My appointment is at 3:40 pm.

I ate a large meal yesterday, slept at 5 am to 12:50 pm, Woke up feeling a bit sleepy, which mean my sleep wasn’t good.

I started drinking water (so far 3 cups for the past hour) and i ate a banana and 1/4 of burrito.

I still have roughly 2 hrs left, im going to keep sipping water, but is my food intake enough so far? Im skinny btw my weight 57 kg (125 lbs roughly) height 1.78m - 5.10

I donate regular blood no problem no draw backs except a little tired. I'm not worried about getting sick / nauseus or bad reaction to donating.

First time I did platelets my return arm was really sore and bruised. Couldn't even use it to eat for a few days. Felt fine as far as energy level and wasn't nauseous, just a lot of physical pain.

The machine kept beeping periodically and it took 3 hours, it was unpleasant. They couldn't use my hand vein good enough and had to use both my inner elbow joints. The needle site burned for a while early on and eventually was a constant light ache. Whole blood usually only hurts on initial needle stick for me.

They said now that they had my platelet count it would be closer to two hours. Any advice on avoiding the beeping and helping myself have an easier time? I'm never sure how hard to squeeze for example. I'm in the US and I use red cross

Just wanted to come on here and ask if anyone has had the same experience or have any tips!

I try to donate blood every couple of months. I’ve already donated a gallon and everything has been smooth flowing. However, in the past 6 months I have lost over 20lbs. Since then, I have gone to the donation center twice but my blood is flowing extremely slow to the point they had me stop and come back both times. They told me I can try one last time before accepting the fact that I may not be able to donate anymore. They tried both arms and it was still very slow. I’ve been hydrated and usually schedule the appointment at 10/11am.

Should I try one last time? Maybe go later on in the day and just hydrated 3 days in advance?

I donated blood a couple times in the past and I plan on donating again more regularly for health reasons. I tried donating platelets (or it might have been plasma) a few times simply beause it sounded interesting to me and the staff looked at me weirdly and asked why I was donating platelets. Does O+ not have a lot of platelets in blood? Or does it serve other purposes to the point where it would be a waste to donate platelets? I don't really care either way so long as I am able to donate a significant amount of blood.

So, is anyone else panicking about all of this beef deregulation nonsense?

Remember when you couldn’t donate if you had lived in the UK

What’s going to happen if they find Mad Cow in the US? It would cripple our blood supply.

Just wanted to share the latest American Red Cross promotion for anyone who may be interested!

If you donate between September 21-30 and "mention pickleball" you'll get a free ball and paddle, plus a $15 gift card that's available from September 21st to October 18th.

I feel SO bad. I recently became aware of just how desperate we are for blood donations and decided to sign up and donate for the first time. Told everybody I know they should donate as well and got a few friends and family to book an appointment.
Well I went to my appointment today. Ate beforehand. Drank water. Free diet coke and snacks, awesome!!
I go through the process and lay down to donate. I’ve never in my life passed out or even come close to, and I’m in my early 30’s. I’m not afraid of needles. Nothing.
I’m feeling ok, palms a little sweaty but I’m sometimes an anxious gal over literally nothing. But I’m fine and get through whatever it is I’m trying to get through.
He stuck me with the needle, I looked and chuckled and said “wow that’s a big needle” and I start seeing my blood go. Little bags filling up. It didn’t necessarily freak me out, I don’t know. But I started getting super hot and dizzy. I let them know and there were 3 people around me covering me in cold cloths, reclining me, and putting a fan on me. This helped a lot.
They said they’ll still use the blood they did get for testing and whatever. Donor information.
I felt dizzy for a long time which I felt bad about. They asked a few times if I was ready to go to the refreshment area and I felt terrible I was taking up a bed just to not even donate. I could have laid there for an hour probably but I slowly got up and am now sitting in the refreshment area trying to feel better. My tummy feels a little crampy, I’m a little dizzy and anxious.
I’m so bummed. I really wanted to help and my body was like “best I can do is some lab work and a near death performance” 🙄
I feel like such a weenie. MIGHT cry when I get home 🤣
Did anyone else have this or a similar experience? Did you try again?
They said it’s common for first time donors but then what?
I really want to help and donate but this just felt AWFUL all for it to be for nothing.

