Running out of novel things to do now you've turned 18? Look no further!

Piste

Drank all the booze your liver can handle? Bought ciagarettes even though you don't smoke, just cos you could? Played the Lotto when you knew you had no chance of winning? Voted? Got a credit card? Seems like there's one thing left to complete your list of things you can now legally do, give blood.

There have been a load of road traffic accidents due to the bad weather so blood is in urgent supply. If you're elibible then pop down to your local clinic and do something really worthwhile.

All the details to do with giving blood can be found at http://www.giveblood.ie/

I donated back in July and it was a doddle really, this coming from a girl who hid in the bathroom sobbing when she had to get her meningitis injection in fourth class and whose parents had to hold her down! The needle's big enough but it only hurts for a split second when it goes in- while it's in your arm you barely feel it and the blood looks kinda cool flowing into the bag! You get crisps and chocolate in the waiting area and sandwiches, drinks and more crisps and chocolate when you're "recovering" afterwards.

Even if the idea freaks you out, you'll get over it soon enough. Even if you're in the small minority who feel sick and dizzy afterwords, it's a lot better than bleeding to death.

Unfortunately I can't give for the next few weeks as when I went back in October to donate by Haemoglobin level was just under the minimum requirement, but after almost three months of iron supps I should be good to go by February.

phlegms

Do I get free cookies?

Piste

I can't remmber if there were cookies actually....there were definitely biscuits, a good few kinds!

eVeNtInE

This post has been deleted.

phlegms

Turns out I'm not eligible because I lived in the U.K between 1990-1995. Fúcking racists..I just wanted free cookies.

Piste

Yeah I felt the same when I was 17, I thought it was pretty unfair that my body was pretty much developed so my blood was as good then as it would be when I'd turn 18. I guess there's a large enough variability in maturation of bodies during the teenage years, so to be safe they have to have it at 18. Kinda sucks if you've perfectly good blood you'd be willing to give though.

TheCardHolder

It's only a couple of weeks now. I'll gladly do it.

IrishSerf

GIVEGIVEGIVE

Donating for 20 yrs except ear pierced, tatooed or sick. I hope blood donation can be recognised as VITAL by you kids..keep it going..people depend..could be YOU!

Aoibheann

No permanent clinic at home, it comes around every three months, wasn't around when it came around a few weeks ago. >.< However I shall be back in Dublin in the next few days or so, and shall definitely donate again then.

Apparently my blood type has the lowest supply atm too..

Want to start giving platelets too if I can actually.

ya-ba-da-ba-doo

Count me in. I don't know why I havn't done it already to be honest. Cheers for knockin' some sense into me!

phlegms

I'd say if they gave out free booze when you donate blood and hung around colleges, Blood donations would skyrocket, thus ending the shortage.

eVeNtInE

This post has been deleted.

bythewoods

Piste, you forgot to mention the free Guinness. FREE alcohol.

EDIT: Ooops beaten. But yeah. Cans of guinness loike.

kev_s88

have to wait for 4 months now that i have my tattoo...but really cant wait to get back into the swing of things and get giving blood again. it really is just such a small thing, but its amazing how much it can help

Jay P

Like i said in AH last night, I've never been so keen on doing something as selfless as this. I've wanted to do it for ages but I just kept forgetting about it. I was going to do it this week, but because I'm on antibiotics I have to wait a week, then another week so I can be fully recovered.

Piste

Yay it's great to see such a positive response! I was thinking of organising a blood drive in college, but seeing as about 75% of the students are foreign, they probably wouldn't be eligible (most of this 75% come from malarial regions). Might look into it after the exams.

Cian92

Do they not give out drink anymore? I remember I used go with my Dad and he would get a can of Heineken afterwards. Unfortuneately I'm only 17 so can't donate...

lou91

And, eh, can't drink...

The Walsho

I got a Guinness last time I gave blood.

I've now moved on to giving platelets :cool:

Aisling(",)

I cant give platelets because im not heavy enough and they wont take my blood because theres not enought iron,ill try again though:)

mardybumbum

I have seen Guinness mentioned on this page.
Exactly what centres are handing out the black stuff?
Not the one on d'olier street anyway. Last time I was in twas only bags of tayto and snack bars.

