Blood Drive sighting

[One-Fang]

^^They should have stopped pestering you at "blood borne illness.". You should mention it to your regional RC offices.

Incorrect.


They should have stopped at "No".


For those with a fear of needles, just don't look at it. I find that when I look at needle I'm about to get stabbed with, it hurts a HECK of a lot more than if I don't! So I just look somewhere else while this goes on, and it helps. Won't help the truly pathological, but if you just "don't like needles", it's worth a try.

[dalesys]

I learned about the water plumping your veins thing when I was pregnant with Child Rum.

I tried to donate blood once, back in 2000. I couldn't because my temperature was over 100 degrees F. (I later came down with whatever nasty cold my parents had).

I didn't find out my blood type until I got pregnant. And then I had them test it twice! Turns out I have A Negative blood type. I was confused, but it turns out I'm the freaky mutation in my family. (My mom is A Positive, my dad is B Positive and my little sister is AB Positive and I'm the "special" one with A Negative).

My daughter is O Positive. Mr. Rum is going to have to donate blood to find out his blood type. His mother insists he's O Negative, but while 2 people with Postitive blood types can have a Negative blood type child, 2 people with Negative blood typest cannot have a child with a Positive blood type. (Though I was told by someone who knows that it's possible so I am horribly confused).

A & B mask O. Positive masks Negative
Your mom is AO+- (A+)
Your Dad is BO+- (B+)
You got A- from mom & O- from dad => you are AO--
Your sister is either AB+- or AB++

My parents are B- & O+, I'm O- I've never quizzed my sibs fro blodd type beyond "red".

[PepperElf]

My daughter is O Positive. Mr. Rum is going to have to donate blood to find out his blood type. His mother insists he's O Negative, but while 2 people with Postitive blood types can have a Negative blood type child, 2 people with Negative blood typest cannot have a child with a Positive blood type. (Though I was told by someone who knows that it's possible so I am horribly confused).

I would guess that your husband is O+ though you can always check it again.

however if you're absolutely sure you're Negative, talk to the doctor before you have any other children.

Since the mother's blood will mingle with the child's.. if the mother is negative & the child positive, the mother sometimes builds up antibodies against positive blood. but that can be addressed with the doctor if you decide to have more children

[Primer]

I'm O-, my ex is A-... The Army Reserve insists that #2 child (oldest son) is A+...

Are you sure your ex is your child's biological parent?

I personally have PTSD when it comes to needles (got extremely dehydrated as a little kid, they treated me less than the best, and now I'm scared shitless).

I was anemic as a little kid, and had to have frequent CBCs done. While I can now (45 years later) handle the big needle in the arm in the vein, I still squick at the little needle in the finger, or even the little shot needles.

however if you're absolutely sure you're Negative, talk to the doctor before you have any other children.

Since the mother's blood will mingle with the child's.. if the mother is negative & the child positive, the mother sometimes builds up antibodies against positive blood. but that can be addressed with the doctor if you decide to have more children

The other way around can cause problems, too. My mother is 0+ and I am 0-. I did not find this out until a few months ago, but it sure explains a lot of what we went through when she was pregnant with me!

[BookstoreEscapee]

My parents are both O but I don't know + or -. I don't actually know my blood type, but if I'm not O they've got some 'splainin' to do...

I've never given blood other than for blood tests. One time it took 2 people 4 tries to get anything, and when they finally did it was after they switched to a little baby needle - I was 27! The last few times I've had blood drawn actually went pretty easily, but I still lay back on the table and put my feet up because I've been known to pass out for no apparent reason whatsoever (my blood pressure tends toward the low end of normal, apparently, so even a small drop can do it). Honestly, if I tried to give a whole pint of blood, I don't think it would go too well...

[dalesys]

Are you sure your ex is your child's biological parent?

She (my ex) very sure she's his mother... and that I'm the father (so am I)

[jedimaster91]

I definitely prefer being the sticker than the stickee. Especially with those ginormous 16 gage needles. But my left AC is a frikkin garden hose, so they like it when I come in.

The Red Cross vampires are after my O+ again. I had every intention of donating the last time they were in my end of town, but realized I was on antibiotics and couldn't. They're still calling my hubby even though he's told them several times he's donating (well, selling) plasma and can't give whole blood right now.

