Giving Blood?

[lori67]

Well, who am I to argue with my wise older sister?  23 it is.

Ah, the days of frivolous gifts...I miss them...   Now I usually get a household appliance of some sort.  This year I told my family that I don't want any gifts that will benefit anyone other than myself.  I'm being selfish since I have to have surgery 2 days after my birthday.  For someone that usually celebrates a "birthday season" for the entire month, this could be a very difficult year!

Oops... Jules did we hijack this again?  Sorry.  It was all Jan's fault.   

Lori

[leapyrtwins]

Oops... Jules did we hijack this again?  Sorry.  It was all Jan's fault.   

It ALWAYS is! 

It's such a burden being the older sister 

Jan - 23 and holding

[hruss]

Julie,

my doctors told me that blood turns to its initial quantity three months after a surgery, but returns its quality a bit longer - 6 months are needed. So when i would like to donate blood for my granfather had to have a surgery 2 months after mine, i was not allowed to.

I asked the House Ear clinic if i have to donate blood in advance in case they need it for my surgery, but they replied that blood will be taken from Red Cross banks so no need me to do it.

It is not the case in my country Bulgaria, though. Since here a lot of people are reluctant to donate, when someone goes for a surgery doctors ask his/ her relatives to donate - this is the only way to make people donate here - which sucks, i know.

Me personally, have never been allowed, however, because I have always been less than 50 kgs and they say that to donate you have to be 50 - 55 kgs.

do kgs matter in the US?

Hrissy

[lori67]

I think you have to weigh 110 pounds to donate in the US.  Ok, sorry, I can't remember the formula for changing pounds to kilograms, so someone else will have to do that part.

I've heard of some surgeries here where they ask the family to donate in advance.  That's probably for the big surgeries that may have a lot of blood loss or something.

Lori

[Kaybo]

I couldn't do the conversion either, Lori - you are not alone.  I, however, need not EVER worry about not weighing enough!!   
I had to give a pint before my AN surgery (I think that is when it really started to sink in) & my BIL gave a pint - they used both - even though they had ASSURED us it was "just precautionary - they NEVER used that!"  My BIL told me that anytime I act or say something corny, I can blame it on his pint!!  Crazy thing is that it was MUCH more expensive for me to store & use my own blood than if I would've just used from the bank!!!

K

[wendysig]

I usually give blood twice a year (shame on me for being so stingy) and never considered the idea that this surgery could change that -- thank goodness it doesn't.  When I asked about a self donation for my surgery my doc actually told me so little blood is lost during this surgery, he recommends against it.  K - do you know why you needed so much blood?  Did your stroke have something to do with it?

Wendy

[leapyrtwins]

Wendy -

you're not stingy because you only donate twice a year - the important thing is that you donate.  Lots of people can't for various reasons.

It is okay to donate after AN surgery, as we mentioned, but there is usually a waiting period so make sure you tell them about your surgery before you donate.

My docs also told me that AN surgery typically isn't a surgery that requires much blood.  Guess K's just special - but we all knew that 

Heck, they even named a cereal after her 

Jan

[Kaybo]

Wendy~
I was never really told until I had to see a neuro here a few years later.  When I originally called my doc in Houston - they FREAKED and started calling all these docs here to get me in.  We figure that they were afraid I was going to stroke again and BIG LAWSUIT!!  Anyway, the neuro said that he wasn't there, but he figure that since I was in the OR for so long, that I developed a "bleeed" & they just started clamping things off and they just left something clamped too long.  It really doesn't matter...I am here today and have a wonderful family - that's hwat really matters!!

K   

[wendysig]

Jan,
Iloved your comment "We all new K was special, they named a cereal after her" (my computer won't let me use the quote function here either).

K - You are right -- the fact that you are still here and have a wonderful family and friends is the best possible thing.  You are special!

Wendy