I completed 50 years of donating blood last week

[rurallib]

I have been a bit reluctant to post about this, but with all the crap the Republicans have been doing, I thought maybe something like this may perk some people up.

There are many stories that go with this that I won't go into.
I am just very happy to have had the opportunity and good health to keep pumping it out.

I first gave in December of 1967 for a friend who was a hemophiliac. At that time he had to replace the blood that he was given or pay an enormous price. It was not covered by insurance at that time. So if you knew him, you probably were at least asked to donate.
He lived to a ripe age of 73 which is a long life for a hemophiliac.

[Skittles]

1. sweet

I have.....53 gallons in this area, maybe another 10 where I used to live - mostly platelets

[rurallib]

20. I know you have given a lot

Where I give they have no records past 20 years. As the facility upgraded records got lost.

Been doing platelets for @ 25 years. When I started they were using a two armed machine and it took @ 3 hours. It was torture.

I am guessing I am in the 50+ gallon range. Did a lot of white cells over the years also.

[Skittles]

24. oh I remember the two arm procedures

you could not even scratch your nose, the phlebotomist had to do it or for you The only perk for me was I didn't have to pay attention to the machine....with the one arm method now, I have to figure when the machine is drawing or giving back so I know when to squeeze - not always easy to do while watching a movie!

[Freethinker65]

2. Thank you

[Scarsdale]

43. Thank you.

Very unselfish gift. You have helped many, many people. Thank you. A record to share proudly.

[Irish_Dem]

3. You helped save your friend's life. And many other people over the 50 years.

Good for you, it is a wonderful thing you have done.

[applegrove]

4. Talk about stinging one for the team. That use to hurt back in the day.

I did it in highschool in the 1980s and it was not as painless as it is today. I've tried to give since but was on meds so was not allowed to. Good on ya.

[Generic Brad]

5. You must feel drained

And fulfilled.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

9. Haha... good pun!

[Fla Dem]

6. Congratulations! A mighty fine and noble accomplishment!

[ailsagirl]

7. Kudos to you, rurallib!

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

8. Congrats!! How many gallons have you given? (10+ here)

[rurallib]

21. They don't have the records so I don't really know

My best estimate is well over 50. I gave whole blood for @ 25 years (8 times a year) and then switched to platelets about 25 years ago along with some emergency white blood cell donation.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

27. Wow!! Got me there... good for you!!

[NightWatcher]

10. Thank you.

[FakeNoose]

11. Wow that is awesome! Good job

Happy holidays Rurallib!

[leanforward]

12. Thank you for giving blood

Giving blood changed my time in the military. The giving of blood has unseen and unimaginable benefits.

[TomSlick]

13. Good on you!

[Staph]

14. Thank you.

You have saved many lives, including mine. I was hospitalized four times this summer, and had at least twelve units of blood transfused. My hemoglobin was so low that I nearly died.

You, or someone just like you, saved me, or saved someone just like me. Since I can't directly thank those donors, I thank you!

[rurallib]

22. believe me I am very happy to have helped

I have one story where I accidentally met someone for whom I was giving white cells.
One more treatment (mine) and he would get to go back home and back to a normal life. It was my 4th donation in 2 weeks and I was feeling a bit rugged.

He had no idea who I was, though, which is good.

[Permanut]

15. Nicely done, rurallib..

I made it to 8 plus gallons, then retired with elevated blood pressure. It was always easy for me, so it was a great way to do a little community service.

[Laffy Kat]

16. Whoa!

[CentralMass]

17. Thank you

[Solly Mack]

18. Thank you.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

19. I'm donating blood tomorrow.

I look forward to the effect that one beer will have after I get home.

I don't know if the effect is the same with "double-reds" as it is with a normal unit of whole blood, but I'll conduct an experiment. Any results will be both science-based and evidence-based, of course.

Congrats on half a century of donating.

[rurallib]

23. last donation was platelets and a triple red cell

and that really knocks me on my butt anymore. Usually about 3 hours after the donation I feel so tired I can hardly move.

I don't quite recover the way I did when I was younger.
If I have been donating for 50 years, that means I am getting old in the process

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

36. Well, I gave the double-reds and it sort of wore me out.

Then, the nurse had the nerve to tell me not to drink alcohol for a day. So I didn't get to complete my research project. I don't understand why a nurse would hate science so much.

I did, however, get a nice long-sleeved t-shirt from the Red Cross.

[rurallib]

44. Merry Christmas

I think research demands another attempt.

[Still Blue in PDX]

25. I've donated 195 times, mostly platelets.

My center just switched from one-arm to two-arm machines. The donation process wipes me out these days, but I simply cannot say no when they call and ask me to come in.

I'm scheduled for December 23.

[Skittles]

28. ?

one-arm to two or two-arm to one?

