Blood Donors?

[cruisin from florida]

Between multiple cruises to various locations, as well as other travel, the "have you been out of the U.S. in the last 12 months, and if so, where?" question when I donate blood has gotten more and more complicated. Adding to the fact that the dates and locations seem to blur (was I in Mexico last summer, or was that the Bahamas cruise?) it starts to get tricky.

 

Does anyone else have this problem (not a bad one to have, I know ) and how do you simplify things if you do?

[shipknotshore]

We both are donors and yes, we find that question a bit tricky sometimes. I guess you could keep a computerized list of all your "out of the country travel locations" and print it out to take with you.

 

Your right about it being not such a bad problem.:p (That would be the travel part.....not the memory part.)

[whogo]

I do keep a computerized list, both for the blood center and my own peace of mind. I can not remember when I have been to a particular place, or which cruise went where.

[blmcdps]

My husband and I both are blood donors, but last time I tried to donate blood they would not let me, because I had been to playa del carmen. We had gone on a crusie over springbreak and spent one day in Playa Del Carmen. They said I would have to wait a year. It's funny, because Cancun was fine, but not Playa Del Carmen.

[PHXscuba]

Mheeren:

I'd try to come up with the list before I sat down at the blood bank (which causes all of our memories to get a bit "leaky".:) Your passport might help jog your memory if you used one on your trips.

I would keep going in to donate even if I was unsure about my exact travel dates. They note things like "summer 2004" or "end of 2006". I went to Mexico last summer and they had to pull out a Mexico map with different parts of the country marked OK or not OK. I think the further you get from a "tourist" area the more likely you will be turned away.

But keep donating! My mother is literally a world traveller (not just cruising the Caribbean) and she said she is amazed how few of her trips have caused her to be deferred for a time. We both get deferred for anemia more often than travel (hmm...more steaks on the trip might help...)

PHXscuba

"You can't have everything -- besides, where would you put it all?":D

[wrinklesandme]

We were recently deferred due to visiting Caulker Caye in Belize. Had we stayed in Belize City, we would have been fine. The interesing part is that my DH had specifically asked before we went. This was in March, and the deferred areas were changed in April.

 

You need to state specifically where you were. Especially if you've been in Mexico. Some areas are fine, but others are not. It is all based on where the country is spraying for malaria.

 

Please, don't mess with the blood supply. We have several friends who desperatly need it and don't need the added diseases.

 

Thank you,

[cruisin from florida]

Labadee is fine, but they always have to check. Cozumel was fine last time I donated, but they definitely looked more closely at Mexico than they had in the past.

 

I will have to start writing these things down. I honestly can't remember when I went where. And the guy at Canon service wants to know when I bought my camera. It was right before our first cruise with our friends to.... the Eastern? Western? 2003? 2004? AARRGH!

[ORANGEinINDY]

I was defered for my visit to Costa Maya (She actually wrote down "Quinta Roo".. I think due to mosquitos and malaria risks.

[TennisLover]

Cozumel was ok, but they asked if I went to the ruins and I did! The Tulum ruins area excludes you from giving blood. I believe Roatan, Costa Rico and Panama are also reason for exclusion. It's disappointing because I like to give blood (my grandmother needed blood for the last few years of her life), but I understand the need for them to be careful. I will check with the local blood center if I am ok this year (Labadee, Ocho Rios, Cozumel -- no ruins this time, and Grand Cayman).

[mcfaddensfarm]

Here's an odd one: My husband went home to visit his family in Scotland (this was before we were married) during the early 90's for a little over 6 months. A couple of years ago he went to donate some blood and was told that he now cannot donate blood because of the possibility of being exposed to mad cow disease while in the United Kingdom during that time.:eek:

[ORANGEinINDY]

Cozumel was ok, but they asked if I went to the ruins and I did! The Tulum ruins area excludes you from giving blood. I believe Roatan, Costa Rico and Panama are also reason for exclusion.

Interesting... I think I might have mentioned the ruins in Costa Maya. I will have to check again next time, as I have not been on a ruins tour since then. (BTW, David and Ivan's tour in cost Maya is fabulous)

[whogo]

My blood center defers donors for one year if they have traveled to a malaria zone. They use the CDC information at http://www.cdc.gov/travel/regionalmalaria/index.htm .

 

You are permanently ineligible to donate blood if you were born or lived in: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Niger, Nigeria.

[ILoveScotland]

I donate platelets, not blood, but I get the same questions. When I say Cozumel or Cayman Islands the person looks it up on a computer to find out if it's okay for me to donate.

[cruisin from florida]

Interesting... I think I might have mentioned the ruins in Costa Maya. I will have to check again next time, as I have not been on a ruins tour since then. (BTW, David and Ivan's tour in cost Maya is fabulous)

 

I agree about David and Ivan's tour! Even worth skipping a blood donation! I think I did give blood after I went there a year ago. I didn't even think to mention the ruins separately - I told them Costa Maya and Mahujaul (sp?) and it never occurred to me to mention the ruins.

 

I'll have to be more specific next time, although I have a feeling they weren't being as careful with Mexico at the time. They have always asked very detailed questions about Haiti, and I remember their double-checking that we had not left the Labadee area. They didn't get that picky a year or so ago about Mexico.

[lazygal]

We were turned down because of traveling to Belize and it looks like we will be permanently turned down because the local blood bank now has upped it from one year to three years wait. Travel to the United Kingdom is totally banned.

[Nancyquilts]

I'm lucky. My blood bank keeps my trips in the computer, so I only have to remember what I've done recently. I find if I stay in the cities I don't have any trouble donating, but if we go outside some of the cities in Central America and Mexico, they defer me. Nancy (13 gallons and counting)