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Mon 2 May, 2005 07:22 pm
I went to donate blood today. I have taken Mo with me every eight weeks for two and a half years when I do this.
Apparently, they have changed their protocol and now they have to ask you all of the questions out loud instead of having you circle the Y or N. The woman freaked because Mo was there.
She: "The FDA requires that we not ask these questions (about your sex life and drug use and tattoos) with children present. We could get a $10,000 fine if they came in and saw him here. Blah blah blah."
Me: "If he can't stay, I can't donate."
She: "We could get one of the volunteers to watch him....."
Me: "Bad idea. Blah blah blah."
Thinking on this a bit more, I'm really wondering what the harm is for a kid to hear that their parent is not a IV drug using, world traveling prostitute.
The in my head me: "Look, I answer all this stuff "NO", we get to lay on the bed, you get to watch them stick me with a needle and drain my blood while we read a story and then we get cookies and juice! Cool! If you stay healthy and don't do crazy stuff you get to donate blood, yak with the volunteers, and eat cookies so don't use drugs or sell your body. (Spending six months overseas is another matter that we will have to discuss when you get a bit older.) See! Fun! The benefit of clean living!"
Have we become insanely prude - to the point where we can't even discuss GOOD behavior - or am I completely out of my head here?
Nope, you're not out of your head!
You're the normal one ;-)
I think the bigger concern is that someone might not be willing to answer the questions honestly if their kid is in the room.
The whole "The FDA says we can't" thing sounds a little fishy though.
I think that some blood donors with a past that might be important re donation would be constrained in admitting it in front of their children.
Their concern seems appropriate to me.
Right on, Montana. Thank you.
I suppose you could be right, fishing. How many drug users show up to donate, I wonder, or others who engage in risky behavior? Probably very few. And you still have the opt-out with the little "Don't use my blood (I'm a liar) sticker."
Still, I think it would be great for Mo to know that I don't do that stuff. I think for him to hear me answer those questions "no" would not be a bad thing.
Maybe there are people who do it just for the cookies......
The news that boomer is not a a IV drug using, world traveling prostitute is causing me great distress.
I can see that, Osso.
But you do get the information when you check in so you can turn around and walk right back out the door.
And, like I said, you get the opt-out sticker.
And you get the call back number.
It seems that there are pleanty of safe-guards already in place.
And so few people take their kids with them to donate blood.
And yeah, fishin, the whole FDA thing seems nutty. Maybe SHE was just a prude who didn't want to ask me those questions with Mo around.
In your case, gus, I might be willing to make an exception.
Meet me in Bora Bora?
I don't know about your area but in a lot of places the people who donate most often are people that get paid for their blood and they tend to be the homeless, drug addicts, etc.. They do it for the money - not cookies! lol
But.. It looks like whoever was inetrviewing you overstated the entire thing. The FDA released a RECOMMENDATION in 1992 that the questions be asked and that they be asked in privacy. There is no fine and no reason you can't consent to having your child overhear the conversation. The new draft recommends written or computer based questions.
A new draft recommendation for the entire process can be found on the FDA WWW site here:
http://www.fda.gov/cber/gdlns/donorsaq.htm#ref1
The 1992 memo is linked under "Reference 1" at teh end of the new draft.
Fishin' is right about the druggie donations--especially on the pay-for-blood collectors. High risk, very high risk. The fringes of Mr. Noddy's family are very educational.
I am for cautious behavior re someone being reluctant at any point along the journey to donating to be wary of admission of some past problem.
Lots of donations happen at work for example, and some probably get in line because of departmental pushing. I don't think the rules, whatever they are are about you, or people like you, but for people not like you. You can let Mo know of your exemplary past in other ways another time.
I know that sounds sort of snotty but I don't mean it that way.
Osso, ex med tech
Thank you very much, fishin!
I will print that out and put it with my blood donor card. They used to use a computer questionarie that you filled out yourself. This is the first time they had the oral exam.
They did have a few new questions about medications that people might be taking so perhaps that accounts for the change. Still, they gave me that information when I walked in the door and who would be embarrased to answer questions about perscription meds in front of their kid anyway?
There might be places here where they pay for blood but I alway go through the Red Cross and they absolutley do not -- at least they don't here. Cookies, juice and a "Be nice to me" sticker. That's it. That's enough.
<gustav hastily packs suitcase, closes lid, takes one last look around the hut, slaps Bora Bora sticker on suitcase, flips off the lightswitch and darts out the door.>
It's not entirely clear what transpired, or i'm missing something, Boom . . . did you leave without donating? If that were the case, i would suggest that next time you ask management if someone other than Mrs. Grundy there could interview you. That blood is badly needed.
That's right Boomer! You care enough to give and that was very petty on their part!
Setanta wrote:It's not entirely clear what transpired, or i'm missing something, Boom . . . did you leave without donating? If that were the case, i would suggest that next time you ask management if someone other than Mrs. Grundy there could interview you. That blood is badly needed.
I was wondering if you actually did give as well and I completely agree with Setanta.
Who would be embarrassed to explain in front of their child? Well, I can easily imagine some people being so.
Again, these precautions are not about you. Perhaps they overstep, I haven't read ground rules on it, but at first look it doesn't seem so dumb or threatening to me.
You won't be taking him in to your md's when you have a physical, will you?
I can see that at the pay places, Noddy. They are most certainly donating with a different group than the Red Cross is here.
And yes, Osso, I get it. But the opt-out sticker is done in privacy and the call back number is all done in code so even in that setting someone could warn them that there was a problem without outing themselves.
Yes, Setanta and Montana, I did donate.
But for the first time in 25 years of donating, it was a hassle.
I know there is a need.
I know I have great blood.
I really don't want it to be a hassle.
ossobuco wrote:Who would be embarrassed to explain in front of their child?
I rather suspect the interviewer was embarrassed . . . and if so, needs to get over it really quickly.
I dun'no the actual rules, but I got sort of fed up with the system around here. I used to give at the college whenever they showed up. Filled in the questionaire, passed the oral exams, and had another questionaire to complete (same questions - different order.) So, the phleb says "No, you have to really read the questions before signing." Hey, it's a college, lady. Don't blame me if I read faster than you. I donated that time.
The next, there was one body stretched out and being drained, and 5 people waiting. I asked how long, and the last 2 had been there 45 minutes. Oh, and there were three unused, vacant tables just waiting for type A. I left. Just who is doing what, for whom? I give it for free - they sell it - after wasting an hour of my time? I think not.
Boomer's Miss Grundy, of course, had decided what was right and proper. She invented a rule to justify it. Cowards do that, ya know.
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