Giving blood (LFGSS blood drive?!)

Good reminder. I haven't got a next session booked as I was worried about sporting events, being on-call, etc.

Just need to plan it properly and get it booked.

Done, booked in for next month.

Me too. Did last weekend (lotus biscuits, s&v crisps, lemon squash) and on booking my November trip, no sign of tooting so off to Crystal Palace. Having done the Donor Centre for most of my recent ones not too keen to go back to the slightly more stabby temp ones.

Website seems to have gone backwards.

Used to see lots of motivational things about donations/etc, now it's just bland.

Also the appointment searching thing is worse. Used to be able to select specific days (it works for me to do early Sunday mornings at Tooting Donor Centre) but now you just have to wade through the list...

yeah i now find it very annoying to just book where and when i want.

Have managed and am now booked in for my landmark 10th donation

Another arm full out. 7m51s.

Ah yes. Forgot my timing. Can't be entirely accurate due to being unable to watch the actual procedure but was close to 7 mins.

The flow monitoring / agitator has a timer, I take a photo of it when it beeps completion.

Ah I can never look in that direction due to there being a needle stuck in my arm and blood and stuff going on. I have an intensive study period of the ceiling tiles most times.
I'm a right nelly.

Did not know that. Will be documenting from now on

It gives you the current flow rate too so you know if you need to up the effort

I'm tempted to ask if I can film it next time. Then I can plot a graph of flow rate against time. Tripod might get in the way though.

Failed attempt!

She missed my (very nice and prominent) vein and then dug around a bit. She then informed me that my flow was very low, likely because it wasnt properly in my vein and we had to abort.

V sore arm

So annoying.

intensive study period of the ceiling tiles

I used to love going to the Barber-Surgeons’ hall—a great ceiling there & a fine tradition of blood-letting. Can’t give blood any more for medical reasons, which I feel sad about.

Edit: found a photo

1 Attachment

Ah - I would enjoy that. Used to go to Battersea Arts Centre before the fire which was also lovely. Tooting Blood Centre not so much.

#26 done.

Had to have the dressing redone as the bleeding hadn't stopped. Most painful bit was the nurse ripping the first plaster off. Oof. Took a second orange Club as consolation.

[EDIT] Forgot to look at my time, couldn't see the machine from my sitting position.

Also can't seem to book my next appointment at Tooting St Georges. Maybe the appointments ~12 weeks from now haven't been released. I just get a few suggestions for those dates at nearby places (Balham, Norbury, Brixton, etc).

Just under 8 minutes yesterday. They also said "you have baby blood" which would have been a bit confusing if I didn't know what they were talking about.

What were they talking about?

I'm donating on Monday evening. Hoping later in the day will lead to a faster time.

5 min 22sec yesterday. Very painful insertion though….

CMV-free? Or is it a specific type?

Got rejected this week as I had an infection of steroids into my pelvis (4 mad pelvic gains) the day before. Stupid of me to think that wouldn’t have an effect.

My blood can be used for transfusions for newborn babies. Cytomegalovirus free as greenbank says.

It ends up at GOSH fairly often.

Ooo, how do you find that out?

Do they still not give old people's blood like me to teenagers and below because of CJD/BSE?

They've just told me when I'm there. Not sure how common it is but they've told me quite a few times.

One of the little vials they siphon off at a previous donation would have been tested and then, with a negative test, your record marked with "NEO" so they know to slap the sticker on future donations.

They'll probably also regularly retest it in case you end up being infected with CMV.

If you've donated at least once and not been marked this way it means you've probably had CMV at some point so your blood can never go to babies. (Mine probably can't as I've never had anything like this in ~25 donations.)