Giving Blood - How and Why?

Today, July 31^st, marks my 6^th blood donation. As a child, I went with my dad when he went to give blood and sometimes with my mum when she was well enough. It was always a tradition of ours to walk to town and donate then have a couple of the free biscuits after. At a very young age I decided I was going to give blood, as soon as I was old enough, and I was going to beat my dad’s donation record (which currently stands at 52). So, in 2015 I started donating as regularly as I could. (Note this post will contain pictures of the donation process)

Another reason I give blood is due to something my mum would always say "One day it could be you or your loved ones, you never know." In our lifetimes over 25% of us will need to use blood that has been donated; to treat patients across England the NHS needs over 6,000 donations a day. At the moment, most donors in the UK are over 45, so the NHS need new young donors to keep up with demand; they are also calling for more black, Asian and minority groups to donate so that blood types stored can be diverse.

Blood donations are vital for saving many lives and are not just for people involved in accidents or tragedies; many people need regular blood transfusions to stay alive. And unfortunately, blood doesn’t last forever; blood platelets can only be stored for up to 7 days, red blood cells for 35 days and blood plasma for 3 years.

Who can give blood?

If you are 17 or over you can start giving blood. You should be fit and healthy, over 50kg and feel well enough on the day. If you have just had a tattoo or piercing you’ll have to wait four months before donating.

Who shouldn’t give blood?

You shouldn’t give blood if you; are pregnant; have or think you have HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B/C or HTVL; if you’ve ever been treated for syphilis; if you have ever received money for sex or if you’ve ever injected drugs, body building supplements or tanning solutions in the past or present (some doctor prescribed drugs are ok – you should confirm this with your doctor). Also, if you are a man you cannot donate blood if you have had anal or oral sex with another man (even with protection) for 12 months prior. (For a full list see https://www.blood.co.uk/who-can-give-blood/ )

So now that I’ve harped on about why you should give blood, I should tell you how!

Registering is simple: you can visit https://my.blood.co.uk/Account/register you fill out a short form about who you are and where you live. You can find out where your nearest donation station is and when it's next running. You can then book your appointment! After registering you will get a letter in the mail containing all the information you need and a donor card!

What a donation appointment entails!

After making an appointment, a week or so before the donation you’ll get a letter in the post with a form to fill out and take with you on the day. On the day of your donation, remember to eat well and drink tons of water (drink what you think is enough then double it! Hydrating fully helps the donation process go smoothly!) Wear appropriate clothes! The blood is taken from your elbow so make sure its easily accessible (if you wear a hoodie make sure it’s a zip one so you can keep your arm exposed post-donation) Stay calm, the nurses will guide you through every step!

But in case you are worried, here is a quick over view:

• ·       You’ll arrive at the donation station (get there 10 or so minutes early)
• ·       You hand in your form and they will give you some leaflets to read, read them properly to ensure your donation is as safe and informed as possible
• ·       They’ll take you to a private area where they will ask how you are feeling and they’ll confirm that you are fit to donate

               

• ·       They will then prick your finger and test a drop of blood to double check you’re ok to continue
• ·       You go to another waiting area until your name is called again (during this time it’s helpful to clench and unclench your hands to get the blood pumping)
• ·       When your name is called you’ll be taken to a seat and asked which arm you’d like to use – you can pick either arm but sometimes finding a vein is hard and they may try both arms, this is normal and perfectly ok!
• ·       You’ll sit down and confirm your details, they’ll then tip the chair backwards so your feet are higher than your chest.
• ·       Then the scary part (not really!) - they’ll talk you through putting the needle in, and will go at your pace

             

• ·       Then you just wait! There will be a little machine beside you rocking the bag which slowly fills up; now is the time to listen to the music they always play and every couple of second clench and unclench your hands or cross and uncross your legs. This helps the blood flow evenly.
• ·       The machine will beep and a nurse will come over and make sure you are ok. They’ll remove the needle and you’ll be told to apply pressure on the donation site.
• ·       Slowly you’ll be sat up and at your own pace you can go over and get a tea, coffee or cup of squash and some snacks.
• ·       If it’s your first time you’ll often be given a red/purple card to hold – this is so people know it’s your first time and can keep an eye on you
• ·       After that you are done! You can enjoy a snack and will be asked to sit for a few minutes to make sure you are ok. While you do that you can book your next appointment which will be 3-4 months afterwards.

What to expect afterwards? Some people feel faint, and some people (very few) do faint; if this happens the nurses put screens around you for privacy and to check that you are ok. This happens very rarely but the people there are trained to know what to do so if the worst does happen you are in safe hands! After half an hour, you can take off the cotton cylinder they put over your plaster, and the next morning you can take your plaster off. For the next few days you might feel a little more tired than usual and that’s normal. Look after yourself in those days and don’t try to do anything strenuous or taxing.

Sometimes after donating I get a text to tell me that my blood has been used and where, this is really nice as it helps you to solidify that what you do is important and needed.

So to summarise; we need new donors to ensure everyone can get the best healthcare possible, most people can donate blood should they wish and giving blood is easy. I hear so many people say ‘I keep forgetting to do that’ - trust me, it’s a really important thing that everyone who is able to should do at least once in their life. It’s a once every four-month commitment and takes less than half an hour of your day but can save lives!

Thank you for reading the whole post! As much as I’d like it to be, this post wasn’t sponsored – it’s just a subject near to my heart! But if you’d like to know more about donating please visit www.blood.co.uk

TTFN