if you donate blood

jerry scharf

I got a call this week, first in 15 years. There was a first round match on my blood for a bone marrow transplant. It's a month to see if I'm in the best 10%, then another couple months to see if I'm the best match. A fifteen year old is taking a huge gamble on the possibility of beating leukemia and having a relatively normal life. I'd be scared to go through what this person is facing. It gives real meaning to the idea of a fighting chance.

If you give blood, ask the blood center if they are part of the bone marrow donor registry. If so, it only takes one or two vials of blood with your next donation. If you're not of European decent, the number of people on the registry drops and you're needed even more.

One person asked me why I would do this. I told them I'll probably lose more cells sloughing skin in a month than I'll donate in a lifetime. All that dead skin does is make dust to clean up.

have a fine weekend

jerry

Constantin

They won't let me...

... if you lived in the EU for more than 8 months or somesuch after a certain date, blah, blah then you allegedly pose the same risk to the US blood supply as someone who enjoys picking up male prostitutes in Nigeria after 1973. Given that the incidence of CJK has not risen appreciably in the EU, this concern may be overblown. However, I suppose HIV taught them to be extra-cautious as a default setting.

In the meantime, folks like me who have spent time abroad and answer questions truthfully are not allowed to donate blood - even if you're a strict vegetarian and as such never had any contact with beef products. Oh well.

heatboy

Every two months......

I donate. I'm sorry it took September 11th for me to start donating. I am told, every pint I give helps three other people possibly live. It's the least I can do.

I didn't know about the bone marrow registry. I will ask this next visit. Thanks, Jerry.

hb

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Robert O'Connor_7

BLOOD!

I've probably donated a tanker truck load of blood over the years and for what? Recently my wife had a problem & had emergency sergery the blood type had to be determined for both of us. When asked what RH factor I was, I just showed them my doner card(s) (we match by the way) The Dr. would not accept the card as proof and complelled my getting typed jet again. Two years ago we had a child and the same situation came up. When two people have a child it is important to know the RH factors of both husband & wife after a birth. If you have different RH factors your spouse is administered a drug called Rogam?? It is suppose to prevent any birth defects for a future child. My wifes OBGYN Dr. also required proof and would NOT accept the doner card and I was off to a draw station for typing. You would think that because the OBGYN dr. made me get typed, this information would stay in my wifes records at the OBGYN's office, well it does NOT. I complained and said if it's a recordable record then aren't you suppose to acually KEEP the record, hence the word RECORD!! It's all a bunch of crap. If you get the opertunity any and all records you produce from any medical thing at all make a point of getting copies of EVERYTHING for yourself and not incurr the same difficulties that me & the mrs. had..Robert O'Connor/NJ

jerry scharf

Off the record

Robert,

I think we're dealing with something other than stupidity here. Since the doctor can't call the blood center and confirm the information, they won't accept it.

There is a huge privacy issue for medical information relating to blood donation. When they stopped taking many people's blood with HIV risk factors, they encountered the problem that people who donate at work could be linked to the risk activity if their blood was not taken. That's why you have the box to drop your HIV risk information in. Also, because of this, the blood center will give your blood information to NO ONE without a specific case signed permission from you. You sign to be on the bone marrow registry and it's about the permission to share your blood information.

You have the right answer to this problem You keep a copy of your medical records and distribute it as you see fit.

Good thing that's not why you're giving blood.

jerry

jerry scharf

> However, I

> suppose HIV taught them to be extra-cautious as a

> default setting.

>


To me, CJD/BSE is more mysterious than HIV was in it's time. HIV was more of a problem of lack of attention and lack of understanding the risks. It was far more the profile of the disease and the general approach to the blood supply than it was to the specifics of the disease.

I still can't quite fully buy the preon theory for disease propogation, and I don't think alot of people see it as anything more that the best theory they have. Like a friend said when introduced to a statistical activity design, "it's sooo messy." I haven't seen any specific proof that makes preons hard fact. In this context, they are better to be safe than sorry.

I have had two different occasions where my blood was denied for a test or question (not counting all the malaria exposure windows from travelling.) In both cases, I talked to the managing MD and with some work got back on the good list. One case was a specific variant of drug (related to CJD before mad cow) and the other was related to an elevated marker enzyme. A vegitarian in the EU should be fine, but the nurse reading the questions can't make that call. Not sure if it's worth that much work, it's a personal call.

jerry

Mad Dog

Good man Jerry - you are a kind soul

and very generous. You put others before your own discomforts. Mad Dog

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John R. Hall

Not a philanthropist

I've never been wealthy enough to give a lot of cash donations but for years I've had a wealth of blood to give. I do it every three months like clockwork. Painless and gratifying.