quote:

Originally posted by 400m:
I went to donate back in college. When doing the questionnaire, I realized that I was not qualified. I told the lady that was drawing blood and she said “That’s okay, you can still donate we will just discard it”.
After I realized she wasn’t kidding I just walked away.

I have a brother in law who has a doctors prescription for the blood bank to withdraw blood frequently due to a medical issue. They can't dispense it so they just discard it.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: OKCGene,

quote:

Interesting business model, I'm surprised the government lets them get away with it. By get away with it, I mean generally the government doesn't like competition when it comes to one sided unethical money makers. That's their gig.

Are you suggesting a blood tax?

As soon as that blood arrives in the hospitals inventory the government gets its cut.

Down here, Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center switched to using students to draw the blood and nearly every time turn your veins into pin cushions. Also, when there is a problem the student calls over the supervisor and they talk to each other as if you're deaf (e.g. "it doesn't even bother me any more when I ruin a vein and the person isn't eligible to donate for 24 hours"). Everybody I know (including people like myself who have donated gallons) has quit donating.

If it's as important as they say it is then they can switch to:

professionals drawing the blood.

pay me for my time and my blood. They make a mountains of money off it and have driven costs down to the point they've turned supporters into opponents.

---

Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.

Good one, V-tail.

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
Down here, Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center switched to using students to draw the blood...

...

If it's as important as they say it is then they can switch to:

professionals drawing the blood.

How do you suppose those professionals got to be professionals?

I've never really understood the needle phobia thing. Doesn't bother me a bit. In fact, having good veins, I used to let nursing students and paramedic students practice on me all the time. Just a year or so ago I was teaching a nurse friend of mine how to start IVs using an ultrasound and let her practice on my arm. No big deal for me.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
Down here, Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center switched to using students to draw the blood...

...

If it's as important as they say it is then they can switch to:

professionals drawing the blood.

How do you suppose those professionals got to be professionals?

Practice on other students, nurses, doctors, relatives, friends, roomies, etc.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:
I've never really understood the needle phobia thing. Doesn't bother me a bit. In fact, having good veins, I used to let nursing students and paramedic students practice on me all the time. Just a year or so ago I was teaching a nurse friend of mine how to start IVs using an ultrasound and let her practice on my arm. No big deal for me.

I do not have a needle phobia as I like to watch it go in and the blood fill the previously empty tube. Instead, I do not suffer fools very well and I don't like my time wasted. GCRBC is doing a private blood drive at my employer's office (a large, multinational corporation) so all of their victims are busy people (most of whom manage contractors/vendors and fire vendors/contractors who cannot perform). Their don't give a shit attitude and lack of skill is marginalizing people who had previously given gallons of blood at these same blood drives. They used to use actual techs and nurses.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
Good one, V-tail.

Roger that.

Interesting that a joke like that sparked so much serious discussion.

People that donated blood, saved my life when my body decided to murder my platelets. I had several infusions of platelets and IVIG (Intravenous immune globulin) over several months.

That was a lot of donuts and orange juice.

I am grateful for that, but I am not permitted to donate blood, but I encourage and thank all who do.

quote:

Originally posted by joel9507:

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
Good one, V-tail.

Roger that.

Interesting that a joke like that sparked so much serious discussion.

I agree that it was a good joke. I should've said so prior to entering into the tangential serious discussion.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
Too many stupid questions.

Whose blood is it? Where did you get it? Why is it in a bucket?

Just wait when you try to do a withdrawal! Who are you? Why do you only come at immediately before closing time? Why don't you have a reflection? It's bitch, bitch, bitch!!

Over the years have donated (?) gallons some were for specific people and some just general donations to the blood bank..... if donating thru a couple of sites that would constantly call on the phone or send letters about comming in to where it got to the point that would use the excuse of just getting a fresh tatto (body ink) and they finnaly got the hint and they stopped calling.......... Just this past June after donating for a friend was notified by the hospital that it was unable to use the donation due to something found in the blood and that after I had two seperate test done to confirm that what they were claiming was false the blood bank was informed ""to go pound sand""...... Never again .......................................................... drill sgt.

quote:

Originally posted by joel9507:

Interesting that a joke like that sparked so much serious discussion.

Joke? You think that's funny?



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWINtUCshxY

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
Down here, Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center switched to using students to draw the blood...

...

If it's as important as they say it is then they can switch to:

professionals drawing the blood.

How do you suppose those professionals got to be professionals?

Practice on other students, nurses, doctors, relatives, friends, roomies, etc.

Point is, nobody gets good overnight. Those "actual techs and nurses" you refer to below were students at one time too. If you use them every time, how do you figure the younger ones are going to learn? If it bothers you that much, don't donate, or ask that you not have a student.

quote:

Originally posted by Sigmund:
I used to donate every 57 days, I'm over 12 gallons now. When they stop requiring a mask at the blood center I'll go back.

Thank you. It means a lot to many of us.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:
If it bothers you that much, don't donate, or ask that you not have a student.

Thanks captain obvious. As I’ve written in every post you’ve replied to, I have quit and all of the other multiple gallon donors I know have quit as well.

Been donating for 30 years. Been used as a pin cushion, had a needle stuck through the the back of a vein during a power red, had walk ins go ahead of my appointment, etc. It's either important, or it's not. To me it is and I've never needed blood nor has anytone I've known.

It's a small sacrifice.

Last time I tried to give blood at work, I went to the van/trailer thing they set up in the parking lot, answered a shit ton of questions. And at the end of the questions they told me I can't give blood because I had been to India in the past 5 years or some such time period.

That's the last time I bothered. If they want my blood they can tell me the disqualifying countries first, not after all the other questions.

Gave for years specifically to premi babies because I did not carry some virus ... then it seems they figured out how to clean regular blood for this virus and stopped calling me.... I did give plasma for a while... that's when they suck it out and then pump it back in clear and cold... pretty weird. Now I'm on way too much medicine ....

I enjoyed the joke V-Tail, thanks for the laugh.

I used to donate Platelets through apheresis, which is where they separate the platelets and return the red blood and plasma back to you.
You can donate one a week, up to 24 x a year. I would go every 2 weeks and maxed out 2 years in a row.

Then I got sick... just a lingering flu, but I had to cancel my standing appointment... the one I had steady for 2 years. They continuously called and emailed me to set up my appointments, but never once asked how I was doing or feeling. I was in no shape to donate, just trying to get better to get back to work, and didn't need this crap, and told them so.

I was so sick of being just a platelet cow for them, and haven't gone back since. I have 'sold' it through other companies, but at least there there's no pretense in where I stand with them.

I have had several issues with Red Cross. Perhaps it's the location here where I am. I've made appts 5 times, and 3 of those times they have cancelled or had issues. The 4th of 5 they turned me away because of the temps in room, but I was able to return later. No contact to me to tell me until I was on the way. What good is it to email me a cancellation 10 minutes before on a 20 min drive?? I was furious and called to complain and let supervisors know, but they blamed that on another computer issue

I need another organization if I'm going to donate again. 1 for 5 is not an organization I should continue to give money to either.