Giving blood (LFGSS blood drive?!)

I always feel guilty when I roll up my sleeve and the nurse eyes my tattoo. A couple of times they’ve gone and got someone more experienced.

I’ve realised the trick is to regularly check the app for cancelled appointments, usually the week before.

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Am a few weeks away from being able to donate again, useful reminder to call them to remove the block from my account so I can make a booking.

Called, took a few days for them to call me back to chat about why the block was being removed but got it done. Booked an appt for a few weeks' time as I need to wait for the remaining terbinafine to go from my system. It'll be #17.

I came home the other day to a Bronze level card.
5 donations and you get another piece of plastic to have laying about.

#17

They still need people to donate throughout the current health crisis.

Are they taking any less at present?

Volume per donation? Didn't seem any different.

Or do you mean fewer people donating? Dunno, they used to list blood stocks on the website but I can't find it now.

Yeah volume, just wondered given the virus situation that perhaps might take less.
How long does it take to replace roughly?

How long does it take to replace roughly?

Random google gives:-

"How long will it take to replenish the pint of blood I donate? The plasma from your donation is replaced within about 24 hours. Red cells need about four to six weeks for complete replacement. That's why at least eight weeks are required between whole blood donations."

You can donate every 12 weeks for men, 16 weeks for women.

I donated two days after running a marathon and then played 1h40m of 5-a-side and felt ok. Other times I've donated and felt sluggish on a gentle 5km run 48 hours later.

It seems that the travel ban doesn't apply to blood doning and they are asking for people to still attend appointments if anyone is wondering.

I'm there now. Additional screening and hand washing on arrival, someone hands you your soft drink and the waiting chairs and donating chairs are well spaced!

SMS: "Thank you so much for donating on 16-Mar. Your donation has now been issued to Royal London Hospital. Every donation counts."

But a useful reminder that they still need blood and traveling to give blood is considered an essential journey (but stay off public transport if you can).

Anyone been recently (particularly to West End Donor Centre)? How was it? I'm meant to be donating tomorrow.

Went a couple of weeks back, was a morning appointment and was fairly quick. Fewer people inside, meant you were seen quicker and there was less waiting around.
Think I was out in under an hour..

Cheers. I'm probably one of the last appointments of the day but hopefully it's a little more spread out than usual.

I'm donating tonight, MrsDeth was booked in for the appt before mine, but hers was cancelled about 1 week ago.
I think they are removing alternate appointments to give more time for the house keeping between sessions.

They also text me to say wear a mask if possible and not be early.

When I went it was empty and they told me they'd had queues building up so they'd had to cancel a load of appointments. I guess maybe they're doing that a bit more pro-actively now.

Double figures.

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Well done.

#18 today for me. Donation centre was packed (it's the dedicated blood donation centre at St Georges, Tooting) and strict 2m social distancing until you'd passed the initial triage stage and agreed there was no chance you could have it.

They also took a 3rd vial of blood (normally it's just two for me) but I wasn't able to see the label, maybe they're using the blood donations for random antibody testing to check for prevalence levels in the general population.

Well that's a first, they wouldn't take my blood today cos my haemoglobin level was too low. 133g/l, just below the 135 minimum. Discussed it with the nurse who suggested yes, it probably was the 6 mile run just before lunch what did it! Never been an issue before, but I guess I should avoid exercise on donation day full-stop, just to make sure. Ho hum. She gave me a leaflet about diet and iron levels, including a list of foods which basically reads like my daily diet. ("Nuts (including peanut butter)" Too right!) I very much doubt I'm low on iron but might mention it to the GP next time I'm in.

You’ve been doing some strong running though lately right? Might just be a freak of timing but it’s so annoying after the faff of planning a visit to donate.

Bizarrely I had the opposite conversation last time I went, the nurse said “you’ve really got an excellent iron level”.
“Oh right... err thanks?!”
“Hasn’t anyone ever told you that?”
“................No”

With lots of running it might be due to foot-strike hemolysis.

I only ever came close to failing[1] a few days after a 600km Audax.

1. Failed the Copper Sulphate test but passed (138 I think) on the machine that goes ping.
   

I've failed the last couple of times annoyingly, having been fine for years. Been checked by the doc since and absolutely fine iron levels. Going to give it another go soon after laying off coffee and red wine in the run up...and cycle there slowly.

I want to be sure I don't get struck off the list for three failed tests! If I'm still on my daily exercise streak in three months' time, this might be a good enough excuse to break it.

Just had a quick look and the earliest I can get in at the West End donor centre is over a month. I guess they've probably reduced appointments.

They took some appointments out at Margaret Street to just do long sessions for plasma for covid antibodies; I got a normal whole blood one on a Sunday pretty quick. It was upstairs tho, so only about 4 chairs, but in and out in under 30 mins.