Of course there are many reasons why people can't give blood. There's a questionnaire to fill in that checks for the main reasons but there are others too. The website contains an A-Z of many health conditions, medications, and circumstances that may mean you can't donate blood. It's not exhaustive. If in doubt, contact them and ask.
For much of my adult life I haven't been able to because of various health issues and medications kicking around my system. But I'm off all those drugs now. Mostly I don't call them medications or medicines because they were never tackling an illness. I've received a bucket load of psychiatric diagnoses over the years but I honestly believe I've never had a mental illness. There's nuance in that statement that I'll undoubtedly express in posts as time goes on. I'll tell stories of the prescribed drugs I've taken too and the tale of how I came to decide to get free from them all in 2018.
I can give blood now though. No disallowed drugs. No disallowed activities. No medical problems to bar me. No mental health distresses that would make them too worried for my well-being. And I can currently travel to the blood donor centre for free so there's no financial or practical obstacle either. I'm in a fortunate position. If you're in a similarly fortunate position and don't give blood I'd urge you to consider doing so.
Today my blood donation didn't work out. I have problems with it sometimes. The nurse stuck the needle in, which hurt more than it should. No vein. No blood. She took the needle out. She stuck the needle in again. No vein. No blood. Then she said she could feel the needle was pressing into a tendon. At which point she stopped trying for today.
The first time I tried to give blood four attempts were made. Eventually they hit a vein but after half an hour I'd only bled half the amount people usually give. My arm was bruised for most of its length for weeks and it hurt for months. After that I didn't give blood for twenty years. Who would? For much of that time I couldn't give it anyway so I didn't feel guilt for avoiding that kind of suffering.
I'd still urge people to give blood though. Mostly it's not like that. Mostly it's a trouble free experience. Most people who give blood have no horror stories to tell.
I still had my hot chocolate afterwards though. Yes, there's a choice of drinks available with biscuits and crisps. I'm not missing out on hot chocolate just because I won't bleed!
So, after failing to give blood today, what am I thankful for?
I'm not thankful for spending a couple of hours of the day not managing to give blood and that in a few weeks I'll have to make another attempt.
I'm grateful for medical technology, that blood donation is a thing and that it saves lives.
I'm grateful to be in a position now where I have no health issues that prevent me giving blood and that I'm not on any drugs that prevented me. After so many years of my health scuppering blood donation and much else besides I cannot take it for granted.
I'm grateful that most times blood does come out of my arm and that I've been able to help save a life or two by doing something that costs me very little.
I'm grateful that in a couple of weeks I will go back to the centre and probably they'll find a vein and I'll be able to give something without cost to myself that will be put to good use.
And I'm grateful for this: I know a lot of people in Newcastle. Two of them were at the blood donation centre today. I'm grateful for friends, for company, and for the frequent surprise of bumping into good people. In Newcastle there's always a chance of a smile and a greeting round any corner and I traveled back on the bus with another friend who happened to be travelling too.
That website again, so you can sign up to give blood if you can: blood.co.uk
Go. Save a life. If you are in a position to do so.
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