Carter Blood Care. Blood Banks Low. Help if you can.

[Tara Evans]

I have been donating blood since 2011. I am o negative and carter blood care is always calling me for my blood because it is the most rarest blood. I went to donate and they are telling me that the blood banks are so low and they are having to have blood from other counties delivered to their area. So far I have donated 1 lifetime gallon of my blood and I need to give 8 more times to donate 2 lifetime time gallons.
Donating blood is very important to me as well as others because it saves lives. My mom needed 2 blood transfusions last year from battling with cancer it saved her life. And it was saved from somebody else donating their blood.
Please donate if you can. They are on back order for blood. Please Please help and save a life.

[dmcleod]

Blood donation is a very worthy cause. And certainly people should help if they can. But as all long time blood donors know, they screen donors and one of the questions they ask is if you've given or taken money or drugs for sex in the past couple years.

This may preclude many people on this board from donating. I think it's a bad question because responsible transactional sex is less risky than nightclub party sex, which they don't ask about, but I respect the attempt the organization makes to screen people with high risk factors. Not all infections show up in all tests at all times.

I'm a multi gallon donor myself, but I don't donate if I've visited a provider in the past year or two.

[Adonis]

The question is have you taken or received money for sex in the last six months. I know some need it spelled out so - Yes is a disqualifying answer.

[Tara Evans]

If there is something wrong with your blood they dont take it. They will send you a email letting you know. Ive been doing this for 5 yrs and they have always taken mine with no problems. But then again I dont do drugs or do bad things that we all know will get you in trouble.

[Adonis]

It takes at least 3 months to get a highly accurate test result from HIV which is the main reason they have a 6 month time period for this particular hobby. *And FYI, I volunteer for Carter at least every two months but not as a donor.

[Tara Evans]

The blood that I give I can only donate every 56 days as is. Im normally not johnny on the spot either to give. Look if all you want to do is start some crap on my post then get off it.
And by the way maybe I will see you at the clinics.

[Adonis]

I organize 5-6 drives a year and back when I was married and hobby free; I also donated at those.

[dmcleod]

The FDA, since 1984, has had a guideline saying men who have had sex with a man, even once, since 1973(believed, in 1984, to be the first known case of HIV in the US), or anyone who had taken money or drugs for sex since 1973 should be ineligible for donation. The American Medical Association, the Red Cross, and numerous other organizations have appealed this decision, and the FDA has admitted it's not based on good science, but rather an abundance of caution. But the guideline stands. These days many blood banks will adjust it, a year since your last encounter, six months, usually tracking with the lag time needed to ensure maximum accuracy of the hiv test. And some will happily accept homosexual men as donors.

Just something to be aware of in case it's your first time donating. It's ultimately up to your conscience and your own knowledge of your health and risk factors to determine if you should donate. It may require you to lie to the blood bank techs though.

[ruffnalddy]

kudos to you for donating tara, i really mean that.


on a lighter note...even if an escort lied to the techs what are they gonna do besides screen for pathogens anyway? i mean what are they gonna do? look under the microscope and see escort red blood cells chasing after money particles? i kid i kid.

[dmcleod]

They'll screen the blood regardless. But just like provider+ hobbyist screenings, none are perfect. The donors should know the question about taking/giving money/drugs for sex will be asked and why. If they're going to substitute their judgment about this risk factor for the judgment of the blood bank personnel then they should have the facts they need to make the responsible decision. Tests for serious STDs aren't always accurate, especially in the early stages of infection.

Blood banks also give you two bar coded stickers, one of which says "transfuse my blood" the other says "do not transfuse my blood" and it's there as a safety measure for the conscience of the donor. If you've engaged in risky behavior and can't admit to it for whatever reason, you can still veto the process. If your find yourself in the situation where you're moved to donate but have second thoughts and decide it may not be 100% safe to transfuse your blood, please use that sticker and know you've done the right thing.

[pyramider]

If they want more blood they need better cookies and juice ... ijs.

[Adonis]

Originally Posted by pyramider

If they want more blood they need better cookies and juice ... ijs.

They almost always have powerade and nutter butters. Also, Carter has had a rewards mall for a while so you can bank points and use them for something better than a one size fits all tee.

[OldGrump]

Before I had health issues (nothing contagious) preventing blood donation, I had given over 40 pints. Since then, I have been the recipient of well over a dozen pints.

There is nothing as satisfying as giving the gift of life or more grateful than having extended life because of someone's generosity.

Good thread Tara and thanks for caring..

[Tara Evans]

Originally Posted by Adonis

They almost always have powerade and nutter butters. Also, Carter has had a rewards mall for a while so you can bank points and use them for something better than a one size fits all tee.

Also if you call to make and appt instead of just showing up you will get 50 extra points. And for all the people that have given their 1 or 2 or 3 lifetime gallon of blood go on to their website log in and you will get a button in the shape of texas with a big heart and with the number of gallons you have given. Im expecting my first gallon button soon.♡

[EZ.]

I was stationed with the 10th SFG in Ft Devens. They didn't even ask me to volunteer. They would just call me out of formation when the time was right. They did it on Fridays so you ended up with the three day pass. It made for a cheap drunk. I always felt that the new blood made you stronger. I contracted malaria and they don't even want my platelets. I get a flare up every few years but it isn't contagious. Gives you strong flu symptoms.
The military would give out these monster pills that we were supposed to take once a week. It would give you the worst case of diarrhea you have ever had. You would cramp and double up and not be able to move. It would also dehydrate you quickly. They supplied an insect repellent that the enemy could smell at fifty feet. Their suggestion was to wear rain gear but it made a tremendous amount of noise and was shinny when it got wet.