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Are you a blood, bone marrow, and/or organ donor? Why or why not?

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Gattsu25

Banned
Organ donor. I'm not going to care when I'm dead and I can posthumously save someone's life? Sure. My family knows all too well what it's like to have a loved one on a organ transplant list only to never find a match. If I can help another family not go through with that I will.

I've donated blood and bone marrow in the past but, as someone who is deathly afraid of needles, the process frays on my nerves and I haven't donated in a few years.
 
I think a fair rule that should be implemented would be that if you are not a blood donor or do not have your organ donor sticker on your license that you should not be eligible for organ or blood transfusions. (Obviously barring circumstances where a person is not eligible to be donor).

I wish we could implement that, but I don't think it's feasible and would have major repercussions that are hard to predict. Besides, all it takes is a piercing or tattoo to become ineligible to donate blood. I could see people circumventing this pretty easily. The implementation to verify everyone is registered that needs to be, or verify that they aren't registered because they're ineligible, would be really expensive and complex. I also worry it would disproportionately hurt poor individuals that can't easily get to a blood donation center.

I'm sure more could be done than is currently done, but an outright "donate or you get none" stance would be too extreme.
 

News Bot

Banned
I'm an everything donor. If any part of my body can be used to help or save someone's life and I'm no longer using them, for fuck's sake TAKE EVERYTHING. I don't understand people who don't feel the same.

Donated blood a bunch too.
 
I wish we could implement that, but I don't think it's feasible and would have major repercussions that are hard to predict. Besides, all it takes is a piercing or tattoo to become ineligible to donate blood. I could see people circumventing this pretty easily. The implementation to verify everyone is registered that needs to be, or verify that they aren't registered because they're ineligible, would be really expensive and complex. I also worry it would disproportionately hurt poor individuals that can't easily get to a blood donation center.

I'm sure more could be done than is currently done, but an outright "donate or you get none" stance would be too extreme.

I know it wouldn't work with blood donors but it would be easier to figure out with organ donors. Though I guess once you needed a donor you would probably become one. I don't know. I'm just talking about a perfect world where people only get the help that they are willing to give.
 
That is highly unusual to be a match so quickly. Are you of non-European descent? I've heard there is a huge lack of marrow donors from Asian/African/Latino backgrounds and an overabundance of European/White donors. As for me, I signed up to be a bone marrow donor a few years ago and have yet to be matched. I am happy to donate if I am ever matched, but the odds are pretty long that it'll ever happen.

A bit of a bump but I realized I missed checking for replies.

I'm of European descent. Mostly German to my understanding. Pretty much Caucasian through-and-through though my mother has claimed we have some puny percentage of Native American background. If so it's probably something like 1/16. The chance that I was selected so quickly was really peculiar. I almost wondered after it ended up not happening if I'd be selected again quickly due to some super marrow or something, but it's been a year and nothing new yet.

This thread keeps reminding me I need to get out and donate again. I'll aim to do it next week.
 
A bit of a bump but I realized I missed checking for replies.

I'm of European descent. Mostly German to my understanding. Pretty much Caucasian through-and-through though my mother has claimed we have some puny percentage of Native American background. If so it's probably something like 1/16. The chance that I was selected so quickly was really peculiar. I almost wondered after it ended up not happening if I'd be selected again quickly due to some super marrow or something, but it's been a year and nothing new yet.

This thread keeps reminding me I need to get out and donate again. I'll aim to do it next week.

That's super abnormal to have that background and be called on that quickly. But... yeah, so goes it I guess.
 

DJ_Lae

Member
Organ, yeah. I mean, I'm not going to use any of that at that point anyway, might as well be of some use to someone else.

Blood...I'd like to, but already have low blood pressure most of the time. Donating blood would be a great way for me to pass out.
 

123rl

Member
I'm almost the opposite. I'm a blood donor and have been for 13 years. I'd donate platelets but I was told the veins in my arms aren't suitable so I'll just continue with blood donations
 

JCX

Member
I usually donate blood once a year. Partially because I was pretty sick as a kid and needed blood, so a sort of pay it forward thing.
 

Fargo_Dog

Banned
I'm an organ donor, 'cause once I'm dead they can split me open and take out whatever they want to do whatever they wish.

As for blood, I'm bisexual.

So no.
 

BPoole

Member
I don't do any of them, but I am strongly considering becoming a sperm donor since I don't want any kids of my own
 

someday

Banned
I'm an organ and bone marrow donor. I read that there aren't enough black bone marrow donors so I made it a point to register.

Oddly enough, I can't donate blood because I lived in Germany in the early 80s (CJD concerns).
 
Lol that is why i dont donate blood, plus needles. But you can take my organs

I don't know if there is any correlation between blood donation and limited strength gains. I've certainly never heard of it. You'll maybe have to miss a day of lifting but if you work it into a rest day anyway it doesn't mean much.
 
I don't know if there is any correlation between blood donation and limited strength gains. I've certainly never heard of it. You'll maybe have to miss a day of lifting but if you work it into a rest day anyway it doesn't mean much.

Blood is kinda your life force.
Your muscles will repair and grow slower with less blood flowing about in your system to deliver the nourishment and regenerative stuff - so I imagine the impact would be felt for several days, until your body has replaced the donated amount of blood cells.
 
Blood is kinda your life force.
Your muscles will repair and grow slower with less blood flowing about in your system to deliver the nourishment and regenerative stuff - so I imagine the impact would be felt for several days, until your body has replaced the donated amount of blood cells.

