so yesterday I donated blood. Today I am totally wiped out

[yellowdogintexas]

It was a worthy cause though.
A friend organized a blood drive which focused on African Americans with emphasis on Sickle Cell Disease. She was hoping to raise awareness of the importance of donating especially if you carry the Sickle Cell Trait. Which I do. Never mind that I am a true paleface - I still have the trait.

I had to stop doing blood donations regularly because it wipes me out for 2 days afterwards. The local blood bank calls me when they have a dire need; I will not do it unless I have not doing anything for the next 2 days.

I met this lovely senior lady who has sickle cell.

[Demovictory9]

1. my father had the trait. don't think I do.

tip of the hat to you.

[yellowdogintexas]

10. I have no idea how I ended up with it.

somewhere along the way one of my parents was carrying it I guess.

We could have some Mediterranian ancestry.

If you donate, and have an unusual blood component, you will get a call when they have a special need. My uncle was AB Neg and he was on speed dial at the bloodbank.

[a kennedy]

2. ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

[Skittles]

3. losing one pint of blood should not "wipe you out" for two days

seriously

but kudos to you for donating - I cannot understand why blood centers have to constantly beg for blood

[yellowdogintexas]

8. not enough people donate. In my case I have "special" blood so I only donate

when they beg me

I do have fibromyalgia which affects circulation and could be part of the problem

When I donate, I fill the pint really fast so my fluid balance is probably thrown off.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. Good for you, my dear yellowdogintexas!

You are truly giving of yourself when you donate your blood.

Did the staff tell you what your hemoglobin/hematocrit were? I don't know what your diet is like, but if you don't eat red meat at least once in a while, supplements would probably help you not be wiped out afterwards.

I was an RN for the Red Cross Blood Services, and this is something I learned there.

Kudos to you!

[yellowdogintexas]

6. Hi CaliforniaPeggy! They did give me the numbers and they were fine.

It seems to be more of a matter of fluid replenishment. My blood pressure is fairly low too; I found myself needing to lie down about 2 hours after I finished.

I have learned to consume vast quantities of liquid before during and after and eat a big meal before I do in. I do enjoy red meat !!

My days of 4 donations a year are long gone, now I only donate when I get a desperate call from the bloodbank seeking blood with Sickle Cell Trait.

Thanks for your kind thoughts!!

[yellowdogintexas]

20. UPDATE: My neurologist's Nurse Practitioner says sudden loss of Red Blood Cells

causes it. All the other things we have talked about contribute to the length of recovery time.

Good excuse to Eat More Steak!!

[brewens]

5. Thanks for donating. Some people are effected that way. Did you eat well before and were

you well hydrated? That's about all you can do to avoid a reaction.

[yellowdogintexas]

7. definitely. I had a good breakfast and drank water all day.

Then I had chicken tenders right before I arrived at the donation site; drank water all the way through the process and for the rest of the day.

I have nevere passed out or anything thank goodness. However I do miss the days when I just got up from the table and went back to work. I think I am over 2 gallons now.

Of course it could just be age.

[brewens]

14. I'm retired from a blood center. They rarely fail to inform donors to do what you

do. Good job. Can't do much more than that.

We had donors that knew they couldn't handle going every eight weeks as permitted because of that. Or they usually had trouble passing the hemoglobin test if they came in that ofte

[yellowdogintexas]

19. Carter Blood Center here in Tarrant County gave me all those

instructions when I told them why I had to cut back donations. They are an excellent blood center.

[rurallib]

9. Why does the blood bank want blood with sickle cell trait?

Have never heard that before and am really curious.

Thanks much for donating!

I have been donating most of my life. Used to never bother me, but now as I have gotten older recovery takes a bit longer. Everything takes a bit longer.

[yellowdogintexas]

17. because a person with sickle cell can use it without problems

I am called when someone with Sickle cell is having surgery; they will tell me how many pints they need to collect by the surgery date. I am O+ so my blood is useful for many.

When I registered for bone marrow bank, I received a letter advising me that I could expect to be called due to an unusal combination of proteins in my blood. I have never been called for bone marrow though. This was in the late 1990s

[rurallib]

18. got it - thanks

[TexasBushwhacker]

11. You could donate platelets

It takes longer than donating whole blood because they take it out, separate the platelets and the give me you back your plasma and red blood cells. Platelets can only be refrigerated, not frozen, so their shelf is only about a week. There is a constant need for platelets, especially types A, B and AB. I donate every other week!

[BigmanPigman]

12. I gave blood in college and they refused me

since I am small and weighed under 100 pounds. That was odd since while weighing the same I was allowed to donate 10 years later. The problem that time was that they couldn't get enough blood out of me to weigh whatever it was supposed to weigh to be accepted. But they kept trying and they got the allotted amount. I was a little dizzy for a bit but it was no problem.

[niyad]

13. You are a true hero.

[BobTheSubgenius]

15. In Canada, it's illegal to sell or buy blood, so people do it only for their altruism.

Interesting exception, though. Someone in the shared accommodation in which I lived in the early 70's took it upon themselves to rent it to an even younger guy who turned out to be a drunken maniac.

What he did have going for him was a rare and useful component in his blood that could be extracted, then his blood given back to him. It was rare and useful enough that he got paid for it, and a once-a-week donation would have paid him nearly as much each month as my student loan allowed me.

Because of the circumstances of his condition, he was allowed to donate twice a week.

[Skittles]

21. it's illegal here too

you can be compensated for donating plasma, not blood

[BobTheSubgenius]

22. Thanks. I did not know that.

I guess the term "selling blood" is a low-information way of saying it.

[MLAA]

16. You are giving the gift of life!