Everyone should give blood

[fatrap]

Everyone should give blood if they can. You know why? Here's why. I just got back from Texas. I went down to be with my parents while my Dad had surgery to hopefully repair a aortic aneyurism. It was scheduled for last Thursday. My brother and I got there and the surgery was postpone and my Dad sent home because there was no blood to perform the surgery with. The entire area was out of blood. I went to the doctor's office to raise hell and they told me that if my father's chances of surviving very long were slim without the surgery. Maybe I COULD FIND HIM SOME BLOOD!!! then they could reschedule the operation. I was flabbergasted!! I don't know anyone in Texas so I went door to door in his trailer park asking for donations. Started a mini blood drive. As he can only take type O blood I had to go through quite a few folk, to get the required amount.

I had to return before the surgery as we have another problem at home. He is having the surgery right now.

Sooooo folks get out there and give some blood next time it may be your parent or relative.

fatrap

 

[Jim B]

Well put Fatrap

My company does a drive every 3 months with the help of the red cross and we average over 1000 people in the company that give, myself included. A friend of mine lost his mother a while back for a similar shortage of blood. The whole process is easy and painless, i dont understand why more people who are healthy dont do it.

 

[C C]

Mike, so sorry to hear about your dad, hope he gets better and things get back on track for you and your family.



Cass

 

[Sue DeLelys]

Fatrap,



Here's hoping the surgery goes well for your Dad. Please keep us posted.



I wish I could give blood. My dad gave a total of 15 gallons over his lifetime. I wanted to follow in his footsteps and began giving. Then, the Red Cross decided that since I had had jaundice due to a bad case of Mono as a teenager, they would no longer accept my blood. Well, not without getting a note from my doctor(10 years after the fact) about the cause of the jaundice or my going and having tests done at my own expense.



So, not everyone who is healthy and wants to, can donate. I'm sure that there are many more like me who are ready, willing and able. The Red Cross just will not accept our blood.



Sue

 

[Rich D]

Best wishes to your Dad Mike.



I agree 100%. My work also sponsers drives every 12 weeks and it amazes me that less than 10% of the people in the building donate. It is quick, painless and easy.



Rich D

 

[Buzz Bouvier]

Fatrap, I agree that everyone who can, should give blood, I donanted 6+ gallons.



Buzz

 

[Staci Matheis]

Best wishes to your father, Fatrap.



Being a diabetic, I'm another person who isn't allowed to give blood. In fact, until just recently, I had thought that I wasn't allowed to donate any organs, so I had signed a paper giving Washington University Medical School here in St. Louis permission to use me for "whatever" when the time came.....



When I changed to an Illinois drivers license recently, a friend who is a nurse pointed out to me that I sould still sign the donation thing on the back - there were some "organs" they could use such as skin for grafts.



Whether they can use organs or something for med students to practice on, I figure anything is better than hiding me in the ground or dumping me in a stream!



If you are comfortable with it, PLEASE sign the back of your licenses as well.....

Be sure to have it witnessed if that is required.



me!

 

[Mark Hofman]

I am one of the unfortunate individuals whose attempts at donating blood meet with rejection because my biliruben count exceeds the acceptable limits (My brother and I both contracted jaundice when we were infants, and my immune system acts as though I still have it). It hurts everytime I see a blood drive going on, knowing that I can't participate.



If you CAN give blood, please do. My brother survived because of an almost complete blood transfusion.

 

[Tom Jones]

Trying to give blood saved my life.....

I went to see about giving blood and as a result found out I had kidney failure frrom my diabetes and my body had quit producing blood on it's own. Every two weeks I have to get a synthetic hormone shot of Aranesp(like Procrit for cancer patients)to keep my blood counts up. Keeps me from having to have transfusions every few weeks. The only downside is the shots cost me ( or my insurance ) $1800.00 every two weeks! My wife is up to 6 gallons donated, though. One of us has to be healthy! LOL Give Blood If You Can!

Tom

 

[TOMMY RICH]

I give every eight weeks! Gets me 4 hous off on Fridays.... wukin' fo the guvment has its bineftz!

TEE

 

[Staci Matheis]

You didn't have to tell us you worked to the government, TEE.....

It was either that or welfare.....

We've seen your spelling! LOL!!











(Actually..... Those are both kinda the same, aren't they.....!)

 

[TOMMY RICH]

o u c h

 

[Texas Transplant]

Unfortunately, we now need to do so many tests and you have to read/agree to so many items - many people are getting turned off. I routinely give blood, but sometimes not as often as I should.



It is important to participate, if you can. For those having a more 'common' blood type, it's still sometimes difficult. For those that have a rarer blood type (I'm one), it can be very scary.



Best thoughts and prayers for your Dad.



Tex

 

[C C]

Hey Me, working for the gov isn't that bad.



Tee, you need to arrange a TDY out this way and I will take you fishing. The Concord River ramp is only 5 miles from the base.



Cass

 

[Staci Matheis]

I'm sorry, TEE.....

(.....well.....not really.....)



I noticed that you're at Wright-Patterson!

Do you have anything to do with the Museum?



I have GOT to get back there! Haven't been to the museum in 20 years. That is one facinating place!



The first time I went, was with my father when I was about 8..... We were living in Cincinnati at the time and he had just gotten a new 1958 Corvette convertible. He wanted to take a drive - so we drove to Dayton! He had flown in B-24's in WWII, had been shot down on his 5th mission and spent 2 years in a POW camp..... When he saw the exhibit on the camps, his jaw dropped..... I still remember it to this day..... There were pictures of the camp he had been in and men he had been with..... That was one of only 3 times in my life that I ever heard him talk about his experiences there.....



Sorry to hijack such an important thread.....



me!