Right, but how much does that actually impact you if you donate a pint? What if you donate only red blood cells? What about just plasma? Looking for a bit I can't find any real studies that show any impacts.

Either way, I suppose you can't make any gains at all if you need blood but there is none available for you... so I guess any short-term losses for myself are worth it to help keep the blood supply going.

EDIT: Well, here's one regarding peak aerobic power. 2-3 weeks for a full recovery from traditional whole blood donations.
 

Zukuu

Banned
Nope.

Never find the opportunity to become one. I like when countries make you one by default and you have to opt out yourself.
 
I'd wanted to donate blood for a while, but someone told me I needed a physical so I put it off. However, when I found out that wasn't required, I tried at the spur of the moment. I normally drink quite a bit, but hadn't had enough, so they couldn't get much out of my veins unfortunately, and wouldn't let me do so again for 56 days or so.

I've donated a couple of times now, and it's problematic for the techs. The only vein they can find is on the edge of my left arm, by my elbow, and it's small. So, even though I had about 7 bottles of water before donating last time, they almost couldn't get anything.

It worries me, and makes me feel bad. Hurts a bit more, too, but it's worth it.
 
I donate a few times each year with the NHS, I dunno what they take. It's just blood to me. I am registered to donate organs too but not my eyes. I know it seems superstitious and irrational but I can't stand the idea of someone having my eyes.

The nurses are very professional. I blacked out time before last, after my donation and they handled it very well. It was a bit embarrassing for me. I felt like I had the most wonderful dream but it turns out I just landed on the floor. They do have promos if you donate dozens of times. Mostly I just did it because I was depressed while unemployed, felt useless and needed any reason to get out the house.

I don't agree with opt out donations of any kind. I'd donate sperm also if it was anonymous, but sadly the law changed on that some years ago.
 

RobotHaus

Unconfirmed Member
Blood? Yes.
Organ? Hopefully my dead body will yield something good.
Marrow? I really want to, it's just a bit harder to do, I need to find a way how nearby.

I figure if I can make an excess in a material that people need, I might as well give as much of it as I can.
 

jasonng

Member
How interesting for this thread to pop up! I'm in the process of becoming an organ donor. For whatever reason here I thought you had to fill an application at the DMV here in NYC. Instead you have to mail your application to the NY State department of Health? Are you suppose to get a new ID after all the paperwork is done? My old one is about to expire so getting a new ID would be extremely convenient for me.

Does anyone know?
 

DarthWoo

I'm glad Grandpa porked a Chinese Muslim
I'm an organ donor. Well, I will presumably be one in the future, according to my license. I'd honestly prefer to keep them all where they are for the moment, until I don't need them anymore.

Also started donating blood this past summer, and have gone three times so far. Honestly wish I could donate more than one unit per 8 weeks, as I never feel any different after it's done. First time was great, but they sure jabbed around with that needle the second and third time. Maybe my right arm is just less sensitive to pain.
 

Kamek

Member
Blood? Yes.
Organ? Hopefully my dead body will yield something good.
Marrow? I really want to, it's just a bit harder to do, I need to find a way how nearby.

I figure if I can make an excess in a material that people need, I might as well give as much of it as I can.

For marrow, you just get a cheek swab. They put you in a registry. If you end up being a match, which is very hard, then you get called to donate. A lot of the time it's just a stem cell filtration of your blood. But a lot of people are needed in the registry, because finding a perfect or good match is pretty difficult, especially for a lot of minorities.
 

shintoki

sparkle this bitch
Last time I donated. Half my joint had bruising and they found out I was anemic.

-_-


I still donate about 3 times a year.
 
Blood? Yes.
Organ? Hopefully my dead body will yield something good.
Marrow? I really want to, it's just a bit harder to do, I need to find a way how nearby.

I figure if I can make an excess in a material that people need, I might as well give as much of it as I can.

For marrow and stem cells, you'll likely receive swabs to do (by swabbing your cheeks). Then you'll mail them in and you'll be put on a registry. If someone's a match in the world, they'll let you know, and you'll need to do tests to ensure your health before donating.

At least, that's apparently how it works here. I did the swabs, but haven't found a match.
 
As a recipent of both organ (kidney twice) and blood donations I would like to say well done to all who are donors. The difference in quality of life for me was night and day and the blood donations kept me alive on the cutting table.

My dad has been a blood donor since before I was born and he says it is one of the most satistfying things he can do for fellow people.
 

Tesseract

Banned
yep, take me all.

although i always think doctors will give up trying to revive donors to harvest organs. not that i'll care, lol.
 

Azulsky

Member
Organ yes.

Marrow no, idk where you even sign up for that.

Blood no, I am not a fan of needles enough to sit for a whole pint or whatever to come out.
 
When my Aunt died last year, her family made the decision to donate her organs after being asked by the hospital. Even though she was an alcoholic for many years, her sobriety had allowed her liver to regenerate, which I thought was really neat, and it was able to be donated too.

The one doctor said she was the first person who'd donated there (I guess after being asked. I don't know, but I was surprised) and called her their Christmas Angel.
 

daveo42

Banned
I'm not but I used to be a blood donor because I'm on meds that keep me from giving blood. I am still an organ donor though.
 
I figure that, even if I end up being a failure in life, being willing to donate my blood, organs, stem cells and/or bone marrow is the best gift I can give and the best thing I can do as a human being.
Exactly! The person you give to has everything to gain, and you have nothing to lose.

I hear giving marrow is unpleasant, but I mean if it saves a life, that doesn't really matter haha.
 
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