Blood Donors

[Stanley]

I hope you pass the test Ian!

[PanBiker]

Just come off the phone speaking to a nice lady at NHSBT. I thought I would ring them to see if there was any likelihood of being bounced by the blue nurse when I go to donate. I have related my treatment and the outcome and my present condition. Pleased to say that she has searched her database and reckons there is no reason that should preclude me from donating. She did say though that the final decision does come down to the blue nurse in charge of the session. I will have to deliver up my pitch again but it's looking good.

[Stanley]

[PanBiker]

Further to my previous post. I walked down to Rolls and was in the centre by 14.45 for my 15.00 appointment. Got my water and waited to be scooped up. Light blue nurse got me and ran through my medical screening notes and did my haemoglobin which was fine as usual. I told her she would probably need the cavalry. She agreed once she got to the yes to surgery question. Five minutes later I had Tracy the dark blue nurse who was in charge of the session. Tracy interrogated me regarding what my surgery was about. I related my operation when I was discharged the fact that I had no infection, no transfusions was on no medication, no seizures and the only knock on effects is my slight dropped foot which is a physical thing. I told her that I had rung NHSBT last week and related the same to them and they had checked the database for contra indications to donating and could find none. This was the same conclusion I had arrived at when I checked the NHSBT website.

None of this made a difference to her bouncing me from the session. She checked my medical record that is held by NHSBT and said that whoever I contacted by phone should have either made a positive entry on my record or should have told me that I need to be passed by the NHSBT medical board before I can donate again. There is no entry on my record so option two is triggered. I had to fill in a release form so that NHSBT can contact my doctor for my records. I was with him this morning and should have asked him for a fit to donate note as he reviewed all my records while I was with him as he hadn't seen me since before my surgery. Seems like the two ends of NHSBT don't sing from the same sheet.

Upshot is I can't donate until the NHSBT medical board has had its two pennorth. I mentioned it was a bit like the hoops for the DVLA. Blue nurse Tracy said yes, but we take a lot longer.

[Stanley]

Hard luck Ian. I suppose they have to be ultra careful......

[PanBiker]

Aye, when I was searching for a bit of justification I offered my nice positive consultant letter as supporting evidence. Tracy would not even read it, she said that Mr Anderson had no bearing on the matter as he could not be held responsible for the safety of the donation. I can see that but what vexes me is that all the medical review board will do is contact Hassan for access to my medical records and his opinion. All he has actually done in respect to my actual treatment is my original referral which was a telephone call and my neurological tests yesterday.

I think it would have been better if they had taken samples from me yesterday and shoved them through their testing regime, that would at least have been definitive and probably a lot quicker. They have all the kit to do that and samples are taken anyway for the same during a normal donation session. After a normal donation you get a text within about three weeks to tell you where your donation has gone or how the components have been used.

[plaques]

I think it would have been better if they had taken samples from me yesterday and shoved them through their testing regime,

I think there is more to this blood business than just sending red stuff round your body. Every year new research finds new tell tale compounds that indicate some condition or other. To my mind this suggests that blood is doing far more things than a basic macro check will display. I would be thinking that your own health comes first and a few months of repair /convalescence isn't quite long enough for total recovery. I know you will be champing at the bit but a few more months won't do you any harm.

[PanBiker]

The whole point of the medical questionnaire for NHSBT is to identify possible chances of infection. Most of the questions are related solely to that issue. The haemoglobin test shows whether you are fit enough to donate and can stand to temporary loose a unit of blood and there was no contra indication there. They don't take blood from anaemic folk. Blokes recover iron levels back a lot quicker than female donors so much so that males can donate every 12 weeks if they wish (16 weeks for females). I am over twice that since my discharge. When I was in hospital and because I was being weaned off steroids I had my blood screened about every three days, mainly because it can have a major effect on your blood sugar levels. I am well clear of all this now and every medic that I have seen and every test that I have had says that I am fixed apart from my ongoing muscular recovery.

Without actually running blood tests how can they ever say that I am fit to donate again? It's what they do against every donation so why not take either my donation or at least the samples, that would be definitive.

[Stanley]

Ian, assume they know what they are doing and be patient. it will all settle down eventually....

[PanBiker]

Or not and they may end up losing one their 4%.

[Stanley]

That will be settlement in itself....

[PanBiker]

My all clear from NHSBT came a lot quicker than I was led to believe. Got the letter today so have found a slot at Rolls on 30th May which I have booked.

They advise me to take the letter with me which will be no problem at all.

[Stanley]

[PanBiker]

I have received my invitation to the donor session next Friday. In honesty I will have to tick the "had surgery since last donation" box again as that is still the case. That should invoke the Blue Nurse again, hopefully Tracy who bounced me last time. I have my get out of jail free letter though this time and I'll make sure she reads it.

My appointment is for the evening session at 18.35 so I had better have an early tea and get there in good time for the interrogation. The session finishes at 19.00 so best give a bit of leeway.

[Stanley]

I hope it goes well Ian. Another milestone!

[PanBiker]

All went OK tonight and I gave my donation, last time was July last year, the month after that it all went a bit pear shaped. Glad to be back as a donor as it's important.

I rocked up 15 minutes early after an early tea and a walk down to Rolls. my appointment was for 18.35 but I didn't get called until 18.55, saw the light blue nurse for my haemoglobin test which was fine as usual. Medical questionnaire triggered the dark blue nurse as expected but I played my get out of jail free letter. I still got the third degree and had to relate the nature of my surgery and recovery as such. Anyway dark blue nurse passed me and wrote it up in the correct place for their notes on the medical questionnaire, I should not be challenged again.

Donation went without any issues apart from a slow start from the left hand side. I had offered the right but the nurse had spotted a fatter vein in the left. They will definitely get the right next time. I arrived at the tea and biscuit station just in time for the Mint Clubs to be put on offer. Another milestone and step back to normality.

Do something amazing......

[Stanley]

"Glad to be back as a donor as it's important."
As you say Ian, another milestone. Now for the licence!!

[PanBiker]

Unusually, I have a bit of bruising from my donation yesterday. Not surprised really, when the light blue nurse did the venipuncture she had to do a bit of jiggling of the needle to get the flow started. It was OK once running and my donation was completed in about 10 minutes. I know I have better flow from the right but as mentioned before they fancied a fatter vein on the left. Fatter is not always better as proved today.

Just been on to book my next appointment and the September session at Rolls is already fully booked. I will watch it for a bit for cancellations and then go for a later session if none come up.

[Stanley]

Funny how some needle insertions leave little or no bruising and others leave you looking like a piece of liver!

[PanBiker]

I am eligible to donate again from mid August but I can't get an appointment until the end of October. I have booked a slot then but will swap to the September session if any cancellations come up. NHSBT ask for males to donate on a 12 week cycle but the system still rotates on 16 weeks for the females. Only way you can do it is to swap venues but that isn't always easy.

[PanBiker]

Just received my outcome text from NHSBT. My recent donation was sent to Blackburn Royal Infirmary for use.

[chinatyke]

Another life potentially saved. Well done Ian.

[Stanley]

[PanBiker]

If they split it up from the whole blood product, each donation can actually help to save five people. I think it depends on the stock levels of each blood type at the time as to whether it remains whole or is processed into it's component parts. NHSBT tell you if it has been split.

I was chatting to someone last night at our cancer support group meeting and her husband, who is undergoing treatment at the moment needs blood transfusions three times a week to compensate for the other medication regime he is on. Brings it home to you how important blood donation is.

[Stanley]

(I am so lucky with my cancer....)