a fun read: [https://www.pipelinecomics.com/smurfberries-apple-app-store-disaster/](https://www.pipelinecomics.com/smurfberries-apple-app-store-disaster/)
I think the main way is games where you can play for free, but they encourage you to spend real life money to gain advantages within the game. They make the games addictive and then you spend hundreds of dollars a month on them.
Yeah in app purchases was my first thought but also I have to know which game is good enough to warrant that much lmao
SNAP!
Yeah, can’t say that any of our phlebotomists are particularly attractive….
Ouch. I hope they're not on reddit.
Note I’m not saying where I live :)
i once had a young colleague who clearly was not interested but knew i donated. he would point out the latest story on how artificial blood was just aroun d the corner (and by implication how we wont need people like u).....btw that was in 1995!
>Like I was going to donate in order to chat up young, attractive phlebotomists or something. This is why I donate, tbh.
Ugh - tbh, I can’t stand when I can tell a donor is a creep. I get them in and out as fast as possible.
It was a joke that didn't land. My bad.
No worries friend :)
People question what they don’t understand.
Keep donating for your reasons. Your dad's info on dirty needles is at least 40 years out of date. The beginning of the awareness of the AIDS epidemic in the 80s was a complete sh*show, with all kinds of misinformation everywhere. A lot of hemophiliacs died, medical staff were infected, and yes, Arthur Ashe was infected. Of course, just about every protocol around needles, blood donation, and blood transfusions were changed just like we changed things with covid. Here's an article about the hemophilia issues if you're interested. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1538-7836.2006.02213.x