Unable to donate blood for a year!

[NoobCruise]

 

So I have no sympathy for blood donors (I read that in another thread with the same subject!) who lie about their traveltrips to get no rejection.

Wendy

 

That's horrible that anyone would lie just to donate. Why? Why? You aren't helping if there's a chance you're carrying something! I guarantee, the person receiving won't appreciate it!

 

At age 14, I had to have a spinal fusion and in 1984, there were no "micro" techniques yet, so I spent 13 hours on the operating table. AIDS was just becoming known and there was no test for it yet so it was a serious worry. I needed 3 fusions to replace the blood lost during surgery. Thankfully, my surgery was planned in advance. My dad was a dr and he and both my surgeons convinced the blood bank to allow me to give blood in advance and store it for me, then give my own blood back to me so I would have no risk of AIDS. I thank God for that because in 1984, something like 30 people contracted HIV in our area through blood transfusions.

 

It makes me sick that anyone would donate knowing they had been in a restricted area. Why would you risk someone elses health just so you can say you donated??? That's utterly dispicable! I can't imagine having to deal with something like malaria while trying to recover from a spinal fusion. It took me over a year to recover and I was a very healthy active teenager!

[NoobCruise]

It must be just certain areas in Mexico, I cruised to Cabo and Puerto Vallarta in March and just donated yesterday in San Diego for the American Red Cross. I stated I had been out of the United States during the last three years but only on that cruise. The nurse asked specifically where I visited in Mexico but I was allowed to donate.

 

Our Mazatlan excursion took us on a bus ride inland into the Sierera Madres, into an area with malaria risk. When I told them I had been on a cruise to Mexico, they asked very specifically where I had been. If I remember correctly, the pacific coastal areas weren't a problem at that time. It was because we went inland.

 

On the other hand, we stayed at an AI in Cozumel for a week in 2008 and they let me donate.

[paul929207]

I used to donate 4 or 5 times a year, but since we retired and travel alot, I have been unable to donate. I have learned to get the info collector to skip to the foriegn travel question. Saves time.

[CheckersMidwest]

In 1998 I got Malaria from dirty scuba gear in Jamaica. We'd stayed at a Sandals. We were out in the boat & when they handed me the gear, I knew it was bad. Cracked tubes, smelly, etc. I'm PADI certified....should have known better. I was breathing contaminated air directly into my lungs. No bug bites. Chances are the gear laid in a bucket of stagnet water ( with mosquitoes , no doubt, swarming in top)

 

I gradually got sick, added symptoms as time went on and got sicker. It took me almost two months to decide to go to the doctor. if I'd given blood before I knew I was sick, I could have infected a lot of people.

 

good thing they have guidelines.

[Karysa]

I was recently called by our local blood bank as I am O Neg and am considered a universal donor. I was denied due to the fact that we went on the Allure in Sept. with a stop in Labadee. Haiti is totally off limits for the blood bank for a full year after going there. Oh well, after Sept. I can again be called when there is a need.

 

 

 

O-neg donors should be tested for Malaria not restricted for 1 year. If I am remembering correctly only 7 o/o of the population is O-neg. O-neg can be given to anyone and is used in the ER when there is no time to type and cross match a patient in order to find their exact blood type. I was told that cost is the reason that these potential blood doors are not tested for Malaria. Testing O-negative blood makes sense because the demand is greater than the supply.

[Gloria Mundi]

Interesting thread- I've been kicked out for a year after visiting India, and at one point that went on for 4 years because I kept going back. It was especially frustrating since I took malaria pills and was mostly hanging out in the office. On top of that, every hotel I ever used sprayed at 6 PM daily. I'm now happily back to every 8 weeks. It's a good excuse to eat Nutter Butter cookies at the recovery station!

 

I'm going to be in Zurich for a couple of months later this year and am trying to figure out how many places I can visit on the weekends without breaking the bank. I better check my friendly local blood bank's Taboo List!!