Blood donation question

[Midnight12]

I am sorry if this is a fratching type question. kind of funny when I think about.

more about, is it wrong or sucky of me to only donate blood when I get the postcard reminders in the mail. Well not so much a reminder but a postcard saying when the local blood donation center is doing their next big drive with door prizes and food given out by local people listed on the postcard.
Is it wrong of me to go only when such an event is happening when the place is offering things or should I not go at all?

And this has more to do with my blood type and fear of needles than anything because I DO want to donate blood...but the last few times hubs had SUCH a gripe over it I stopped.
and for the record I an type A positive which they also seek my platelets but for that i can't sit still long enough, and the centrifuge needle is longer...*shudders*

hey they are offering chicken nuggets....mmmm lol

[telecom_goddess]

I think you should go when you feel it's right. And why would hubs care if you donate or not? What's to have a fit over?

[Raveni]

I think that it is fantastically awesome that you donate blood. Period.

[Midnight12]

well i made the mistake of having him watch daughter while there because i didn't think ahead. that was his issue. otherwise this time she stays home.

FIL has type o and they WANT his BAD. and he goes. he has soooo many points now i think he has like 5 (over the years) blood drive shirts and two coffee mugs. heh

at first i thought ooh free food for after donating hehe....wait now i feel bad that i thought it was funny....still going just had a moral question.

[Kogarashi]

To be honest, I see nothing wrong if you only go when you get more perks beyond the refueling snack afterward. Maybe it's just me.

I haven't been since I was single, mostly because I'm kind of lazy. I really need to donate again, but I have to wait until I have my baby and get the okay from the OB. Hubby and I both have type O blood (I'm positive, he's negative, so he's actually in more demand).

You get points for donating? Cool.

[Midnight12]

yes this one does points and you redeem them online so...cool i guess but yeah. they have called the house to tell dad he has enough to redeem his mug or what not. not sure if they do the points for platelets. either way it saves lives.

my thought, ooh they are offering donuts, sure i'll go. be done and stagger up to the table slop down and ask for a creme filled... lol

[AdminAssistant]

After a terrible experience at the ER, I don't really want to get my veins poked if I don't have to.

[Seshat]

It helps the community. It's good for your civilisation, for the society you rely on to live in.

On the other hand, it's only one of many things which are good for your society. Go ahead and do the ones you prefer.

That said: there're many, many people (like me) who cannot donate blood. (Until they know for sure how fibromyalgia happens, they can't risk it being blood-transmissible). The blood of those who can, is needed.

But again, there's a bunch of other things people like me can't do. I physically can't be part of the teams helping with floods or severe storms or fires or whatever. Heck, I can't even keep up as part of the sandwiches-and-coffee-and-cold-drinks crews who help keep those volunteers fuelled!

Meh.

I think my point is this:
Keeping our societies running depends on both paid and volunteer work (as well as charity money). Donating blood is one of the volunteer things, but not the only one. Pick whichever volunteer stuff/charity donations works for YOU.

[Giggle Goose]

and for the record I an type A positive

Me too!!! I tell people I'm such an overachiever that even my blood type is A+!

But seriously, kudos to you for going at all. Doesn't matter when, or who/what reminds you to go. I also learned that donating blood uses up quite a few calories, so go ahead and have those cookies! The place I donate at has a whole fridge full of delicious stuff! NOM

Now I need to go! See, you've done a great service by reminding ME!

[Midnight12]

welcome Giggle Goose.
i still think its funny that i am motivated to go by their offer of donuts. still going though this friday
They REALLY want Dad's blood he is type o

[LillFilly]

Do it because you feel that it's the right thing to do and it's to help others. Look at it this way, they give you food to make sure that you feel A-OK after donating and to keep your strength-up, and the places donating food and prizes get cheap advertising, so everybody wins. I hate needles, but donate because, well, I might need blood myself someday. But I also get cookies, so yay!

[tropicsgoddess]

Go for it if you want to, forget the nay-sayers! I'd do it but I always come up one or two points short of the blood iron level requirements for donating.

[taxguykarl]

I think that it is fantastically awesome that you donate blood. Period.

Agreed. What's the problem if there are goodies? It was the blood bank that offered them--it's not like you're acting as a prima donna and making the free eats a precondition.

[Dilorenzo]

It's great that you donate, and more folks need to - no matter if they do it for something or nothing. I'd personally love to, except for two things:

1) I apparently have no veins.

2) I legally can't donate blood in the US because I came over from Ireland.

That second is not as bad as it sounds. It's just a foot-and-mouth disease thing. Which admittedly, also seems pretty bad now that I read it.

[Midnight12]

Still on for going in friday evening and Dilorenzo...not a foot in mouth disease.
just ever since they had one or two incidents everyone has become over cautious with donations because well...after having heard all their regulations and precautions i cannot fault you.
hugs