Banned from donating blood....for life!!!

[waterinthefuel]

Not often will you see me share my medical information with the public, but I think the public needs to know this is going on.

Right after 9-11 I decided to be a lifetime blood donor. I don't drink, smoke, do drugs, any of the crap they worry about. I'm healthy as a horse. I donate, do the whole passing out thing and walk out proud as a peacock. I've got some great blood that everyone can use, whatever it is. Well after the first time I donate I get a letter in the mail saying I had a "false positive" for some kind of antibodies. They said it had absolutely nothing to do with AIDS or anything of the sort, and it was a false positive, which means it is indeed negative, but it took a second, more accurate test, to determine if its good or not which it was.

Well, that scared me a little bit and so I didn't give again until the beginning of the Iraq war. Well, yet again, I get a letter in the mail that says I had a false positive again, and since it was the second time, I have now been banned for life from giving blood!!

A few months ago I called to complain (after seeing the blood donation bus show up at our school numerous times and NOT being able to donate) and the lady said she understood my frustration (after I yelled that a false positive meant a ****ing negative!!) and she was nice and said she agreed but that right now, those are the rules. I said, "Well, your ****ing rules suck. People want to donate and your ****ing machines are so inaccurate you are banning people for life because you can't get the ****ing test right!" And then I hung up.

I hate this ****. It pisses me off. What REALLY pisses me off is the instructors at our little college say that if you donate at lunch, you can go home and you don't have to stay the rest of the day. Well, isn't that ****ing nice? I am BANNED from donating so I'm stuck there after the school is empty because everyone is donating except me and it makes me look bad!!!!! I'm so pissed about this!!!

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Banned from donating blood....for life!!!

Sucks that you have this issue but if you are donating to get the afternoon off I think you are doing it for the wrong reasons.
Not trying to have a go here so please do not take this the wrong way. Just the way you wrote it maybe ??

 

[RepoMan207]

Re: Banned from donating blood....for life!!!

All I have to say is....WOW. Why are so pissed about this? It's just like any other retarded policy...in time it gets updated or tossed out. Go take a Valium or something, It's not the end of the world.

 

[waterinthefuel]

Re: Banned from donating blood....for life!!!

No, I don't donate to get the time off. I was banned LONG before I got the 2 hours off at school. I'm just mad that I can't help people for something that's out of my control. I take care of myself for many reasons, and so I have good organs and good blood to donate is one of them. Well, now it's like screw it, I can't help anyone anymore, party time!

The reason I'm mad is because I'm CONSTANTLY bombarded with people asking me to donate. And I have to make up some excuse why I can't because, "I've been banned because of something they found in my blood" conjures up images of me having AIDS which isn't the case at all.

 

[Summer Fun]

Re: Banned from donating blood....for life!!!

Have a internet beer with me and relax.

.
Its not like the world is going to end because of it

 

[DECK SWABBER 58]

Re: Banned from donating blood....for life!!!

. Well, now it's like screw it, I can't help anyone anymore, party time!

When life hands you lemons make lemonade.

Have a internet beer with me and relax.

.
Its not like the world is going to end because of it

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Banned from donating blood....for life!!!

No, I don't donate to get the time off. I was banned LONG before I got the 2 hours off at school. I'm just mad that I can't help people for something that's out of my control. I take care of myself for many reasons, and so I have good organs and good blood to donate is one of them. Well, now it's like screw it, I can't help anyone anymore, party time!

The reason I'm mad is because I'm CONSTANTLY bombarded with people asking me to donate. And I have to make up some excuse why I can't because, "I've been banned because of something they found in my blood" conjures up images of me having AIDS which isn't the case at all.

I completely understand how you feel. I apologize for my earlier post but it was not meant to offend. I think I picked up on your frustration in the way you wrote it. I have a hard time understanding a lot of rules and regulations at times but there is not a lot I can do about it in most cases.
Tell folk that you take care of things elsewhere and not at school.
One thought is that if the rules were relaxed there might be someone somewhere (not you) that slips the net and causes an issue.
Try not to let it upset you anymore and move on.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Banned from donating blood....for life!!!

When life hands you lemons make lemonade.

Good old statement!

Well, does it ban you from donating platelets too?

Just become an advocate for those who do not donate yet. I understand your frustration and I too can not donate since my ruptured spleen in 1982 and now I take far too many daily heart pills. Absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about ...... there are hundreds of reasons.

If you can not give the blood from your arms please leave your heart in the program and encourage others.

 

[JB]

Re: Banned from donating blood....for life!!!

You may not like it, but it is an appropriate policy: If they don't know with certainty that your blood is safe to give to a very sick person they won't.

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: Banned from donating blood....for life!!!

If your intentions really are altruistic, there are many contributions you can make...as a few have already said...get out the lemon squeezer.

From the Red Cross website...

>>Permanent deferrals

Eligibility criteria, such as certain medical conditions, may prevent you from being able to donate blood in general.

* In the meantime, you can still support the blood donation cause:

* Send an eCard inviting friends and family to donate
* Join us on Facebook, inviting friends to donate or support the cause.
* Help host a blood drive.
* Volunteer your time at a blood drive.
* Make a financial donation to support the mission of the American Red Cross. <<<

" ....and walk out proud as a peacock. "

"after I yelled that a false positive meant a ****ing negative!!) .... I said, "Well, your ****ing rules suck."

