Giving Blood - may possibly soon be single...

He'll be fine. I still haven't done it despite it being my new year's resolution.

I hope he does it, but even if he doesn't, I'm sure he'd still enjoy a steak ?

FWIW, I had chickened out of giving blood for years, and it was only when it came to my work and I had to make an actual appointment instead of just turning up that I didn't want to back out, so he may go for it!

Ah he'll be fine with it SLD, I thought you couldn't donate at the moment because of tattoos? I still haven't been either [slapped wrist icon] My H is dead against the idea. He gives some lame excuse that your body shouldn't be without some of its blood (lol!) but in reality he's a baby who's scared of needls.

Ah it used to be the case but now you can just inform them when you book your appointment and they will run it through an additional blood test. As only 16% of people have my blood type they are always keen for me to donate, so the hassle involved in having an extra test is negated by the scarcity of the actual donation. Handy! I'm really pleased they're being a bit more forward-thinking these days.

I think he will, I just feel a bit naughty for organising it on his behalf - but it was so straightforward and it makes perfect sense. I do hope he goes - no response as yet!

You great vampire bully, you!

Are you Aneg or Oneg SLD? I keep thinking that once they realise how special I am they'll be calling on me in the middle of the night to come down to the hospital and give my very rare blood and then i'll feel really special lol!

Sun - funny you say that, my uncle is AB negative and his local A&E have his number on file. He doesn't donate regularly, just as and when they call him, because otherwise it has the potential to be wasted. I don't know if he does it at the moment as he has cancer but it certainly used to be the case, I remember him leaving a family party once when I was wee to go and give blood as there had been a car accident in the valley across and the driver was AB neg. I think they took two pints in the end as my uncle is ex-RAF and a mahoosive chap to boot, so he could obviously spare it.

I'm A neg - though looking at the blood stats, the last time I read the figures I was looking at the wrong number. It's 17% of the UK who have a negative type and of those only 7% are A neg. I'm rarer than I thought!

? @ vampire bully - indeed I am!

No never heard of it? Is it in case she gets hurt and they know not to give her positive blood? I thought that in emergencies they only ever gave negative if they didn't know whether they were dealing with someone with antigens or not?

Good idea though - do you know where I can get hold of one please? I'm about to get a replacement driving licence (picture one whoop de doo, I've been paper since I passed in 1996!) and I know they have donation information on there, but I don't know about blood?

Ah right, maybe off the back of the potential for pre-eclampsia? (sp?) I remember having a PSE assembly at college and they asked who gave blood, my mate kindly (!) volunteered me to go up on the stage and the presenter asked what my type was.

When I told him he said "Oh dear, well if you ever have a baby check the father's blood type first as otherwise you might end up with nine months worth of injections!"

Thanks for that buddy, way to break the news! ?

He'll have to do it now, or risk being out-macho'd by you!

<muses to self> I presume I can't give whilst pregnant... must remember to ask at my post labour check when I can start again. <finishes musing to self/>

I am impressed by your type! I am 0+, and I know this is really silly, but when I found that out, I was quite disappointed to be so boringly common. Also, I had this little fantasy of blowing up some whole family drama... (I am definitely a drama queen!) which was just silly, as my dad looks like me, and I have a genetic condition from him too. At 18, I was really a bit too old to be hoping that a blood donor session was going to reveal that I was really a millionaire's daughter... ?

me too. and me too ?

i so have to go. and i have no excuse, the place is over the road from where i work ?

I'm sure he'll be fine with the appointment now it's booked as he was going to go anyway. And he'll look like a wimp if he says no!

You have to wait till 9 months after you've had the baby to give again - I rang them up to ask that they don't send me letters till I can give again and that was what they said then.

Injections throughout pregnancy is nonsense, I'm B neg and have had no problems, both my kids are positive apparently, and all that happened was I was given an injection in the leg after I had each of them, apparently its to do with future pregnancies and stopping your body rejecting the feotus if its postiive. Ive not got a card either, though I do get lots of letters and phone calls to make appts to donate blood.

MarineGirl and Kieren - you can look on the bright side of being O+ which is that hospitals always have tons of it should you need it for any reason!

I'm O+ too but am unable to give blood or bone marrow because I've had tons of surgery over the past twenty years. I feel awful because I've been the very grateful recipient of gallons of the stuff and without it I would most certainly be dead. My H is too much of a wuss and I just can't nag or guilt-trip him into it. Any suggestions on how to persuade him?

Oooo thanks SLD, you've just reminded to sort myself out an app.

I'm negative but I don't know which type and it drives me nuts! Suppose I'll find out when I go and give blood.

KM I suspect maybe once in a blue moon someone may have been subject to a continuing serious just due to complications, but I think he enjoyed the 'fear factor' embellishment! My mum is neg and my dad is positive and although my mum had no problems with me (first born) I know there were issues with my sister (second born and also neg).

I don't know re. persuasion Merlini - my ex just point blank refused to entertain the idea and refused to provide a valid reason for doing so, which was a bit disappointing. SB is a different kettle of fish, he physically couldn't do it until he turned 23 and then just hadn't thought about me.... THEN HE MET ME, MWAA HAA!