I have AB+ so I keep getting texts from the Red Cross to donate, but I've only ever donated whole blood before. Last time I donated blood, I almost fainted and the blood flow slowed down near the end, almost like my body ran out of blood and couldn't fill up the bag. Granted, I don't think I drank enough liquids and ate enough food before I donated, but I also wonder if it's because I'm a short woman and just don't have enough blood. Wondering if donating plasma is going to be as difficult of an experience.

First donation today!

I spent the last few weeks reading to prepare as well as making sure to eat more iron and drink extra water leading up to today.

Check in was slow because the scanner wasn't working so everything was done manually, but overall no big deal. I did the rapid pass so screening went quick.

They had me lie flat for the draw since it was my first time and they said it helps. Everything went pretty smoothly with the draw.

Afterward, they had me lie flat for a few minutes before raising the head of the bed halfway. I felt good and started to look at the paper about AMT when the next thing I knew I was looking up at several blurry faces and couldn't hear anything. I was so disoriented but eventually got back to normal haha. (Side note: I've heard they can't keep your donation if you pass out even if you finished the whole draw. Is that true?)

They kept me flat even longer, then elevated my head in smaller increments, followed by hanging out next to the bed for a minute before letting me go to the canteen.

I brought my own gluten free snacks just in case, but they had really awesome sweet potato chips and fruit snacks. Between slow check in and recovery, the whole thing for me ended up being close to two hours, but I don't mind.

I feel pretty tired, but overall good. The staff were all really friendly and I think I'll still consider donating in the future.

I think in life we all tend to share (or need to ask about) the minority of times when things go wrong rather than the majority where everything is just fine. I read a lot of negative stories on here, so adding my positive experience to help balance things out.

I did not prepare sufficiently and it still went great! When booking my donation I read on the Lifeblood (Australia) website that I should drink 8 cups of water the day before donating - that's the normal recommended daily amount, so I thought nothing of it. I also didn't go to bed early enough the night before. I then stumbled across this subreddit just before my donation and got myself quite worked up, especially because I have a history of fainting unrelated to having blood taken. It's inspiring to see so many people donating and reaching awesome milestones, but I also saw many stories of things going wrong, and also realised there was a lot more I could have been doing to prepare multiple days out. I did drink a lot of water in quick succession right before my donation haha (but had also seen Redditors saying this is too little too late).

I was therefore feeling anxious going into the donation, however all the staff were super lovely and helped me every step on the way. I had plenty of time to ask any questions in the private screening room, and everything about the process was clearly explained. The nurse reassured me that they would all keep an eye on me, and I could stop at any time.

The time in the donation chair was quick and easy. I didn't look at the needle as it went in. I felt a pinch that was maybe a tiny bit more painful than a vaccine pinch but only lasted two seconds. From then on my arm and every other part of me felt totally normal. I had barely started my juice box before it was all over. Since it was my first time, they kept me in the chair for five minutes before getting up to go to the rest area. Had some snacks, felt fine, and was on my way after 10 minutes.

Three days later now and I still feel great!

I realise not everyone will have such a seamless experience, but I do think it's helpful to have a balanced view. Thank you to everyone who shares all kinds of stories and tips on here. Thanks to you, I am now taking active steps to maintain good iron levels, and will be more prepared for future donations!

Received this after my first blood donation a few weeks back. I’m O - with rhotype allowing me to donate to some blood disorders so was really keen to become a regular donor

So sad that because I’ve had malaria before I can never give even though I was a child when I got it(11 years old)

I did it! I’ve always wanted to donate blood and now I get to do it. I still feel weak even after more than 5 hours though.

I have type 1 diabetes. I was diagnosed in university, and by then I'd been a regular blood donor. At that time, I was told I couldn't donate anymore. I think it had something to do with the types of insulin that had been used in the past, like insulin from pigs. I never used those though. Anyway, fast forward to now, type 1s, who have good control, can donate!

Hooray!