Pygmalion

mardybumbum wrote: »

I have seen Guinness mentioned on this page.
Exactly what centres are handing out the black stuff?
Not the one on d'olier street anyway. Last time I was in twas only bags of tayto and snack bars.

I don't think they do it anymore.
Apparently my granny was prescribed Guinness back in the good old days for anaemia :pac:

mardybumbum

Pygmalion wrote: »

I don't think they do it anymore.
Apparently my granny was prescribed Guinness back in the good old days for anaemia :pac:

Excellent. :pac:
I thought you were taking the mickey until I seen this.

theowen

phlegms wrote: »

Turns out I'm not eligible because I lived in the U.K between 1990-1995. Fúcking racists..I just wanted free cookies.

Same with me!

Cian92

RandomUserName! wrote: »

And, eh, can't drink...

Debatable..

jumpguy

Piste wrote: »

Yay it's great to see such a positive response! I was thinking of organising a blood drive in college, but seeing as about 75% of the students are foreign, they probably wouldn't be eligible (most of this 75% come from malarial regions). Might look into it after the exams.

In RCSI? Or by foreign d'you mean English?

I want giving blood to be one of the first things I do when I'm 18...just so I could say something other than "OMGZ I GOT WRECKED DRUNK!" Sure everyone does that. It's pretty unfair I can't do it now. I think it should be 16 up, but under 18's need parent's permission.

Piste

I don't think under 18s can donate at all, regardless of parental permission.

By foreign I just meant non-Irish. There are a lot of Maylasians and Middle-Easterns in my year and I think they have to be resident outside their country for X number of years to be eligible.

Fad

Pygmalion wrote: »

Apparently my granny was prescribed Guinness back in the good old days for anaemia :pac:

I love how Guinness has been tested now and proven to not actually contain a whole lot of iron!

jumpguy

Piste wrote: »

I don't think under 18s can donate at all, regardless of parental permission.

By foreign I just meant non-Irish. There are a lot of Maylasians and Middle-Easterns in my year and I think they have to be resident outside their country for X number of years to be eligible.

I know, I meant that's the way it should be.

I think eligibility is the same as if an Irish person travelled. Like if you were in England with a chance of CJD, or in a malarial or tropical country the same thing applies. But say you were French without any of these risks I can't see it being a problem.

Depending on how long the Malaysians and Middle-Easterns have been in Ireland, they are likely eligible. But I'd defo give the Blood Transfusion Service a ring first to make sure.

degausserxo

I'm on it, maw! Heading to D'Olier street next week with a friend, trying to round up more. Only a four day supply left for certain types, that's crazy.

D4RK ONION

Personally, I would never have the balls to do it. I got pretty terrified and then light headed when I had to give tiny blood samples to my dermatologist/GP, never got any better after 3 years of doing it constantly. Couldn't stomach a pint of two. I'll graciously pass.

jumpguy

D4RK ONION wrote: »

Personally, I would never have the balls to do it. I got pretty terrified and then light headed when I had to give tiny blood samples to my dermatologist/GP, never got any better after 3 years of doing it constantly. Couldn't stomach a pint of two. I'll graciously pass.

Go on ya big girl!

(Sorry)

D4RK ONION

jumpguy wrote: »

Go on ya big girl!

Honestly, call me what you will, I can't stand needles, I hate them, they make me very irrational.

(Sorry)

Pshh, don't apologise, I can take worse!

Jay P

D4RK ONION wrote: »

Honestly, call me what you will, I can't stand needles, I hate them, they make me very irrational.

I used to be like that, then I grew a pair.


:pac:

But seriously, I've had many a needle stuck into many a place, including getting a lumbar puncture... *shudder* So I'm almost used to it now. I do get where you're coming from.

Pygmalion

Fad wrote: »

I love how Guinness has been tested now and proven to not actually contain a whole lot of iron!

Same with Spinach, apparently the whole "Spinach contains tons of iron" thing started when someone put a decimal point in the wrong place or someone used the wrong units or something silly like that.

jumpguy

Nuts have irons in 'em! I'm surprised by how common anemia is tbh, especially in women.

