blood donations

[Scellanis]

Ok, I really didn't need to know that stuff about size of needles and needles breaking and holes in arms...now I feel sick....

[Barry Trotter]

sorry sonkem,

*warning to sonkem look away NOW*

my arm didnt bleed very much at all. the painful bit was, the next day, taking the plaster they'd put on off. YOWCH. I swear theymuas have used superglue or something to stickit down. OWCHY.

about the aids thing, i dont think it happens in the uk. i wouldnt think so anyway. all the needles they use are sterile and all the blood that it taken away is tested before its used.

even people who have had transfusions once aren't allowed to give blood, even though they are perfectly fine.

from that, i'm now scared to go to hospitals in bulgaria

[choki]

Krum, you mean the blood donors never signed a declaration form stating that they do not have AIDS? That's horrible...imagine receiving a bag of HIV infected blood

Yeah, like what Barry had said, they will test the blood before they use it. They will stop the flow by applying pressure with an instrument like a scissor at the tube near the needle and the other one near the bag. So they just seal and collect the remaining blood into a sterile test tube for clinical test.

[Courtney Piddle]

yeah they do indeed test the blood, before even donating you have to answer a bundle of questions, mostly relating to HIV/AIDS but even if you lie on that, there is no chance if infected blood being given to another person.

if your blood is found to have an infection in it, you are told as soon as they know and are offered advice on where to go from there.

Its good to know.

( and han i must be a brute as well, because i don't feel the needle and i don't have the anaesthetic jab before hand)

and they wouldnt let me watch either!!, do you think its because your more likely to pass out if you actually see the needle going in?

[tiggirl]

I've donated blood several times and I never look when they stick me with the needle. But that's because I'm a baby when it comes to needles and I'd pull away if I saw someone approaching me with it.

But once, I went to the hospital with a friend and they had to draw blood from her. She's worse than me when it comes to needles so I stayed there to comfort her. I watched as the nurse as went to draw blood and there was a messy moment when there was just too much blood coming out of my friend's arm. Normally the sight of blood doesn't bother me, but the way it was coming out of her arm really bothered me, even though it was just a couple of seconds.

If I had to witness something like that, from my own arm, I would freak out. I'd probably end up causing a scene, passing out or just causing damage to myself. Perhaps, all three at once. And maybe that's why they advise you not to look.

I hope that makes sense . . .

[Phinea Rogue]

Oh, I think I would never again (hopefully) step into hematologist department (is that the right translation?) of our hospital!

I haven't chosen anything from the poll, there's not a suitable answer for me. I probably would donate blood (but not while that horrible nurse is in the hematology), but I simply can't. 1. I don't weigh enough, you have to have more than 50 kg (at least here) and 2. my blood would hardly save anyone, I can't neither give or recieve a transfusion. And I'm scared of that nurse there, she's a brute. I ran away once from the ordination, I almost fainted there.

[Alice I]

watch the bag fill up its was quite amazing seeing my blood , the nurse has to squeeze it all about for some reason. not too sure which.

when they collect blood it is mixed with an agent (I'm not sure what it is called) that helps to preserve the blood and keep it from clotting. This way they can store it for quite a while without the blood being damaged or spoiling if you will.
That is why the nurse was squeesing the bag as it filled, to mix this preservative into the blood.

[Krum]

I think I'm a freak...I have seen blood dripping off of me and I liked it.It pinched a little but I didn't mind it and just left the wound to heal by itself.And then I was very little(I think 8 or 9)and I fell from a tree.Actually, what am I doing in a Harry Potter forum?No place for the likes of me .And I have never actuallt been afraid of being hurt.I'm writing all of this because I have never felt dizzyness from loss of blood and believe me, there was a case where I lost a lot of blood.When I was 11 some guys were playing baseball with this iron...thing(well Ican't describe it)as a bat.So a guy dropped the bat and it bounced off the ground and hit me in the head.A minor injury and no skull damage or anything, but I lost quite a lot of blood making some nice puddles and I had to be transfered from the local clinyc to a hospital, to fix my wound.GOD I HATE MY CITY!!!

But I never felt dizzy from the loss of blood though

[harrylover]

I´m not old enough but i think i´m going to do that!!

[fred]

im not old enough and i don'twant to

[harrylover]

is there a reason fred why you don´t want to??

[fred]

no

[Mint]

He is scared!!!!!

[harrylover]

yeah, but he doesn´t want to admit it...

[ganymede]

want to, but not old enough - besisdes, i dont think my mum would allow me cuz i have very low blood pressure anyway, so me giving blood is not such a good idea...