Thread: Can't donate blood because my veins are too small...

I thought it was fairly well-documented on the site. I had testicular cancer in 2005. It wasn't scary because the survival rate for testicular cancer approaches 100%, especially if you catch it early, which I did.

But rules are rules and you can't donate blood until you've been free of cancer at least 10 years.

It probably was well-documented on the site. However, I was gone for quite a while and it was right around that time.

Out of curiosity, what about pre-cancerous cells? Does that count as far as not being able to donate?

Yeah, I'm just being a jerk.

But I don't know if they care about precancerous cells. It's not one of the questions they ask, if I remember correctly. It was just weird because my cancer was such a non-event in my life, just had a couple surgeries, took 5 weeks off from work and I was done. The only remaining aftermath is I can't give blood or get affordable life insurance. Otherwise, pneumonia was way worse.

To the OP,

My girlfriend actually works for the National Blood service here and works at the various blood donor clinics around town. If i remember correctly the reason why you cannot donate with small veins is that if they use a smaller needle, the blood does not flow as quickly and the blood can start to coagulate inside the needle or the bag and they end up having to throw out the donation as it is unusable at that point. As for being too small, that is a health issue. The donation bags are a standard size so if you are below a certain size/weight, you technically do not have enough blood volume in you to safely donate.

Hope that answers your question.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Caersan @ Apr 14 2009, 12:48 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

To the OP,

My girlfriend actually works for the National Blood service here and works at the various blood donor clinics around town. If i remember correctly the reason why you cannot donate with small veins is that if they use a smaller needle, the blood does not flow as quickly and the blood can start to coagulate inside the needle or the bag and they end up having to throw out the donation as it is unusable at that point. As for being too small, that is a health issue. The donation bags are a standard size so if you are below a certain size/weight, you technically do not have enough blood volume in you to safely donate.

Hope that answers your question.[/b]

I&#39;m not too small to give blood- I&#39;m well above the weight cutoff. My only problem is the veins. Does she know any way to make them bigger?

I don&#39;t smoke at all.

I didn&#39;t know people tried subliminal spamming on message boards.

I can&#39;t donate blood because apparently gayness can be transferred?
I was so excited to go and participate in a blood drive at the local public library even before I knew they were giving free tubs of ice cream with every donation :P Went through all preliminary tests which did not include that question of who you&#39;ve had sex with...got into the "donation" office where they extract your blood, and there they did ask me, so I did not lie... I felt so embarassed and rejected For my trouble the nurse gave me my free tub of ice cream anyway

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Lothar @ May 13 2009, 06:53 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

I didn&#39;t know people tried subliminal spamming on message boards.[/b]

What?

I&#39;m sorry, Mikuriel. =\ It&#39;s a stupid rule. Being gay doesn&#39;t mean you&#39;ve had unprotected sex, and straight people can have AIDS, too.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Tia @ May 13 2009, 06:43 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Lothar @ May 13 2009, 06:53 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I didn&#39;t know people tried subliminal spamming on message boards.[/b]

What?

I&#39;m sorry, Mikuriel. =\ It&#39;s a stupid rule. Being gay doesn&#39;t mean you&#39;ve had unprotected sex, and straight people can have AIDS, too.
[/b][/quote]

The spammer&#39;s posts got deleted.