Giving blood (LFGSS blood drive?!)

I got a call this Tuesday to give blood on Wednesday at the west end centre.
Not sure if my blood was in high demand or they just had spaces to fill.
In and out in under 45mins.

Tonight appointment was a disaster.
Couldn't find any blood in me.
Needle was in the arm and wiggled about loads, but nothing came flowing out.
Two people had a go too.

Next time hopefully.

#19 today

might use it as an excuse to cancel the spinning class tomorrow morning and go for a gentle swim instead.

Anyone know what the situation is with giving blood and having a flu jab? Can't spot any mention on the website FAQs

Following the last cancelled session due to marginally low iron levels I'm definitely having a rest day tomorrow before a 4pm appointment. I'm even using it as an excuse to cook some red meat on a Monday evening whilst cooking my veggie partner's veggie burgers. Now then, lamb or beef? (edit... looks like beef's a fair bit higher in iron content.)

https://my.blood.co.uk/knowledgebase/Index/I

Influenza Immunisation : Immunisations
As long as you are feeling well, you may give blood after this immunization.

Flu Jab : Immunisations
For any Flu Jab (seasonal, swine or other) you can donate provided you feel well any time after the injection (on same day is fine too). You must feel completely well.
If you have had the flu jab as a priority because of underlying health issues, please check that it is okay for you to donate with those.

Cheers. I knew there was another page on there somewhere but I kept ending up on the basic FAQ.

My 3rd Covidtimes blood donation done. Edgware didn't have a good selection of chocolate biscuits this evening but I'm avoiding the them anyway.

I'm tempted to start lying on the form. I'm bored having the same conversation about over the counter medication I take (a daily antihistamine) that I wouldn't have to have if it was prescribed and my prescription hadn't changed. The doctor suggested the antihistamine, they just didn't prescribe because that would be more hassle and cost more.

Did mine the other week and having had a couple of fails due to low iron it was super smooth. Extra iron tonic for the win.
Now contemplating doing platelets. Don't much fancy it as I'm not great with the whole needle process anyway so 2 hours seems a bit intimidating. Anyone doing it?

I've considered platelets but they really want you to come much more often (every fortnight?) and that is too big a time commitment at the moment.

https://platelets.blood.co.uk/who-can-donate-platelets/

"4 times a year" but that looks like a minimum, they may ask for more depending on local demand.

Also if you want to donate platelets you have to stop giving blood.

Booked #20 for a few days after Christmas. Should hit #25 in early 2022.

Looks like they don't want any of the more evolved B+ types for platelets at the moment. I suppose that is why they stopped sending me letters about it.

Yesterday was #34. Should make gold by the middle of the decade.

A+whole-blood being requested currently.

Chapeau, seriously impressive dedication.

#20 tomorrow assuming I don't get cancelled at the last minute (or develop any symptoms).

I was due to donate tomorrow but had to cancel after coming into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID. I’ve since been tested (negative result) and have no symptoms but wondering how to leave it until I rebook? It’s been ten days since the contact, I’ll probably leave it a month as it’s not very clear at all on their website.

Last time I donated, they wanted 14 days clear of any covid contact

Yay, made it :-)

https://www.blood.co.uk

Blimey, well done! I remember my dad getting to 50 and I thought that was good going!

Wow!

#21 done and #22 booked for 84 days time.

Signed up for the STRIDES study too, and ticked the boxes for them to use a sample for random genetic stuff: http://www.strides-study.org.uk/

They used the machine for Hb testing and managed to get 170g/L, previously when I've been tested on it (because the copper sulphate test was inconclusive) I've been close to the 135g/L limit (got 136g/L once!)

I've been giving blood for years, so am a bit lassaiz-faire with it now.
Couple of weeks ago I gave the standard amount, and went out for a bike ride and a few beers that evening. The next day I felt a combination of a horrendous hangover and was so tired it was difficult to stand for longer than a few minutes. Maybe I'm just getting old, but I've never had anything like that before.
I assume none of you would do anything as dumb as this, but just thought I'd share.

I assume none of you would do anything as dumb as this, but just thought I'd share.

The morning after my donation #3/4, I went for a ride. I went my normal way, and went reasonably hard up a hill I've climbed hundreds of times. At the top, I was so out of it that I rode into a kerb, my front wheel slid out and I was unceremoniously dumped into a grass verge. I downed both my bidons, waited 20 mins and rode straight home as gently and slowly as I could bear.

It's been almost 10 years and I have never had any negative effects of donation since. It was a bit of a lesson though...

Never had a problem yet. I used to donate on a Tuesday, cycle come (11.5km although not smashing it) and then play 40 minutes of 5-a-side that evening. Then they closed the blood van, and my local donation centre is the local leisure centre that's been shut during lockdown so I've now got used to going to the local hospital to donate.

The best I managed was:

Sunday: Marathon
Monday: day off
Tuesday: cycle in to work, donate at lunchtime, cycle home, 40 minutes of competitive 5-a-side and then one of the teams playing the match after were short so I played for another 40 minutes. I did feel it a bit in the pub after that.

Am going to take it easier now though. I would normally do a relatively hard 10k run on a Monday but I don't want to have my first post-donation wobble on a relatively remote trail, so I'll just do a gentle pavement 5k instead.

The 12 week blood donation cycle fits well with a 4 week (medium, hard, hardest, rest/easy) training mesocycle and means I can plan around things nicely.

Next one (#22) in just under two weeks. It'll be a few days before my second Covid-19 vaccination so not quite 8 weeks since the first jab (the form asks about vaccinations within the last 8 weeks), but checking the site they just require 7 clear days (and no symptoms obviously) since a Covid jab.