Radio has been saying they need O negative blood here.
I find out what time the blood bank is open and go there.
Raining pretty good, duck out as I enter see that infamous
sign, picture of a handgun with a red circle and slash.

I ignore it, fill out all the BS questions, ID and such and give blood all the time my M49 is in my cargo pants front pocket.

Now, I know there going to call me when the 56 days are up to get me to donate again.

I'm thinking, "Yea, as soon as you take down that worthless no weapons sign."

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Only difference Fool/Mule-ears

One of my favorite blood donor stories.
For many years the City I worked for has done regular blood drives. Usually, they park the Blood Mobile at a fire station and the policy was that any city employee who wanted to donate would be excused from work to do so.
So this one time I standing in line waiting my turn. This young female Police Officer gets finished, she leaves and they put me on the couch where she was. They hook me up and I'm just laying back and relaxing as we're about 10 minutes into the process. I suddenly notice a Police car come screaming into the parking lot. This same female officer jumps out and makes a bee-line for the bus. Without saying a word, but very red faced, she comes directly over to me, reaches into the drawer under the couch, retrieves her service pistol and leaves.
It was all I could do to keep a straight face.

I think donating blood is a good thing and encourage others to do so. I did it quite regulaly for years. Unfortunately, they won't let me give anymore. It seems that one little heart attack is enough to disqualify you. Bummer.

I've tried for years to be a blood donor. in the 70s and 80s they told me I couldn't because I had been in south east asia and might be a malaria carrier. then in the 90s when I tried there was a question about having been in England or western Europe. nope, can't give blood because I might have mad cow disease. I asked if they could test my blood to see if I had mad cow disease. nope. the buses that come here all have those no weapon signs on them too. lee

I have given blood for many years. in my area they do them at the hospitals,fire stations and churches. There is a local Red Cross office in the town next to me that has the no gun sign at the front door. Giving blood is a great thing as you can help three people. If not for blood donors and organ donors one of my sisters would not alive today.

if i see the no weapon sign they dont need my bizz or my blood bad enough

A salute to you who donate. I'm a coward!

I do not give blood. Those who collect the blood go on to sell it to hospitals. They use the proceeds of these sales to pay their overhead, but also their salaries, including that of a sometimes bloated admin staff. In other words they are essentially farming people for their own profit. In exchange the donor gets a cookie and juice and fed propaganda that makes the whole process seem something that it is not.

Does anyone else remember "Vampire Liberty"?

When I was in the Coast Guard, if there was a local blood drive and we participated, we got the rest of the day off.

Thus, "Vampire Liberty".

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Ukraine -- now more than ever

I tried in the past but couldn't for medical reasons. Blood pressure if I remember right and, since it was a chronic problem for me, I never tried again. I wish I could since it's a really good thing to do but....sadly I can't. Bravo to those of you that do.

I look at it like this: There's no substitute for human blood. My dad needed a transfusion after chemo and there was a shortage of O+. I'm O+. I donated at the UBS across the street from the cancer center. Did my blood go to him? Probably not, but it helped someone. And since I can't help him physically fight his cancer, maybe, just maybe I can help him that way.

It doesn't cost me anything and I'm helping someone. If I need it, I hope someone is there for me.

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Thread Killer.

I'd always donated blood to either the Red Cross or to the Community Blood Bank here....... both are good org.'s Yes they charge for it but if you need blood as I did in May of 2013 on my 3rd massive chest surg. to find & stop some bad internal bleeding I got 4 units of blood before the surg. was over. I would have died but for getting that blood.

If you, a family member, a loved one or friend is in a terrible accident or has a serious surgery to repair something or to remove tumors etc., that person will need blood, if nothing else, just to have at hand, typed & cross matched if you need it....... It is my guess, (100% sure) that you will change your mind about them having the blood necessary to save that life.

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be safe,enjoylife,journey well

You have posted my story on giving blood.

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CSM, U S Army(Ret) 1963-1990

I started donating blood while in Army ROTC - enticed by getting an extra five points added to my semester grade. Continued over my working career, amassing a several gallon total.

When HIV skyrocketed in the 1990s, the Red Cross started asking questions of the donor in addition to the questions on the paperwork. One of these was "Have you worked as a male prostitute in the last 12 months?"

