DR1 Blood Donor Register

[Sharlene]

Originally Posted by Lambada

Is everyone 'signing up' actually checking that they can give blood? I don't want to put a damper on a good idea but I do feel there is need for medical input & I'm no doctor.

I used to give blood regularly in UK, sometimes called in for specific donation because of an AB+ve blood group (not the rarest but relatively uncommon). Soon after moving here I got schistosomiasis (bilharzia), quickly dealt with by medication but the antibody remains in the blood for a very long time. My June tests in UK showed schistosoma antibody negative - first time in 12 years! I didn't give blood for all that time, not wishing to pass on that antibody to someone who would be confused by it showing up in their tests when they'd never had bilharzia. Now I find that some sites are suggesting don't donate if you're over 60 & haven't been a donor in the last 5 years. Other sites say 70...........

I am no expert. All I'm saying is that it is better to have people on a register who can actually donate when the need arises. Here are some UK sites you can check: note they don't all say the same things exactly. There must be US sites as well. None of them exclude women in menstruation age range (as per comment on previous thread). However, be aware that the 'do's' and 'don't' on these links will be culturally specific to UK and may or may not apply in DR.
The National Blood Service - do something amazing donate Blood

https://secure.blood.co.uk/c11_cant.asp

NHS Sheffield - Blood Service

NHS Sheffield - Blood Service

BBC - Health - Ask the doctor - Blood donor

Lambada, as always, has made valid points, but the reason I opened this thread was just so that people could share information with each other if they wanted to through the private message or email facilities on DR1.

Apparently, this was discussed at length at the recent Ambassador's meeting and was deemed to be a good idea. Also, some of the stories told on the original 'Hope we never need blood' thread were quite worrying in that there just wasn't blood available in the blood banks when emergencies arose. It would appear that the some of the restrictions that were mentioned on the previous thread were quite strange, but I'm not sure if they apply to every medical facility here.

I think it's down to the individuals who 'team' up with each other to ensure that they're in a position to donate blood to each other i.e. by checking out which hospital or medical facility they're likely to be taken to and the blood banks available for that facility and the restrictions which apply. I wasn't trying to replace medical advice with this thread, I just found myself agreeing with the suggestion that it would be useful to have a list of people with the same blood group for future reference if needed.

[Lambada]

Yes I agree it is useful. Let me see if I can find out if in DR terms I would be allowed to donate (age etc). I'll ask at a number of different places to see if I get the same response............. Then if I know I will be allowed to donate I'll sign up here. Might take a week or so.

[Linda Stapleton]

A Positive
Estrella1 (Estrella) - Puerto Plata
la flaca (Denise) - Santiago

A Negative
Gini - Cabrera (since next mid-september

O Positive
Whirleybird (Shirley) - near Sabaneta
Whirleybird's Partner (Charlie) - near Sabaneta
Linda Stapleton - Between Cabarete and Sosua

O Negative
Sharlene - Sosua

I've added my name even though I am of menstruating age (just) and have pierced ears. If Lambada discovers that these exclusions apply everywhere I am willing to be removed!!!!
Linda

[Adrian Bye]

O- adrianb, santiago. Rob knows how to reach me and I would be happy to donate blood anytime.

Adrian

[Sharlene]

Originally Posted by Lambada

Yes I agree it is useful. Let me see if I can find out if in DR terms I would be allowed to donate (age etc). I'll ask at a number of different places to see if I get the same response............. Then if I know I will be allowed to donate I'll sign up here. Might take a week or so.

Thanks Lambada. I appreciate your help on this. If all the medical facilities here where people can donate blood really do exclude women of menstruating age and people with piercings then it's no wonder they never have any blood available in the blood banks!

A Positive
Estrella1 (Estrella) - Puerto Plata
la flaca (Denise) - Santiago

A Negative
Gini - Cabrera (since next mid-september

O Positive
Whirleybird (Shirley) - near Sabaneta
Whirleybird's Partner (Charlie) - near Sabaneta
Linda Stapleton - Between Cabarete and Sosua

O Negative
Sharlene - Sosua
adrianb - Santiago

[whirleybird]

Originally Posted by Sharlene

Thanks Lambada. I appreciate your help on this. If all the medical facilities here where people can donate blood really do exclude women of menstruating age and people with piercings then it's no wonder they never have any blood available in the blood banks!

Correct me if I am wrong but think Lambada said that you need to be within menstruating age?

[Sharlene]

Originally Posted by whirleybird

Correct me if I am wrong but think Lambada said that you need to be within menstruating age?

No, I think you may have misunderstood. Lambada recommended some UK sites as a reference starting point with regard to finding out about exclusion categories which may prevent people from donating blood. She then commented that "none of them exclude women in menstruation age range". What she was referring to (as was Linda Stapleton in her comment on the same page) was a reference made on the previous "Let's hope we never need blood' thread (Post No.27) whereby Linda Stapleton stated that one of the exclusions to giving blood when her friend Pauline Wren required open heart surgery in a Santo Domingo hospital was that no women of menstruating age were permitted to donate! I found this quite shocking I must admit, and hope it really isn't true for all the medical facilities here.....

[whirleybird]

Originally Posted by Sharlene

No, I think you may have misunderstood. Lambada recommended some UK sites as a reference starting point with regard to finding out about exclusion categories which may prevent people from donating blood. She then commented that "none of them exclude women in menstruation age range". What she was referring to (as was Linda Stapleton in her comment on the same page) was a reference made on the previous "Let's hope we never need blood' thread (Post No.27) whereby Linda Stapleton stated that one of the exclusions to giving blood when her friend Pauline Wren required open heart surgery in a Santo Domingo hospital was that no women of menstruating age were permitted to donate! I found this quite shocking I must admit, and hope it really isn't true for all the medical facilities here.....

Okay my misunderstanding. Obviously I haven't read my own thread as well as I should have done! Proably another silly question but what are the rules for men?

[Lambada]

Originally Posted by Linda Stapleton

I've added my name even though I am of menstruating age (just) and have pierced ears. If Lambada discovers that these exclusions apply everywhere I am willing to be removed!!!!
Linda

Lambada will ask questions which pertain to Lambada............. you know what it will do if I ask about upper age limits and pre-existing schistosoma antibodies and then go on to ask about menstruating age and piercings when I don't have any............it'll just confuse people. I suggest we follow Sharlene's advice & all of us ask the questions which pertain to us as individuals. And report back here.

[planner]

I would gladly join this registry - I think it is a valuable tool! However, Lambada is correct some conditions will elimate people from being a donor, I am one of those. For those wondering cancer is an eliminating factor - not all types apparently but many.