He's just emailed me and said "No that's cool, I can probably get away a bit earlier too, so let's both go along to the first appointment together, it doesn't matter if one of us has to wait a bit for other. Dinner sounds good too. Do you need my donor number or have you memorised that too?!"

? Just because I can remember his postcode!

Ah he's a good 'un, really pleased that he is going to do it.?

I'm O- which is the one they like, as anyone can have it. I really need to crack on and get donating, although I am a bit of a wimp about it. The injection does not bother me in the slightest, its being without that bothers me. Totally pathetic.

With negative pregnant ladies, it depends on current guidelines, and your healthy authority on how the deal with you. I had to have some Anti D at a 28 week appointment with both mine, as a prophylactic dose, and then they tested me post birth and the nice people gave me some more! Lucky me! ? If the father is negative too, there is no need for any anti D, but as being negative is quite rare, it doesnt happen that much.

Mr R is A neg and he gets bombarded quite a lot to give platelets, but it's quite a commitment in time and atm he doesn't feel with his work he can commit to it so just still gives blood normally.

I am B pos and was dead jealous of him for being rhesus neg as it meant he was rarer than me ? until I got pregnant and discovered that in the world of pregnancy being rhesus pos is A Good Thing as it means you get less people coming at you with needles.

I suppose that means Young Master Roobarb and the current sitting tenant could be AB neg - that would be pretty cool quite rare.

SLD that is genius work indeed. I'm A- as is my dad, brother and OH. Mother is O- and used to be asked to donate lots as she has an antibody in her blood that means her blood can be given to new born babies. She had the hump for years as her blood was always put in a different box to everyone elses and she wanted to know why - that was the reason. I need to remind OH that he should donate soon as he's not been for ages. I asked them to take me off the list as I had a transfusion 3 years ago and am not allowed to donate anymore. :-( At least I did give a few times before I had to stop.

You guys are very brave. I could never do it. My last blood tests took two trips to the hospital and the first trip had two nurses and my husband holding me down whilst I went into complete melt down. They ended up taking it out of little holes in my thumbs (which didn't work so I had to go back).

Hee hee! Mr R would do almost anything for steak. I'm sure he'll be fine with it.

Or they could be dull old O.

Awww I'm so jealous. I've never been allowed to give, and its always upset me. My dad gives at every opportunity and hold a platinum card from the donor service. I tested positive for Rheumatoid factor at 17 and so when I first went to give blood after my 18th, was told that they couldn't accept it.

I have just enrolled on the blood donor website, I am B- and never realised how rare that it, so hopefully I will find out soon when I can donate.

I'm A Neg and don't have a card in case of accidents - I'm surprised to be honest as a hospital would always type blood, rather than relying on a card in a wallet or similar ID, before giving anything other than O neg (universally acceptable) and even then, that would only be in the biggest of emergencies.

If you're Rhesus negative, you usually get offered anti-D jags while pregnant, regardless of your partner's blood type now. I did but that's only two or three jags in total and one was post-birth as I didn't want to stay in hosptial until they'd typed my baby.

It always makes me laugh about people thinking that having a rarer blood type means it's more important to donate - if it's rarer, then less people will need and can receive it...

That said, I think everyone who can, should give blood. My H won't but he's phobic about needles and only just over the weight limit so I suspect he'd be more trouble than he's worth ?

I tried to donate last week but was rejected as my Hb levels were too low. I'll try again in a few months time...

Zeb - I think it depends on your trust's policy. I'm A Rh- and my H is O Rh- so after a bit of grilling as to whether I was positive of my child's paternity (in front of my H, which was nice ?) I didn't need Anti D injections with either of the boys, thankfully.

So as we're both Rhesus negative, I'm guessing I am duty bound to book us both in sharpish, aren't I?

Totally agree re. blood with more ubiquitous uses is especially vital because it can often be given to more recipients - but as I say, they are always keen for me to donate, as they are with anyone I should imagine. I think the only import that should be attached to donation is that there is never enough in the banks so regardless of type, we all should do what we can if we can (by if I'm including medical reasons and also phobias/physical effects as they really can prevent people from donating and I am sympathetic to that).

I certainly don't think my blood is more important than anyone elses! ?

Although it is RARER than most [snigger]. I'm kidding, I'm kidding! ?

Ah, my mw said they didn't want to test my H's blood type when I asked and fumbled around the issue but I think her reply boiled down to "we don't test the father's blood in case they aren't actually the father" ?

"We don't test the father's blood in case they aren't actually the father, YOU SLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAG" ? Love it.

I must just have an angelic face ?

I'm A rh-, and although i'm on the bone marrow register, I've never given blood as (pre-pregnancy) I was terrible with needles. Having spent those 9 months pretending to be a pin cushion (gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, induced labour, and clexane injcections), I'm now quite at ease with it and will be donating as soon as I can!

My mum has a green card, she's also A rh- but i don't think they do them anymore?

My mum's a+ and my dad's a rhesus d neg (he had it on a card from the blood people) - not sure what the d's about.

i've never done it because i'm scared of needles and no-one can ever get blood out of me, my mum, or my grandma. normally they have to start getting extra medics to have a go and have about 6 attempts before they get anywhere, then they decide they'll make do with half of what they were aiming for. so all in all pretty scary.

i had a look at the website as i thought i should go and stop being a wimp, but apparently because i still have a cold i shouldn't go yet.

eek