I don't know why its taken me so long to do it.
I was also amazed at the relatively small amount you can give 3/4 times considering what one nurse told me; someone can go through 50 pints until they stop bleeding.
I also 'assumed' niavely that they would take more (yes yes I know we only hold 8 pints in our bodies) 
Part of the fear of giving was the needle and how I'd feel afterwards. Neither fear is founded.
I really should
With your Internet sexyman persona, Hora, I'm suprised that you're allowed to donate...
It's a bit weird to think there are people ratling around with my blood in them 
It is easy though and a good thing to do 
I'm not allowed to do it anymore 
as they changed the rules a few years ago about having been given whole blood products (I was in 1987) to limit the spread of CJD.
Mind you 27 people have already had mine so maybe a bit late
If you can do it.....you might just save someones life
paulosaxo, the nurse popped down 4 blood bags. Again niavely, I thought 'ah I'll fill those'. She then explained afterwards the others are for my recipients. Potential multiple people. That could me or you. Once you've received blood you can't give can you? <1 hour to help others.
clubber 
Thankfully the medical form did not have a section marked 'flash grenades' or 'are you sexual semtex'?
Yep. Nowt to it. I'm O Neg so, if I'm ever in an accident and get given blood by a paramedic, there's a chance that it might be mine...
I'm terrified of needles. Did it once just to see what it was like, and i hurt like a *******. I think they did it wrong.
I still plan to go back though.
I finally got around to it in December after there was an appeal on the radio. very easy and efficient and free bourbons afterwards so well worth it plus i did if in office hours. i did feel weak on the bike for 3-4 days though. In sprinting between lights and generally chasing (catching) roadies etc, i.e. a typical urban commute, I just ran out of power after say 200 metres rather than the 400 i might usually manage before collapsing over the bars.
I made the mistake of not having a full belly before I went in. Cue four hours of hell, dizziness, near blackouts and caring nurses.
I'll do it again.
It's a small thing but so important. Good on anyone who's a bit scared or squeamish about it and still goes anyway.
My other half certainly wouldn't have survived cancer had it not been for the generosity of everyone who donates.
He's gutted that he can't donate any more though.
I've missed my last couple of appointments but normally I do.
I'm a fan of doing hard physical exercise or hitting the pub straight after... a game of squash almost did me in though.
Think I'm O negative too
Doest that matter?
O neg is very good, your blood can be given to anyone.
b neg here.
I rode the morning after- I wonder if I can blame that for falling off this time?
I used to pass out during the tea & biscuits phase 
so they told me not to bother donating anymore
Dicky boy, don't sit next to binners or accept a cup from him. Sorted 
Donating it doesnt mean it's used, loads of it just gets destroyed from what I hear (limited "sell by date") which is a great shame.
I gave it once, the needle wasn't painful but donating the full bag in a couple of minutes (they never said to stop squeezing!) left me feeling rotten for the next 24 hours and I even had to leave my car at work and take the train home. However I'm told that if you do it correctly and deliver in a reasonable time you don't feel quite so shocked lol.
I went to register as a bone marrow donor this week but they were all out of swabs for the test
It hasn't been the same since they stopped offering you a Guinness after you donated IMHO. Some namby-pamby rules about not letting woozy people drink and then drive home; it's health and safety gone mad, I tell you...
O neg here as well, given 35 pints so far, nothing to it, if you can you should give it a go, hopefully if I'm ill and don't know it the tests they do should give me an early heads up too, win win,
PJ.
paulosaxo, the nurse popped down 4 blood bags. Again niavely, I thought 'ah I'll fill those'. She then explained afterwards the others are for my recipients.
It's very rare that blood is given as whole blood. The blood will be centrifuged to separate the plasma from the red cells this is then transferred to the other bags on the donation kit. One is for the plasma which contains the coagulation factors - this can be frozen and stored for a long time. The second is used for the intermediate layer which contains the white cells and platelets - I believe this is generally discarded these days as platelets are obtained using platelet apharesis. The final one is for the red cells which can be stored for about 30 days.
I spent 15 years as a biomedical scientist in haematology and blood transfusion and can confirm what someone posted earlier about some of the blood being wasted usually it's the rarer groups (B's and AB's) going out of date but I did once have to bin 120 units when the cold room broke down in a large teaching hospital I was working at. But generally it is always treated as a precious resource and I would encourage anyone who is able to donate to do so.
A neg. Haven't been able to give blood the past few years due to medical reasons. Hoping to be able to carry on in the future.
Used to give blood quite a bit back when I was a student. Myself and my housemates used to give blood and go straight to the boozer. Cheap night on the lash ensued. Halcyon days.
If you give blood it might be worth considering becoming a platelette donor. I did it for several years, until a change of job meant I couldn't get to the dedicated donor centre.
My total of donations (blood and platelettes) is now, I think, 114! Thsi is due ot the fact you can donate platelettes much more frequently. In fact the donor centre used to call me up and ask me if I could go in when they needed specific supplies.
Given blood quite a few times over the years. Only hurts occassionally - when they don't get the needle in quite right!
A couple of years ago I was sitting quite happily post-donate, eating my Tuc cracker and lemon juice - hadn't realised that I had started to bleed out until the lady sitting opposite fainted at my pool of bllod on the floor! ... no after effects apart from the binned cream Howies cords (one whole leg was stained with ORh+)
!
Talking of which Ralp Lauren cord trousers are down from £90 to £27 in house of fraser (basement/trendy bit if you are in Manchester)
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