October 2008 Weddings
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Question about donating blood
I have never donated blood in my life, but with FIL going through many units right now I feel I need to repay it the banks. Sesame Place is doing a blood drive on Oct. 17 and giving two free passes to the park next year, so I figure hey why not do it then. I'm super nervous though. Is it as scary as I think?
Oh and how long will it take roughly?
Re: Question about donating blood
I don't think it's scary. The experience is different for everyone though. I usually end up feeling a little dizzy half-way through but others don't feel a thing. The length of time varies too. You have to go through a long questionnaire prior to the actual draw of blood. I would be sure to eat prior and drink a decent amount of water. The more hydrated you are the quicker it'll be. Oh and try to make sure that your iron intake is pretty high and you can't be on any antibiotics when donating.
Hi Dana
I don't donate blood, but my husband does very often. Here is what he says:
It is not scary at all. First they make you read a whole list about places you can't have gone (Africa and Europe, mostly), things you can't have done (drugs with a hypodermic needle, etc.), and meds you can't have taken, including aspirin in the last 48 hours. They prick your finger to check your iron level (eat spinach the night before. No, seriously). Then they take your temperature and blood pressure (to make sure you are healthy).
After that, they find a vein, usually in the inside of your elbow. They take about four vials to use to run tests on your blood before they can use it, and then the actual donation blood is about a pint.
The whole process (with no wait time) takes about 45 minutes. The actual drawing of your blood takes about 10 minutes. DH says not to stress.
Not scary, but anxiety your first time is natural.
I go a couple of times a year, DH goes whenever he's cleared to go next (he's an O neg, so the universal donor... the most needed). He was CRUSHED last year when he went to go give blood and they went through the checklist of questions and they asked if he'd been out of the country and we'd been to Costa Rica. They said, "see you in a year!"
It takes less than 15 minutes for the actual donation. All in, between the questionnaire, the donation, and the waiting afterwards to make sure you're okay (or "cookies and orange juice" break, as I like to call it), is probably a half hour or so.
Same here. I'm O neg and have been deferred the last two times I've tried to donate due to low iron and being on antibiotics too recently. It's annoying and disappointing.
Every time I've tried to give blood I've been turned away (mind you it's only been 4 times) for either not weighing enough (those were the days!) or being anemic.?
Is it bad I can NEVER remember my blood type? It's O but I can never remember positive or negative. I need to find out Campbell's too.?
Getting shots and IV's usually makes me really light-headed and makes me feel like I'll vomit... I gave blood back during the summer and it was a breeze! I didn't have any issues until about two minutes after they took the needle out. They had to give me a cold pack and I drank a bottle of juice and after sitting for about ten minutes I was fine. I'm looking forward to doing it again!
I've never donated and probably won't ever be able to. When I went to go do my CD2 bloodwork, the nurse pulled out like 12 vials. You should have seen how big my eyeballs got. I looked up at her and asked how much it is when you donate blood, because I've never given more than a vial at a time. When I found out that what she was going to be drawing wasn't even 1/4 of what you donate, I felt really dumb!
But, if it makes you feel any better, I felt totally fine after she drew my blood.
Mrs. Little Drew 10/25/08
Blog
TTC since 1/2010 - Dx with Stage IV Endo
11/10 - 100mg Clomid + trigger + IUI + Estradiol + Progesterone = BFN
12/10 - Unmedicated cycle due to RE not doing treatments in December = BFN
1/11 - 100mg Clomid + trigger + IUI + Estradiol + Progesterone = BFN
2/11 - Same sh!t, different month = IUI cancelled due to no response = BFN
IVF #1 - Start stims (Follistim) 5/10, add in Ganirelix 5/14
ER 5/21 - 13 retrieved, 7 mature, 5 fertilized; ET 5/26 - transferred one perfect 1AA blast. 3 snowbabies.
Beta 6/3 - 15.8; Beta 6/7 - 21.8; Beta 6/10 - 7
FET - Transferred 1 AA blast 7/11. Beta 7/20 - 311! Beta 7/22 - 784!! First u/s 8/10
*~PAIFW/SAIFW~*
Wow I am not alone on this late night! LOL
I am AB neg so get quite a few calls and donate as often as I am able. The first time you will be pretty anxious but I guarantee it's a small sacrifice for how good it makes you feel.
It is not bad at all, for me there is a slight burning sensation at first but it doesn't last and if you have a good vein you can be done in less than 15 minutes.
Wives Unscripted
Alexander David
11.25.09
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