[Supermarket Slave Girl]

I'm A+ and so is my husband, i'd love to give blood but unable to due to very low iron, bummer really, hubby donates regularly though

[bunnyboy]

I wish I could donate, but blood thickness, false veins/arteries, and fainting at seeiing my own blood makes it quite impossible.... especially the first two...(wont even get into the few times I've had to give a sample and it took minutes to fill those vials)

[PepperElf]

I personally have PTSD when it comes to needles (got extremely dehydrated as a little kid, they treated me less than the best, and now I'm scared shitless).

One of my co-workers has kids who are scared of needles... something to do with the fact that she would over-react whenever the kids got a shot, so she basically trained her kids to scared of needles.

My own mother said she made a point to *not* react when sis and I got shots. She'd just look away if she was bothered.
Which I suspect explains why needles really don't bother me at all. I don't like the pain but that's about it.


oh but i also learned another thing about blood too... you have to have enough fluid in your system for them to find the veins too.

i was super dehydrated and sick once. the medical staff could not find any veins that could support an IV. (They called it "popping a vein" which is kinda morbid a phrase lol)

the last option would be to put it in my elbow but i'd have to be immobilized so they wanted to wait.

they ended up finding a vein on the back of my forearm which actually worked out well cos it wasn't as annoying as having one on my wrist.

[Broomjockey]

I had to get a blood test done once when I was young. Maybe 4 or 5. Doc sends me down to the hospital to get it done right, and as quickly as possible. I go in, sit on the chair. And they stick me right in a vein.






Or so they thought. After a few seconds of no blood, they wiggled the needle a bit. See if they could nab it. No go. Try a slightly different spot. I mean, it was right there. How hard could it be? Nope. Nothing there either.

Over the course of 15 minutes I was stuck nearly a half-dozen times, by 2 different people, and they ended up with..........

NOTHING. They didn't manage to get a single bit of blood out of me. Since then, I've been less than fond of needles. I can get shots, but only in my right arm. One time, in High School, they were doing a series of shots for something. 3 shots, few months apart. 1st in whatever arm you wanted, then it alternated. Got my first shot in my right arm. Second shot, I begged them to just do my right again. Nope. No go. Fine. Assholes. I don't look. Nurse thinks I'm a huge baby. I stand up, walk a few steps, kinda wobbly. Take a breath. I'm fine. Really. Go down the stairs. And end up almost GOING DOWN THE STAIRS. Yeah, a minute after the needle was removed, I almost passed out.

As for when I need blood tests, I always make sure to mention they need to use the back of my right hand. It is absolutely the only reliable place to draw blood from on me, and they need to use those baby needles. Hell, the first time I was in the hospital, then ended up having to put my IV in my thigh with one of those needles since they couldn't find anything on my arm. Eventually, while I was out, they relocated it, out of necessity, but they did such a piss-poor job that I still have the needle mark over a decade later. *counts* Almost 2 decades, actually.

[AriRashkae]

My own mother said she made a point to *not* react when sis and I got shots. She'd just look away if she was bothered.
Which I suspect explains why needles really don't bother me at all. I don't like the pain but that's about it.

I had to take my 3 year old with me one time to get my Depo shot. he tried very hard to leave the room when he saw the needle, but I managed to reassure him that the shot wasn't for him, but for Mommy. I don't like needles either, but I've learned to handle it.

Also: with enough of a distraction, you won't even notice the needle. I managed to hypnotize myself watching the second hand on a clock during my MMR when I was 8, and my Mom had to shake me and convince me that they did indeed give me the shot. When we took the toddler for one set of his shots, we had the GBA for him, and the nurse said it's the only time she's seen a kid laugh when getting his shots.

[morgana]

O Pos here. Ittty bitty baby veins, and they move on you. I always have to have the senior vampire do the stick, because the newer ones can't find the vein. Ugh.

And I still made it to the Ten Gallon Club.

How, I'm not sure.

[Cia]

My Dad is A+, my Mom is B- and they made all the blood types they could...A-, B-, AB- & O-. I'm B- and my hubby is O+, our daughter came out with O+ so I had to get the Rh factor shot. When it comes to the Rh negative factor I looked it up and if both parents are Rh- their kids can only be Rh-.

I always thought that if you had type AB- blood you could only be transfused with type AB-. Turns out AB- can accept A-, B-, AB- and O-. AB+ on they other hand can accept all blood types no matter the Rh factor.

And to make life more interesting, dogs have two blood type and cats have one.

[Pairou]

I may just be a freak, but I jump at the chance to get blood drawn. I like staring at it. I think I creep the nurses out, but I learned to tone it down when I was around 7... *koff* I can't donate blood, I'm underweight. I would like to though...