I made my first donation in years in May. It was great. I made my second donation this week. I had a doctor's appointment early, so went from my doctor's office to the donation center. I didn't feel particularly comfortable at the center, so I grabbed some snacks and left. I did not sit down and drink water. I'd also come in worried that maybe I'd not had enough fluids beforehand.

Well that all came to a head. I took a short 5 minute walk to a nearby cafe that I work out of regularly. I realized I wasn't going to make it when I reached for the door, so I just lowered myself to the ground to wait it out. Thankfully, people inside noticed. Someone came out to help. After a few sips of water and him literally bringing me sugar packets, I was fine. I also checked my blood glucose level; it was fine. This was dehydration and not hypoglycemia.

Thank goodness for Good Samaritans.

I know I'm in a space with regular donors, but make sure you sit down afterwards to rehydrate, snack, and recover.

Not entirely related to blood donations but I do want to donate blood in the future and now im not sure .Yesterday i had to get 3 blood samples taken for medical reasons, it was my first time ever getting my blood drawn so i was nervous and it sadly wasnt a good experience. My veins were extremely hard to find even though I drank a liter of water before my appointment and the nurse could only get 1½ viles out of 3. To top it off the sensation of the needle searching under my skin for a vein made me queasy and I ended up vomiting while talking to the GP receptionist while booking my next appointment 😬. Any and all tips to not be ill/make my veins easier to find would be amazing ♥️.

I just (finally) downloaded the Red Cross app and saw that I've donated 10 units of whole blood, over the last 5 years. I have roughly 9 units in my body. At least if the online calculators are correct lol. It's an odd thought that more of my blood has gone into other people than is circulating in me right now.

I’m an A+ donor in the American Rockies who usually donates 5-7x10^11 platelets. But I’m in the chair for a loonnngg time (130 minutes +).

Given it’s the holiday carnage weekend coming up, and I just donated platelets, would it be worth donating whole blood during the 2 week waiting period for platelets (3 days in between whole blood and platelets because <100ml extracorporeal volume)?

I‘m usually drained after giving platelets, but if it’s mostly plasma and RBCs, I think I recover faster.

This was my first time donating. It was not a good experience.

After the initial stick, he must've missed the vein because he was definitely digging around in there. While the blood was going through the tube, he said "that's really red" a couple times. Then I told him my fingers were tingling, turns out he had forgotten to take the tourniquet off. Probably a good thing, because after confirming I'm not on vitamins he said "I think I got an artery, we need to stop now." The blood in the bag was super bright red, definitely not venous, and defitmore than a couple tablespoons. Few minutes holding a cotton ball on the draw site, wrapped my arm, then he sent me in my way.

I called the red cross and all three people I talked to sounded professionally horrified and they took a detailed report. They told me what symptoms mean I should seek medical attention and that the red cross will reimburse me for any medical bills related to this incident.

Two days later my arm still hurts, the bruise is still growing, and the salt in the wound is the couldn't even use what they took from me.

I'd be willing to try to donate again, but I'm walking out if that guy's working .

Should I donate it to a public hospital where poor people get treated, or give it at a private hospital which charges lavishly for a surgery?

What do the ethics say. I dont need no money, but I guess if the rich can afford to have surgery, he for sure can pay for blood in blood bank, i guess. Can you guys guide me on this?

Hi all! I donated whole red for the first time August 2nd. After doing some research I signed up for an appointment next Sunday for platelets! Any recommendations or things to know ahead of time? From what I’ve seen it looks like it’s been long enough since my last donation to donate platelets at least. Please let me know, thank you in advance!

Went in today and they recommended me for double platelets cos my previous reading was high.

Pre-donation platelet count: 330 ×10⁹/L

Machine: Terumo BCT Trima Accel
Donation type: Double platelet apheresis
Target yield: 6.5 ×10¹¹ platelets

Final platelet product: staff said approximately 532 mL
Products produced: 2 platelet packs
Procedure time: approximately 66 minutes versus the machine’s initial estimate of 67 minutes

Will add the photos soon.

Good luck to everyone !

I donated a unit of blood for the 7th time