Giving Blood

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Permalink Reply by Jess on November 10, 2009 at 5:56pm

I have given blood twice successfully with Carter in the US. I have tiny veins though so other times they were unable to stick me. Haven't tried anytime recently though. I inquired about becoming a donor for bone marrow, and was told no specifically for type 1 because of the autoimmunity.

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Permalink Reply by Joe on November 10, 2009 at 6:12pm

here's a stab in the ass: if you were a diabetic in the 70's and took beef/pork derived insulin - the red cross won't take your blood because of possible exposure to CJD (mad cow) ain't that a scream?

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Permalink Reply by Mike Shaw on November 11, 2009 at 9:26am

I have given blood in the past. The nurse at the Red Cross said that the injected drugs means illegal. If you check yes, you will be disqualified. She told me this right away, so I luckily did not have to wonder. There was a question about certain type of insulin and if you took those, you could be disqualified from giving. I have only been turned down because of low blood pressure caused by my meds that protect kidney function AND also act as BP medicine.

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Permalink Reply by Elizabeth Sanders on November 11, 2009 at 12:51pm

I give blood on a regular basis. I won't be able to for a bit because of recently having surgery. I told them that I have type 1 and Red Cross says it's not a big deal.

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Permalink Reply by Dan W. on November 11, 2009 at 6:18pm

I had been giving blood regularly before being diagnosed with Type 1 almost two years ago - I would like to start donating again, and the local red cross is all for it. Any advice for preparations I might take, or adverse effects to expect for a type 1 diabetic? I usually do the double red donation, so the plasma is recirculated back into my bloodstream...

-dan

(whenever they call, I remind them about the diabetes, they ask if it is under control, and I say "I'm almost ready, keep calling back...)

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Permalink Reply by MelissaBL on November 11, 2009 at 7:32pm

I've been told I can give blood (in the U.S.), but I did recently find out that as a pregnant type 1 diabetic, I cannot donate my baby's cord blood to the public cord banks - even for research.

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Permalink Reply by Steven Miller on November 11, 2009 at 8:12pm

Four years ago, during my first year teaching, students asked me if I was going to donate blood. I responded "no" because 1) I am a type 1 diabetic and 2) I had some tattoo work done within the same year. I stopped by the donation station and I was told by a nurse that being a type 1 diabetic does not prevent me from donating, but the tattoo would for up to a year.

The kicker is that I have been phlebotomized on a weekly basis for almost 3 years due to iron-overload disease (Hemochromatosis). Despite the fact that this blood is okay for donation, hospitals (because of insurance reasons) are unable to use the blood for people that really need it because using the blood of people with Hemochromatosis would be considered offering free medical treatment. It's a lose-lose situation.

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