smokin bud and givin blood

And the more blood that is collected and THEN needs to be thrown away makes the COST of blood and blood products even more expensive. And who do you think pays for this?

My dd had a class where they got credit for giving blood (she couldn't, as she has low blood sugar) but a lot of kids who shouldn't have tried to give just to get the credit, I hope the Original Poster's reason for wanting to donate were more altruistic than this.

 

oh gosh yes, i want to give blood so badly, its the first year im eligible and i plan to give every 8 weeks (or w/e it is, i think its 8 weeks or 52 days or something).. i made this thread because 1) i dont want to be ratted out by the american red cross, and 2) I DO care enough to ask, because i dont want some person that is going to get my blood to get even more sick because of it..i understand that a person needs blood every 2 seconds, and i want to help that... also, only FIVE PERCENT of the people eligible to donate actually do...

so... if im eligible i want to, but im asking, is the marijuana in my blood going affect wether or not they use my blood? i understand that it costs a lot to dispose of the unuseable blood, because its not like they can just throw it in the trash can or something, so before i donate, i want to know, are they just gunna not use it?

and, by the way, i DO get extra credit in P.E. if i donate, and i also get to miss 2 classes, but that is NOT NOT NOT the reason i am donating. i want to HELP people, and giving blood is a really simple way of doing it...

so, straight up,

a) is the red cross gunna use my blood?
b) are they gunna nark me out? i ask this because i know that you fill out a bunch of questions asking if you take medication and do drugs and things like that, but, is the red cross going to nark me out about me smoking MJ?

thanks guys!

:edit: and sorry i said screw them, it was unessasary...

 

First let me say I think you're a pretty horrible person for responding the way you did. You have no idea what those people go through because of careless people like you.

here's the answer to your question even though the first one I had answered if you had been smart enough to read through it all


- they check over and over for everything they ask you about- NO YOUR BLOOD WILL NOT BE USED AND IT WILL JUST BE DISCARDED AND YOU WILL WASTE EVERYONE"S TIME
-you won't be ratted out, but you should. How dare you try to give blood that's contaminted.

it was always selfish people like you that my mother hated. Sorry if i sound bitchy, but my mom went through years throwing out more blood than keeping it because people lie on the forms.

If you really want to give blood to save a life how about cleaning up first.

 

Why not call the Red Cross anonymously, and ASK them? I don't have the number, but you can call the 1 800 directory and they will give you the number. Use *67 before you call, and your call to them will not be traced. Even if you didn't the Red Cross is not in the business of narcing on people who are just trying to be honest and ask honest questions. You may well be told it is OK after a certain amount of time with no smoke. I don't know for sure. The experts on blood will!!!!

Or you could quit smoking. (Were you serious about saying you're going to give every 8 weeks? Wow. You will probably have to stop if that is the case.)

Or you could work blood drives as your donation. It is a LONG day (I have no squeamishness, but when I was a teenager and they handed me that first unit of blood to carry, I almost fainted, because I didn't realize it would be warm......DUH......) You assist the nurses, take care of the donors (a lot of people faint, a few throw up, you care for them, give them ice packs, recognize when they need medical help, lower their heads and raise their feet, call the nurse if they start to look REALLY pale or completely pass out, feed them and make sure they are stable enough to leave afterward ect.) They NEED people to do this too. People don't realize this, and as a result most blood drives are understaffed. This is JUST as important a donation as giving blood itself.

You really should let the Red Cross decide, and you can call them without giving your name. Most Health Care Professionals don't have any interest in "ratting you out" and they have heard your question a thousand times.

In my line of work I get marijuana questions regularly, I would NEVER "rat out" a patient, as I know that their use is not going to harm their babies, and they need to trust me, and I have better things to do with my time than deal with police (no thank you!!) I have no worry that the Red Cross is going to narc on you, if you are honest and simply ASK if your blood would be acceptable.

And if you don't tell them, you don't know if they will test or not, and it may or may not effect someone's treatment and eventual health.

I have NO problem with people smoking weed (did quite a bit of it myself back in the Old Days) but it DOES effect the immune system, and the people getting your blood need every bit their immune system can give them. What if an AIDS patient, with a bascially non functioning immune system gets it? Will it hurt him? We can't say. The Red Cross would be happy to answer your questions. Be brave and honest and call them.