When asked, I would look up in the air and starting counting on my fingers, then tell the nurse "Nope, not in the last 12 months."

Sometimes they laughed, sometimes they just looked at me with eyes as big as saucers.

I was a regular blood donor for years, even made it the five gallon level of giving.

Sadly my local Red Cross location hired the Woman from Hell to run the donation center. Believe me this human was meaner than a snake, and that was on a good day.

I finally had a belly full of her nasty attitude. The LAST time I was there she was in full tilt NASTY. I suggested to her she could have an unnatural act with her oldest male and left. Never to return.

I have donated over a gallon in the past few years. Also do rated plateletts once so far.
My grandmother donated something like 10 gallons or maybe more in her lifetime.

I used to give all the time, but I got sick and ended that. Besides, the Red Cross in my area was under investigation for record keeping and a few other things. Then Hurricane Hugo came in and all the records were destroyed (seems convenient). The next time I gave it was like my first time. I told them that I had a gold drop and they didn't even know what that was. Being a blood donor supposedly had some significance if you ended up needing blood, but that was probably a come on.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

They weren't nasty, but they were incompetent and under investigation for some improprieties. The RC went from a great organization to **** in a few years time.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

Did that in 1962 in Volose , Greece.
They asked no questions and gave us a beer and biscuit after.
35 drunk sailors in port......

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Only difference Fool/Mule-ears

I had given 14 gallons and 7 pints when a test came back inconclusive (neither positive nor negative) and now I cannot give. That was at least ten years ago.

I was nailed regularly as a platelet donor. For every donation, I coughed up 3 servings. I was working on a job where I was the General Foreman, with about 140 people under me. 12-14 hours a day, 7 days a week. RC kept calling me to come in, as I missed my regular draining. Finally talked to the lady on the phone, explaining that missing an hour would cost me @ $150.00. She pleaded and finally it was agreed that I would come in when I could, without an appointment.

I was on my way back from a meeting on jurisdiction, and ran in to the RC. To make a long story short, the receptionist would not even let them know I was there, as I had the audacity to show up without an appointment. I was told that everyone was busy and couldn't be interrupted, because what they were doing was very important. I walked out, and have never been back. That was 8 years ago.

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James L. "Jim" Rhiner

I started giving blood when I was 21, 40 years ago. In 1985 I had surgery & got 3 units of blood. That was less than a month before they stared screening blood for HIV/AIDS. After that I couldn't give blood for at least 10 years. I had to have my blood tested every year for 10 years to be sure I wasn't a carrier of HIV. After that time was up I couldn't give blood because of the meds I'm on. Because 3 people back in 1985 gave blood I'm alive today. They saved my life.

I hope that some of the blood I donated for 10 years helped save a life.

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I'm 67. I don't do timeouts.

14+ gallons is a heck of a lot of blood. I'd say you contributed to the program.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

I got a 5 gallon pin before I was no longer able to donate. Always made me feel better, physically as well as psychologically.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Jim, here in Saline County Missouri, both the Red Cross & the Community Blood Bank have blood drives.........I suspect that the Community Blood Center does drives there too.

I've been told that from Saline County on east to the Illinois line, that the Community Blood Center services more hospitals blood needs than does Red Cross. Check in your phone book for them & see if they have drives around Arnold area.

I'll have my wife look around for one of her notices from them on coming drives & I'll PM you on their phone number.

Laborer's Local 264 KC, Mo.

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be safe,enjoylife,journey well

This was before AIDS testing, but I stopped by the Red Cross here - without an appointment - and was taken to a chair immediately.

Two ambulance guys came in and waited while I finished, took the blood and left. (I'm the magic ONeg.)

Never found out what that was all about, but I figure somebody needed it badly. Bet it arrived still warm...,

Heck I can't give blood now that my cancer is back.......... but by late 2012, early 2013, both Community Blood Center & Red Cross would not take blood from any man who had had sex with any other man, even once....... so if someone made the joke about being a male prostitute, ever 30 years ago....... EVER, it would be enough to get them flagged from ever giving blood or blood products again...........