Don't they?

Pygmalion

jumpguy wrote: »

Nuts have irons in 'em! I'm surprised by how common anemia is tbh, especially in women.

Don't they?

Of course the women will have anaemia if all the iron is in the nuts.

kev_s88

Pygmalion wrote: »

Of course the women will have anaemia if all the iron is in the nuts.

classy.

that is all!

lalee17

Only a week away, I'll definitely give.

The Walsho

I gave blood for the first time just over a year ago, and was given Guinness. It was when they came out to a local school for two days and did it though.

And all I'll say about the iron in Guinness is that I drink a lot of Guinness and my iron count was very high when I was giving blood. All the nurses were fawning all over me sure.

"Ooh Mark, your iron count is so high, one of the highest we've seen today isn't it, Dolores?"
"Ooh yes definitely, very high that is."
"Would you mind if we sucked you off?"

True story lads.

Konata

The Walsho wrote: »

I gave blood for the first time just over a year ago, and was given Guinness. It was when they came out to a local school for two days and did it though.

And all I'll say about the iron in Guinness is that I drink a lot of Guinness and my iron count was very high when I was giving blood. All the nurses were fawning all over me sure.

"Ooh Mark, your iron count is so high, one of the highest we've seen today isn't it, Dolores?"
"Ooh yes definitely, very high that is."
"Would you mind if we sucked you off?"

True story lads.

How can any guy refuse?

The Walsho

FallingSlowly wrote: »

How can any guy refuse?

Exactly. I walked in expecting to donate blood, I hadn't even thought about any other bodily fluids.

Daysha

The Walsho wrote: »

I gave blood for the first time just over a year ago, and was given Guinness. It was when they came out to a local school for two days and did it though.

And all I'll say about the iron in Guinness is that I drink a lot of Guinness and my iron count was very high when I was giving blood. All the nurses were fawning all over me sure.

"Ooh Mark, your iron count is so high, one of the highest we've seen today isn't it, Dolores?"
"Ooh yes definitely, very high that is."
"Would you mind if we sucked you off?"

True story lads.

Konata

The Walsho wrote: »

Exactly. I walked in expecting to donate blood, I hadn't even thought about any other bodily fluids.

Would be an excellent advertising campaign. Numbers would sky-rocket for sure. Terms and conditions apply of course.*





*depends on mood of nurse on day.


Give blood people!

The Walsho

Although do you reckon if they took the blood first, there could be difficulties in that sort of thing?

When you give blood you'll usually get drunk a lot faster than normal if you go drinking that night. I did anyway.

I'd like apologise for bringing down the tone of this thread. A nice thread about doing a nice thing and I come barging in "UUURGH SEX AND BOOZE WAHEY GET YA TITS OUT LAV".

Konata

The Walsho wrote: »

Although do you reckon if they took the blood first, there could be difficulties in that sort of thing?

When you give blood you'll usually get drunk a lot faster than normal if you go drinking that night. I did anyway.

I'd like apologise for bringing down the tone of this thread. A nice thread about doing a nice thing and I come barging in "UUURGH SEX AND BOOZE WAHEY GET YA TITS OUT LAV".

Meh, if it encourages donations, I'm sure you can get away with it

Aside from that, does anyone know what the exact iron level required to give blood is?

Fad

FallingSlowly wrote: »

Meh, if it encourages donations, I'm sure you can get away with it

Aside from that, does anyone know what the exact iron level required to give blood is?

7

Piste

For women the reference ranges for normal Hb levels are 12-16, for men it's 14-18.


Fad, where on earth did you get seven from? :P

Fad

Piste wrote: »

For women the reference ranges for normal Hb levels are 12-16, for men it's 14-18.


Fad, where on earth did you get seven from? :P

Thin air, notice my distinct lack of units........

The Walsho

I thought seven seemed a bit odd, since I remember being in the higher end of the teens! I can't quite remember what the minimum level required is though.

Pigwidgeon

Heard about this already and am planning to go in during the week to do it, have convinced a few other people to go as well.