"People want to donate and your ****ing machines are so inaccurate you are banning people for life because you can't get the ****ing test right!" And then I hung up."

" so I'm stuck there after the school is empty because everyone is donating except me and it makes me look bad!!!!!"

On the other hand .... Great phone call !!.......

 

[Bumpus7]

Re: Banned from donating blood....for life!!!

.
YOU MAY WANT TO THINK AGAIN ! ! !


Donating blood can still be very dangerous for the one who gets the blood.

Why ? ? ?

Because they do not check the blood like people think they do ! ! !


My Mother received a blood transfusion at 60 and died at 68 because she got the HIV virus and later died of AIDS from the blood they gave Her.

I received 3 pints of blood in 2001 and then found out It had ( Hepatitis C in it ) which they say is laying dormant in my blood, but it is still in my blood because they gave me ( BAD BLOOD )

If this Hepatitis C ever becomes active in me I could die from it,
AND I WILL ALWAYS HAVE IT
NEVER KNOWING WHEN IT MAY BECOME ACTIVE ! ! !

There are people who give blood plasma all the time, sometimes every week or so for money , including people who are homeless and live on the streets, including those who do drugs.

They do not check the blood every time they give and are only rechecked once a month or so. Those people or any one else can check negative today and have sex with some one who has HIV or AIDS that same night and now they have it, and give plasma over and over and it is not checked.

Does anyone want that kind of blood plasma ? ? ?

NOT ME OR MY FAMILY ! ! !


Until your blood has been tested to find out why it is not acceptable the public does not want it either.

For your own health reasons you should have a test on your blood to find out exactly what the problem is because you may not be as healthy as you think you are.


IF you are giving blood to save lives then be thankful they found out something is not just right, and you should not want to give blood until you find out for sure what the problem is.

Would you want to receive my blood not knowing exactly what is in it
LIKE ... HEPATITIS - C ... OR SOME TYPE OF HERPES VIRUS ? ? ?
.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Banned from donating blood....for life!!!

Jeez...instead of donating your blood then volunteer and donate your time instead! Maybe donate some money instead! There are many ways you can help.

Obviously the time and trouble they have to go through with everyone of your false positives is a problem for them.

And if you really said "****ing" anything to the red cross volunteers, you have a problem that is worse than what your blood has in it.

 

[drrpm]

Re: Banned from donating blood....for life!!!

Re: blood not being tested

All donated blood in this country is tested for HIV and a variety of types of hepatitis. While there is a window period between the onset of infection and when the test becoming positive, it is very short and has been significantly improved over the last few years. Receiving blood has never been safer than it is today. The current risk of getting hepatitis from transfused blood is roughly 1/100,000 and the risk of getting HIV is about 1/500,000.
The New England Journal of Medicine has an article on this topic from 2006.
Its volume 355 pages 1303-1305.

 

[jonesg]

Re: Banned from donating blood....for life!!!

When I get ticked off because I can't "give" something , it tells me I'm probably self seeking in some way.
Happens all the time. Thats just me being typically human.

And Hep C

You die with it, not from it.
Keep your liver clean, watch the alcohol and forget it.

 

[Bumpus7]

Re: Banned from donating blood....for life!!!

.
He has no idea if there is something really wrong with his blood or not, until it is tested for the true results.

Having his blood tested will let him know if he is in danger or not.

Not being able to give blood is not the end of the world.
.

 

[waterinthefuel]

Re: Banned from donating blood....for life!!!

When I get ticked off because I can't "give" something , it tells me I'm probably self seeking in some way.
Happens all the time. Thats just me being typically human.

And Hep C

You die with it, not from it.
Keep your liver clean, watch the alcohol and forget it.

That's true of just about everyone. People who donate time, money, experience, help, whatever....usually do it to make themselves feel better for helping people. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT.

You people seem to have misunderstood what that test meant. They said there was nothing wrong with my blood, it's just that something, whatever it is, set off their initial little test but a more accurate test showed my blood was fine. The fact that they had to retest my blood is what made it ineligible to be used, not that it had anything in it. I've had my blood sucked out by everyone, most recently in December when I had chest pain and they said you are healthy as a horse, you just sprained your chest muscle lifting your niece.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Banned from donating blood....for life!!!

My wife and I actually have appointments to give blood today due to a shortage in the region.

I think you need to relax a little, there are many other ways to help out people in need if you really want to.

The people you were swearing at had nothing to do with making the rules, which were put in place to keep people receiving blood from being exposed to deadly diseases. They can't take chances and say that just because you're a good guy the rules can be bent. Can you imagine what would happen if they did do something like that and a young child receiving blood ended up dying after suffering for years with an incurable disease, all because someone felt it was their right to give blood.

 

[Thajeffski]

Re: Banned from donating blood....for life!!!

How heavy is your niece? LoL, if you are healthy as a horse, lifting a baby shouldn't sprain your chest!

 

[tallcanadian]

Re: Banned from donating blood....for life!!!

I have a rare blood type too but I had infectious hepatitis when I was 9, so I can't give blood. Everybody wants it, but nobody wants it. I just don't lose any sleep over it. I will however take that beer someone offered.

 

[Vlad D Impeller]

Re: Banned from donating blood....for life!!!

Blood! HIV? Hepatitis? ...Oh dear oh dear!