Perfect Timing

im donating blood in the morning and cant sleep. jeesh – perfect timing for my insomnia to come back =\

 

For A Good Cause – Get Informed and Donate now!

Donate Blood, Give Life

 

 

 

Imagine this: You are driving down the road with your significant other, on the way to a fantastic romantic dinner. The two of you are enjoying a wonderful conversation about your future together, and all that you have planned. There is a traffic light coming up, you are okay to go through, so you continue. However, the vehicle to the right of you does not obey his red light, and comes barreling right at your car. BAM! You blink, and you are covered in blood-losing it quickly from a large injury resulting from the collision. Now, you are in the hospital, and you must receive a blood transfusion, or you face death. Thankfully, your partner is able to donate for you. So much for the romantic dinner, right?

Now, imagine that you were not able to receive that transfusion because of the low blood supply…and because your partner’s blood type was incompatible. You would have come to the end of your road there, all because someone ran a red light, and no one took the time to donate blood.

the people in that car didn't get a blood transfusion.

 

Donating blood is important because each donation of one pint can save up to three lives. Yet, as of 2001, according to the American Red Cross, only 5% of eligible Americans donate. Why is this? What can you do to help solve this problem? Quite simply, you can donate up to 6 times a year-every 56 days, or 8 weeks.

So, what is the big deal about donating blood? Are you scared of needles? You don’t think you have time? That is no excuse! If you have a tattoo or body piercing, chances are you have felt more pain from that procedure than you ever will from a donation. The actual blood donation part takes about 10 minutes…and the pinch of the needle only lasts a second. The rest of your hour is spent during registration taking personal information, health records, etc., that are all kept in confidentiality for your safety as well as others. All blood donations use sterile needles, which are used one time by a donor and replaced after each donation. An hour every two months is all it takes to ensure that the newborn baby with heart complications or the new mother who lost a lot of blood in the emergency cesarean section can survive.

The fact is, every two seconds, someone needs blood-some patients need regular transfusions to survive… some are going through surgery, and some come in from accidents like the one used in the opening of this essay.

You may be thinking, “If I donate, what do I get? It seems like a lot of blood to lose.”

Honestly, the human body carries an average of 10 to 12 pints of blood, and the pint you donate will replace itself within 24 hours. What you get out of the deal is the satisfaction of knowing that you are doing your part to help save lives… and free juice and cookies to help keep yourself sustained, should you become dizzy. Plus, there’s the added bonus of no heavy lifting while you wear the bandage. Go ahead; wear it as long as you want! Donating blood will also help you answer a question that many of us never think we should know the answer to… our own blood types. Referring once again to the scenario presented at the opening, you weren’t incapacitated; so, you would have been able to say, “I know I am O+!” After your first donation, you will receive a card in the mail with your name and blood type to carry with your ID-and should you ever become incapacitated, the answer lies right there with whom you are! Your blood will also be tested for things like HIV, hepatitis, syphilis, and other factors that could harm others, should they receive your blood. You will be notified of anything that shows up that could prove harmful to you….which is just another way of insuring that you are healthy!

Now you’re thinking, “I’m just one person. How am I going to solve such a huge problem? I have a common blood type, I’m sure plenty of other people can pull my weight” and there are some of you thinking, “I have a rare blood type, so it shouldn’t be needed as much…. I’ll wait until they call me for the shortage.”

The reason the problem is not solved is that if everyone has that same opinion, no one donates because they all think that everyone else is doing it. No matter how common your blood type-it is always in need. In fact, the universal blood type, O- is often given to people before their blood type is known, in emergencies, because everyone can accept it. However, only about 7% of the population is O-. The math just doesn’t add up. Another disturbing fact is that only 32% of first time donors come back for a second time. This is most of the time due to the fact that they just can’t find the time, or they forget when they can again. We have to work together to break this trend!

Donating DOES save lives

If you began donating at age 17 when you first became eligible, and continued to donate on a regular schedule of 6 times a year until age 76, you would have donated 48 gallons of blood… enough to potentially save over 1000 lives in your lifetime!