The blood collection folks are just as serious as the TSA/airline folks are if someone mentions they have a bomb or are going to hijack a plane...... then laughs & says it was a joke....They still put them off the plane & bring charges on them......... it's my understanding that some end up on the no fly list forever......

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be safe,enjoylife,journey well

Pre-Air Force, my donations totaled about 2 gallons. After Air Force and college, I donated 31 pints in Minneapolis, MN as a pheresis donor. Moved to Sioux Falls, SD went back to zero and made 18 pints as a pheresis donor. Moved to Augusta, GA (back to zero) and got to 15 gallons as pheresis donor plus another 8 pints of whole blood in work place blood drives.

Originally a pheresis donor had a needle in each arm, blood was processed through a centrifuge to remove platelets and white cells, the remaining whole blood was returned through the other arm. Donation time was about 3.5 hours so you weren't going anywhere for a while. A person can donate every month as a pheresis donor.

The Red Cross in Minneapolis gave a donor a 3 sentence thumb nail sketch of the patient you were helping. My first pheresis donation went to a 16 year old cancer patient who got to go home for Christmas with their family because I came in when I was called at work. Came back to work, told my manager and department director who the patient was, and never had another question asked about donating during business hours.

I guess this makes my lifetime total near 25 gallons. My boss in college treated me like a son when I worked for him for 2 years. He died of lymphoma after an agonizing 6 year cancer battle. I made my pheresis donations to honor him. I can no long lay motionless for 2 hours (process improvements and only 1 needle now) because of lower back problems, so I donate whole blood now. Still working on gallon #17 in Augusta.

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S&WHF 366

I could give blood after I can back from Vietnam, when I could I was in Saudi Arabia. I gave blood there and they paid me $95.00 for each pint. I was able to sell 3 pints. when I went to donate blood again I couldn't because I had been in Saudi Arabia and could be a carrier of Hepatitis. Now I can get because the meds I take are immune suppressants.

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Carpriver.

I give mostly platelets, am over 23 gallons now. I try to get in every 2 weeks. It`s much easier since they went to using only one arm. Only hard part is when they have trouble finding a vein. I have never considered it a burden, just a real easy way to help those who need it. I`m 65 now and will donate until they tell me I can`t.

I do the what they call the Double Red Cell pheresis donation and it takes about an hour and a half - including the interview and the wait after. I wait 16 weeks before I can donate again due to the amount that gets taken from me.

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Thread Killer.

I was at 3 gallons when I had to stop here in the states. During my seven years stationed in the UK, I had "BB" on my donor card for "baby blood." Some virus that most people have but I don't. The Brits loved me.

Stateside, I'm forbidden to donate because those were the years the UK had "Mad Cow disease." So, even though I've been stateside for 17 years, I'm still forbidden to donate because some decades old study says I might be a carrier...

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USAF 1981 - 2001

Agent Orange exposed=no blood donor.

Oh they can have the blood. I simply think they ought pay for it, the same as any other valuable commodity. If I end up in the hospital, and need blood, I would certainly be charged for it, and charged for it in such a way that literally everyone makes money somewhere along the line. Everyone except the guy who gave his blood away...

Curiously, if I was a blood donor, they may well be selling my own blood back to me...

Not a blood donation story but this reminds me of my first morning in Iraq. I walked in the shower trailer and there was an M9 Beretta sitting on a bench. I placed my towel over it. A minute later a wild eyed USAF major burst in. I didn't say a word, just lifted the towel. He took it and left without even a thank you. He was a contracting officer, never carried a gun and probably didn't give it a thought.

When I was in Avionics School at Memphis, we could go into Millington to the blood bank to donate. If you specified your donation was for St. Jude's Children's Hospital you got a "get out of duty free" chit to use anytime your section had duty.

I went regularly in Jacksonville and was over 8 gallons donated. The Florida Georgia Blood Alliance is a non-profit and made it very easy to donate with a building near the hospitals. Unfortunately the Red Cross does the blood collecting here in the Atlanta area and it's not nearly as easy to donate.

CW

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μολὼν λαβέ

I'll be honest, I'm greedy. I'm all about making money the more the better - and I hate losing/wasting money and I generally hate people making money off of me - But I happily, freely, give my blood away and I don't care who makes money off of it. Strange, isn't it?

