I'm O+, and I've known it as long as I can remember. I'm not allowed to donate blood.

LOL wth?

I merged the two threads together.
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Red

O+

I've always known that, and so the first time I found someone that didn't know their own blood type, I thought it was incredibly weird. :p

I have O blood type but the description is nothing like me. I'm much more type A, with the exception of not being "conservative" or "uptight".

The Blood Vessel (a blood collecting van painted like a pirate ship) is in front of a local hospital today and one of my children is in the hospital so I think I'll donate. I hope it doesn't take long and that I can still go to the gym later. I remember that one of my sorority sistrs passed out during pledging because she went up on the sunroof to get a tan for a couple of hours after she gave blood.

AB+

Double Red Cell Donation
 

UCLA Blood & Platelet Center has started a Double Red Cell donation program for every day donors (it used to be that only family/patients could do double red cell donation).

There are several really great advantages to this program: (1) people who give blood two or three times a year can stay on that same schedule, but double the effectiveness of their blood donation; (2) donors say the automated double red cell donation is more comfortable than regular whole blood donations because a smaller needle is used; & (3) Donors also receive back their own plasma and about a pint of saline, leaving them better hydrated than before the donation.

I hope that programs such as this one serve to increase the blood supply.

I know that the post is a few years ago and I didn't read this whole thread when I realized it was so old.

But to the diabetic who doesn't know her blood type, ask your dr since they prob have to take your blood sugar levels 3 or 6 months a year.

I'm A+ of course :)

Updated to add, since Mr Sageofages heart attack, his fear of needles is much less (considering he had 16 bags of fluid running into him ...16 needles). Still not donating, but doesn't cry anymore when he has to have a shot :).

Since posting this in 2004 I've upped it to 2 gallons. I would have donated more, but I've had a string of bad luck as far as my health goes.

I last donated about a week and a half ago. The Blood Bank of Hawaii was at an all-time critical and they called me at work begging me to come in. Luckily I was feeling up to it. :)

I donated for the first time this winter, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to be one of those statistics about people who don't go back.

Its not that I wouldn't want to give blood again, but I had a hard time donating it. I was rejected in the past because of low blood pressure, but this time I made the cut off. Barely. I was hooked up to the machine for nearly an hour. The nurse kept coming over, asking if I felt faint, and then resetting the timer to give me more time.

If you can't give a pint in 20 minutes they can't use your blood and they disconnect you. I can't believe they left you on the machine for nearly an hour, that's horrible!

AB+ - I'm anemic, so I can't always donate, but I do whenever I can. I hate the "stick" to test my blood worse than the actual needle to draw it!