There are some requirements that must be met in order to be an active donor. Well, more than a half of the world’s population is eligible. If you are 17 or older, and weigh at least 110 pounds, and are in good health, you are eligible. Of course, there are those of us with different circumstances… those who are pregnant, who just went for that awesome tattoo/body piercing, or went on a vacation overseas. You will have to wait a little while-from 6 weeks to a year depending on the situation, before you can donate. If you have a condition that prohibits you from donating all together, here are some things that you can do to help:

*Organize/Sponsor a blood drive at your school, church, or workplace.

*Recruit healthy people that you know can donate.
*Volunteer at your local Red Cross center to help with other issues.

Please begin donating blood as soon as you eligible, and continue to do so as often as you can. You never know when you may be the one in need! Life comes at us all very fast, and cannot be predicted. Call your local red cross to schedule an appointment today!
According to figures provided by the Red Cross, approximately 32,000 pints of blood are used every day in the United States. Other figures state that although 60% of adults are eligible to donate blood, only 5% do regularly.

Blood donation might sound like a scary or daunting thing to do. Other people just never think of doing so. For people who otherwise wouldn’t have time to donate blood, many workplaces and other organizations host blood drives so a person wanting to donate blood can do so by stopping in without an appointment during their normal day. Blood donations may also be scheduled at local blood centers.

Children battling cancer, a person having emergency surgery, a mother giving birth or a young man injured in a car accident are examples of people who need donated blood. There are four blood types: Type A, Type B, Type AB, and Type O. There are also positive and negative types of each blood type. It is important to the person receiving a blood donation that the right type be used. Otherwise, the blood can clump and cause clots that can be fatal. Type O negative is in demand because they are called the “universal donors”. All blood types can receive a blood donation of Type O negative blood.

There are three steps to making a blood donation once you have decided to donate blood and are at a blood donation site.

The first step is a screening. You will fill out a consent form and a screener will ask you an extensive series of questions. These questions are used to determine a blood donor’s eligibility. Some questions include your age, weight, current state of health, and any risk factors such as tattooing, international travel, and sexual history.

Currently in the United States a person who has had sex with a male who has had sex with another male since 1977 is considered ineligible to donate blood; a person under 17 years old or under 110 pounds is not eligible to donate;there are also travel-realted risks such as HIV, a human form of cow disease and malaria. Once the questionnaire is completed, the screener will typically prick the donor’s finger to determine the hemoglobin level or hematocrit of the blood and take the donor’s blood pressure.

Step two is the actual blood donation. Usually, the blood donor reclines or lies on a bench or reclining chair. A phlebotomist disinfects the inner elbow and inserts a cannula. A tourniquet is applied to the upper arm and the phlebotomist may instruct you to open and close your fist repeatedly to speed the blood flow. This part of the blood donation only takes 10-15 minutes. Blood flows from the vein into a special collection bag to measure how much blood is collected. A typical blood donation is about a pint, which is approximately 1/10th of the blood in your body.

The third step is a recovery time. The person making a blood donation will be given a gauze strip to stop the blood flow and allowed to get up. Snacks and drinks are provided to help restore blood sugar. It’s a good idea to sit and rest for a few minutes, especially if you feel faint, lightheaded or nauseous. It is best to eat a good meal, and drink plenty of fluids before your blood donation as well. Most blood donation centers will give you a special t-shirt or sticker for your blood donation. Wear it with pride: you’ve just saved three lives!

Each pint of blood is separated into several parts:

* Red blood cells which carry oxygen through a body

* Plasma which makes up 55% of blood volume

* Platelets that aid blood clotting and are needed by leukemia and other cancer patients

* Cryoprecipitate used to treat hemophilia and other clotting disorders

It is rare to have any adverse effects from donating blood. In fact, some people report that donating blood regularly is invigorating. Perhaps that is because those people know that donating blood is a unique contribution. After all, there is no substitute for human blood! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Qquestions and Answers

Why Donate Blood?! 

 

 

 

Why is it so important that I give blood?

Many people consider it a right to receive blood when needed, but don’t often consider the responsibility of giving blood to maintain the community supply for others. To meet patient need, the Red Cross must collect over 6 million blood donations each year.

