Give blood

My blood type is AB+. I have given blood so often--beginning more than 40 years ago when i was in the Army Medical Corps--that i now have injection scars, little pits, inside each elbow. I don't give blood any longer, they got enough out of me.

Mine is B negative,. There are about 2% with that so as long as donated it was good.

You were not ever harassed for donations, or encouraged to donate more often than every two or three months? I was.

No, as a woman I should not go more than 3 or 4 times a year and I think that is was I did.
A couple of times they took it even thou my bloodpressure was under 100.
Afterwards I just passed out.

Well the professional vampires over here get really excited if they get a regular donor with AB-, B- or AB+. It has been my experience, and that of others i have known, that they pester people to donate because they have trouble finding donors of those blood types, so they want to get as much as they can from the donors they do have with those blood types.

I think we are more careful over here.
I can see how age is a reason and also where you have been when abroad.
I know people give their own blood for an upcoming operation if it is done well ahead. That way you use your own blood and not others.

Out my way the Red Cross and several of the major hospitals have "Blood
mobiles" they send out to workplaces. The company I work for has an
association with Boston Children's Hospital. Every eight weeks the
big bus with "Give Pints for Half-Pints" painted on the side rolls into our
parking lot and sets up shop.

Makes it very convenient.

They sometimes pass out goodies. I have Children's Hospital t-shirts, a lunch
bag, mini-flashlight and water bottle. I also am right up to date on my
blood pressure (it's good). Reading the list of questions you have to answer
makes me believe I have led a very sheltered and fortunate life.

Aha thanks Saab, I shall sign up

Of course BH gets the ice cream. But I do feel that it serves in part as payback to my country for taking such good care of me

I have a phobia of giving blood... I don why... But whenever there is need to give blood I never say yes and my friends are very desperate to donate.