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Thread Killer.

Got a call from the blood bank a few hours ago.
Woman asked if I'm ready to donate again.
Tell her as soon as you take down that sign.
She says "What sign?"
The one with a pistol with a red circle and slash.
Tells me that's company policy.
I tell her, well, my policy is I don't go into any place with a sign like that unless I have to.
She says "Oh, OK. You want to be taken off our calling list then?"
What ever, you must not really need O - blood type then.

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Only difference Fool/Mule-ears

I used to give now and then. For the last 10 years, I've been taking blood thinners and cholesterol drugs, so I can't now. Good for all you donors. Just my opinion, giving blood is more important than taking up the fight for the 2nd amendment over a sign. They don't want your guns, just your blood.

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Wayne
Torn & Frayed

I wonder how that policy of "No Firearms" works on the battlefield in Afghanistan or Iraq?

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Only difference Fool/Mule-ears

The ECONOMICS of Blood

http://www.psmag.com/business-econom...rs-going-95980

I will donate for a specific individual - not to a reseller...

Bekeart

That happened to me too. Used to give regularly at work, well over 5 gallons. Then got a letter saying I tested positive positive for Hepatitis. Went to my family Doc and got blood tests that came back negative. Doc said that the blood bank went to a different type of blood screening test that was less expensive but had a higher rate of false positives. I donated one more time, taking along the results from the doctors visit. That really threw a wrench in their system! The little girl doing the screening process didn't like all the extra paperwork but they took my blood. But soon after got another letter telling me my blood was rejected so I quit going.
I have since found out that my body simply will not create antibodies when given the vaccine for Hep A&B. Doesn't mean I have it, just means the vaccine won't help me. It's not an uncommon occurrence. That may have had something to do with my failing their screening tests.

John

So, let me understand this.

According to your numbers, the Red Cross donated over a billion dollars to disaster relief, while spending two billion for its process of collecting critically-needed human blood, which apparently involves marketing, advertising, hiring, testing, refrigerating, shipping, and who knows how many other procedures -- all to ensure that people who need blood can get it.

With all due respect, I don't see a problem there. They could spend $5 billion on that process and it would still be worth it, especially if I'm the one that needs the blood.

I think there are much bigger, other issues to complain about than what the Red Cross does. No, it's not a perfect organization. (Name one that is.) But I'm darn glad it's here.

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Ukraine -- now more than ever

Did you tell them?

I had always thought that if you gave a pint-you would get free blood replacement for the year if needed for you and your immediate family. Also that you could stockpile blood for a special someone or for an upcoming surgery. That article about the red cross was eye opening to say the least!

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Forum consigliere

I have not been allowed to donate for many years - spent a lot of time in the UK (small farm towns) during Mad Cow. Then active cancer.

No point in me even asking anymore. For my last surgery, they wouldn't even let me donate for myself, lest the equipment be contaminated.

In the post from yesterday I said that to them.
They didn't care......

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Only difference Fool/Mule-ears

Malaria, hep A, dengue, ciguatera. No sale, sorry.

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Halfway and one more step

too many problems with blood. Mine is rare. AB neg. Rc and others always wanted free AB neg. They sold it for big bucks. There are too many options now days. The blood you receive won't carry O2 for 3 days anyway. Only thing it really does is fills the system. Expanders will do about as much as well as other things available. I heard someone invented a synthetic but don't know if it is true. I never gave blood or received it. Even when wounded

I haven't been able to donate for years due to meds I have to take; but when I was a small boy, about 1942, direct transfusions from my dad were all that saved my life when I was terribly ill with rheumatic fever, for which there was no real treatment then. I gave blood for many years--have no idea how much.

Once while I was donating I looked over at the woman on the gurney next to mine, a total stranger, and said conspiratorially, "We've got to stop meeting like this."

Unfortunately, or not, a nurse heard me, and things got a little silly for a while.

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Oh well, what the hell.

For those who choose not to donate, just hope you or someone you love never needs lifesaving transfusion. If you do need one to save your life or the life of someone you love, you all can thank the people who CHOSE to donate.

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Thread Killer.