[Still Blue in PDX]

35. They switched from 1-arm to 2-arm. I didn't realize that was weird until now. nt

[rurallib]

30. going from a one arm to a two arm seems be going backwards

but there may be reasons.
It would take a lot of persuasion to get me back on a two arm machine

[Still Blue in PDX]

34. I'm figuring that out from the posts here!

I guess the two-arm machines have slightly smaller-bore needles, and they go quicker. I don't particularly like them because I can't read a book or Kindle. I wonder why my Red Cross went with the two-arm for their new machines.

[lastlib]

26. WTG, rurallib!

That is inspiring! I haven't donated in a while, but I used to run blood drives for my fraternity in college. It would probably do me good to make a trip to the blood bank.

[rurallib]

31. I tell my family I will last a long time cause I get my oil changed every month

[AtheistCrusader]

29. 5 gallon crew, checking in.

I have a long way to go before I catch up to you.

[Ilsa]

38. I'm probably somewhere close to that, maybe over.

I had short spells when I didn't donate because I was pregnant or had given birth, but I have been giving since my early twenties. I'm a universal donor still free of CMV, so I get called a lot.

[AtheistCrusader]

42. Same, clean O neg is super useful.

[Kali]

32. I only started this year

well did it once a long time ago, but I wanted to make this a regular thing. Did two donations and then the last two times I tried, my blood preassure was off the charts. not sure why and it is fine at home and at the Dr, so WTF is going on there?

I'm O- and know that is useful so...

anyway you have save lives, thank you and congratulations both!

[BigmanPigman]

33. Every time I volunteer to donate they will not let me since I weigh less than 110 pounds.

What difference does that make? 10 years ago I got pneumonia and hemophilia went with it and my white blood cells ate my red ones. I lost1/3 of my blood and the hospital lab tech couldn't even get a single drop out of me to test. I ended up getting three transfusions of packed red blood cells and a stern lecture that I should have been donating blood all along. I still weigh under 110 and still am not allowed to donate. It is very frustrating.

[True Dough]

40. You weigh less than 110 pounds and yet

your DU handle is "BigmanPigman"???

Where does that come from?

[Aristus]

37. Thank you.

I envy you so much. I gave blood regularly for several years until our local blood bank started restricting from donating anyone who might have been exposed to Creuzfeld-Jakob disease. Because I was stationed in Europe in the late 80's and early 90's, I fell into that category, and I haven't donated blood in over twenty years (not even after 9/11; I practically begged them to take my blood, and they wouldn't...).

They're waiting for the advent of an office lab test that can rule out exposure, but there isn't one on the horizon, the last time I checked.

[True Dough]

39. BLOODY HELL!!!

That's a lot of life juice you've donated. Good on ya!

[colorado_ufo]

41. Inspiring! Thank you!

When I hit 3 gallons, my veins gave out. I tried to donate several times more, but each time my veins collapse before the donation was completed. So it had to be discarded. I wish I could have done more!

[rurallib]

45. Ouch - I hope that doesn't come back to bite you

if you ever need some blood or an IV.

[NNadir]

46. I started in 1970. My friend's dad needed heart surgery.

My own life was saved by a transfusion in 1974. At that time I was working in a hospital, and whenever they were short, particularly on holidays, if they needed my type, I was drafted.

I have not always been a regular. Some years I missed, but I got better after one of the secretary's fathers in my office needed major cancer surgery. I had his type.

I gave regularly for about 10 years after that; it was 1993 I think, but then the nice lady from the Red Cross who called me when I was due for some reason stopped calling.

Then it was limited to popping into blood mobiles.

I recently failed at a platlet donation - that's actually a rough one, the needles for returning my blood failed.

I don't know if I'll do that one again; it's kind of rough on an old man.

But I always try to give when I can, being a person whose life was saved because blood was there.

[rurallib]

48. thank you for what you have done

sounds like you were doing a 2 arm platelet machine which is torture.

my wife needed 4 units about 2 years ago. I was very thankful there were donors out there when she needed it.

[charliea]

47. Good for you!

I was trying to match your generosity, as I first gave in the summer of '71, but in 2014 I became ineligible to donate for life due to lymphoma diagnosis. Keep up the good work! Yes, I'm in remission.

[rurallib]

49. thank you for all you have done.

being able to stay healthy for that long is not easy.

Glad to hear you are in remission - very glad.

[Honeycombe8]

50. I should do this. I'll check into this. nt

[rurallib]

52. That would be wonderful

a really good New Years move.

[Honeycombe8]

54. Do you have to take a blood test with you? How do they know I don't have a disease? nt

[rurallib]

55. at the blood bank I go to you fill out a questionnaire

and sign it with the usual stipulation that if you are lying you can be held liable.
As for the blood test, they do a small draw before hand and run some tests before they use your blood.

As you can imagine they have to be very thorough.

[Honeycombe8]

56. I see. Just wondering. I don't have a copy of my last test results. nt

[Marthe48]

51. Well Done!

The worldneeds more like you

[rurallib]

53. thank you much

I am planning on another 50 years starting next week.

[Marthe48]

57. good!

My husband made a lot of contribution where he worked. The Bloodmobile would park in the plant lot once a month or so and John would go out and donate. After he retired, it wasn't as convenient.