Posted by Racer on March 8, 2006, at 14:13:53
In reply to Re: GAY MALE blood donors!! » pseudoname, posted by Voce on March 8, 2006, at 0:27:46
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> I'm a one gallon donor, BTW.Good for you!
I was going for the 10 gallon plaque at my old blood bank, where they credit you for giving blood. Give 10 gallons, and you'll get blood products free if you ever need them, and can transfer it to your immediate family. Plus the plaques for 10 gallons are a lot nicer than the plaque for 5 gallons :^D But then I moved, the blood banks I've been to since haven't credited, and I stopped paying attention to how much I'd given. I think I might be over a gallon, by now, though.
Giving blood is A Very Good Thing To Do, and it's the easiest way I can think of to build up good karma. And, with all the blood borne diseases out there -- beyond AIDS -- I do think people who can donate should donate. (Even if I feel guilty saying anyone "should" do anything...)
Also, one of the scariest things I can remember was a call I got early one New Year's Day morning -- a friend who's wife was doing an ER rotation in her residency, calling to say that she'd just called to say that they had just used the very last unit of blood available in the city, and could I donate that day? I really couldn't, because I'd donated too recently, but the blood bank was allowing donors who were near eligible to donate again. Still -- imagine you or a family member getting to the ER after an accident, and finding out that there was no blood? After that, I had a standing appointment at the blood bank, except when my weight was too low.
Just started donating again, by the way, although technically my weight has been eligible for almost a year now.
poster:Racer
thread:617192
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20060303/msgs/617531.html