Some areas of the country need more blood than they are able to collect, while others can collect more than they need. Most large medical centers transfuse more blood than what is donated by the local residents. Areas with major medical centers and hospitals which serve patients from all over the world always need blood.

The Red Cross has a nationwide system of sharing blood donations based on patient need. Despite this sophisticated system of sharing, there are parts of the country that have chronic blood shortages. Those shortages would be eliminated if more healthy people would give blood.

For our family, our friends, and for strangers in need, we must share blood resources. We need more donors, and we need donors to give blood more often. If half the people who donate one time a year were to donate a second time, we would not have shortages of blood.

Why do blood shortages occasionally happen?

Medical advances have improved the treatment of serious illness and injury. These advances have increased the need for blood products to support a patient through recovery. Also, “baby boomers”, who make up the majority of blood donors, are aging. As they grow older, fewer are eligible to give blood, yet more of them need blood as their health declines.

Unfortunately, people do not donate enough blood to keep up with the needs of patients. In 1998-1999, region Badger-Hawkeye needed to collect nearly 218,000 blood donations .This is an increase of 18,000 over the previous year.

Why is there a special need for type O blood?

Type O negative blood is called the “universal blood type” because it can be transfused to people of all blood types. Type O positive can be given to anyone with a positive Rh factor.

In an emergency, a person may need blood to survive. If their blood type is not known, type O negative blood is given to them. When emergency situations such as car accidents or shootings occur, type O negative blood inventories can be used up quickly. In addition, infants who require transfusions immediately after birth often need type O negative blood. The Red Cross especially needs to provide an adequate supply of type O negative blood to treat emergencies in the community.

Does the Red Cross pay donors?

No. All Red Cross blood donors are voluntary, non-remunerated donors. They donate primarily because it makes them feel good to help save lives.

Does the Red Cross sell blood?

No. The Red Cross serves as a conduit between a volunteer blood donor and a patient who needs blood to survive a personal disaster.

There is never a fee for blood itself. The Red Cross charges its hospital customers and processing fee to recover expenses incurred in recruiting and educating donors, keep accurate donor records, collecting, testing, processing and distributing blood. Hospitals charge patients for handling, storing, and transfusing blood or blood components. These charges help to offset the costs of making blood transfusions as safe as possible and are usually covered by health insurance.

How will my blood be used?

Blood is almost never used in its whole form. Most patients requiring transfusions only need one or two of the many components that make up blood. It would be wasteful and sometimes harmful to give the patient blood components they do not need.

More than 99% of the whole blood collected is separated into blood components that can be used to treat the specific medial needs of three or more people. Below are some of the products derived from whole blood:  

 

 

 

 

 

Red Blood Cells

Red blood cells

carry oxygen and are needed by surgical patients or to treat those with anemia. Red blood cells can also be washed and filtered to prevent adverse reactions in some sensitive patients. Sometimes rare blood cell types are frozen to extend their storage period and help ensure that an adequate supply is always available. 

 

 

Platelet concentrates are fragile blood cells that are an important part of the body’s clotting system. They are used to control bleeding in the course of treatment of leukemia and other forms of cancer.

Plasma is the yellow liquid portion of blood. It restores fluid volume in patients who have suffered from shock and provides a source of clotting proteins that stop bleeding.

Cryoprecipitate is a part of plasma that contains certain clotting factors found in whole blood. It is used to treat clotting deficiencies like those found in people with hemophilia..

Fractionation is the process of breaking down plasma. When plasma gets mixed with certain chemicals, proteins can be separated and processed into products that are stable and easily stored. Some of the more common fractions are:

Albumin: used in the treatment of certain kidney and liver disease. Because this product is easy to store and administer, it is used in the treatment of emergency cases like accident or shock vicitms.

Gamma globulin: contains antibodies and is able to modify or prevent measles and other infectious diseases such as some varieties of hepatitis.

Factor VIII: concentrates are used for treatment of patients with hemophilia. 

So get out now, to your local Red Cross and start donating to save lives!

For more info go here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_donation

 

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