It will save you time, and save the Red Cross (or private blood bank) a LOT of time and money. It is very expensive to have to discard blood, so please think of the people who need the blood.

Who knows, they might say it is perfectly fine. You won't know unless you call the people who will actually be taking your blood.

Thank you for apoligizing for the Screw them comment. I appreciate you. The Red Cross isn't out to get you, and their main concern is the patient getting the blood. I am glad you realize this.

 

thanks maggie sugar! im going to call them tonight, and ill let you guys know what they say... ive been trying to check on their website, but its always "not responding" so i dont know whats up with that...

 

well, i called them!

they said it was ABSOLUTELY FINE!

they said its totally fine, but i shouldnt smoke before i donate, because it could make me more liable to fainting!

and, i also talked to my sister, who has been around my parents but never blazed, and she got her donor card and they used her blood!!

so woot! i can give!

thanks everyone, espeically maggie sugar, whom gave me the the courage to call the red cross (for some reason i was nervous! LOL)

lovelovelovelovelovelovelove you all!

 

I am really glad you will be able to give.

Eat a GOOD, yet light breakfast, make sure you get enough to drink, something with sugar, like orange juice or lemonade, and if possible, have someone drive you there and home. Don't look when they put the needle in (they put in a little straw afterward so the needle is only in a few seconds) and use that ball they give you to squeeze to help the blood get into the unit bag. Let them know if you aren't feeling well during the draw, and make sure you have some juice and cookies and rest a bit before leaving.

Blessings,

Maggie

 

It is detectable but they're not really looking for it. You have nothing to worry about. I've given blood before after smoking the night before and I was fine.

 

blood != semen. The reason they do that is because it might make the sample weaker.

 

I hope you continue to give plb... I give every time (approx. every 56 days). I have an appointment tomorrow, as a matter of fact!

So few people donate. I wish more would. I try to get my friends to go, but no one has been able to yet.

It really doesn't hurt and they have yummy cookies afterward.

I'm glad you were brave and called them to ask about the MJ. Now you can tell your friends and maybe more of them will donate, too. That would be cool.

 

Yeah, once I gave blood and then decided to smoke it up afterwards... I passed out because it all just overwhelmed me. It was a nice feeling, though... except for busting my ass on the back porch

 

man... they gave us pizza, and a free tee shirt, and wendy's frostys, and panera bread, and gatorade, and orange, apple, and grapefruit juice, and a bunch of other stuff....

i was only expecting cookies and OJ!

 

talk about RUDE, HEADYMOECHICK.....she appologized for her "screw them comment" and she obviously seems sincere in wanting to donate and help people. and the fact that she is asking about if it is okay BEFORE doing it shows she is concerned with the patients receiving the blood and wether or not hers would just go to waste.

im sure lots of people do lie and blood goes to waste, but if everyone did as barefeet was told to do and call the red cross or whoever in advance, it would save alot of time and money. at least she had the nerve to ask......and look at the outcome.....turns out she is okay to donate. and that from an obviously reliable source.

 

In the Uk they test for everything... and sometimes they will refuse your blood just by the initial questions they ask you before taking it. Be honest with them and let them decide.
In our UK Blood Laboratories all blood goes through stringent tests... some diseases can be cured by certain temperatures and so you have heat rooms and cool rooms... what they DESPERATLY need is healthy blood.. so i would go and offer..
When you see the teams get the call because a kid is about to die without blood.. and watch how as a team they respond so that when the courier comes its all ready to go... and when a life has been saved another photo ends up at the Lab just to keep morale going..then you realize just how amazing your gift of life has been...

worth a day or two off the drugs huh?

 

im sure lots of people do lie and blood goes to waste, but if everyone did as barefeet was told to do and call the red cross or whoever in advance, it would save alot of time and money. at least she had the nerve to ask......and look at the outcome.....turns out she is okay to donate. and that from an obviously reliable source.[/QUOTE]


Yes I thought that you were being a little rude to barefeet.
And by the way how old do you have to be to give blood?

 

well... in illinois, where i am, you can be 16 and donate, but you have to have a signed permission thing from your parents or gaurdians... if you are 17, you dont need one.