Topic: A thought for all

[Antares]

With the holidays right around the corner, we tend to stress about finding the right gift for all our friends and loved ones.

But there are many people out there, unknown to you, that need a gift that only you can give.

I've been donating blood regularly for close to 30 years now, and it is the most satisfying thing I do. Over the years, I've donated well over 15 gallons to strangers all over the country.

What makes this so special for me, is that I was told many years ago by a blood center nurse, that my blood was very rare, in terms of usability. My blood type is O-, which is termed the universal donor, which means, my blood can be accepted by anyone. What makes it special is the lack of a certain virus in my blood called Cytomegalovirus, which appears in 80% of the population.  Because of this, my donation is used for pre-mature babies and infants under the age of 18 months old, as they cannot fight off the destructive nature of the virus.

So as the holiday progresses and your trying to find that right gift for a loved one, try and give a gift that will save three lives. It will bring you more satisfaction than any other gift you could buy in a store.

On my way out the door to donate again.

[Kathy]

My blood is boringly common but I give any way. I used to donate to the Red Cross but Buffalo has UNYTS (an organ transplant organization) that started collecting blood too. The blood they collect stays and helps people in the local area.

[RossRoy]

Unfortunately, my blood is O-neg too. But everytime I went (all of 3 times) they refused me. Why? I don't really know.. guess I didn't meet some sort of standard or whatever.

[Jimmy]

Not that I won't like to but I can't. I'm too short and thin, I've tried one time and I became really weak because of my not that impressive constitution...

[snowcat]

I gave blood a couple of months ago, I cant remember my blood type... I have a chest infection right now so im pretty sure that no good for giving blood :p

[Critter]

I thought about giving blood once but when they tested my blood they said I didn't have enough iron to donate. And no, it's not becuase I'm vegetarian becuase I have had low iron my whole life, even for years when I used to eat meat. In fact since I have become veggie I am feeling a lot better, but I'm still not sure if my iron levels are high enough to donate. My Mum seems to think not. My sister donates though.

[Antares]

So right now, I'm kind of in a not too happy place.

I get to the blood center this afternoon and they start to do all the preliminary tests (blood pressure, temperature and pulse rate) and I tell the nurse that if possible, I'd like to do an R2 donation. An R2 donation takes out double the red blood cells of a normal donation. How they do this is by hooking up the siphoning needle and tube to a machine that spins the blood in a centrifuge and separates all the blood's components into separate containers. They then take everything but the red blood cells and pump it back into your arm. This kind of donation is equal to two regular donations, and you don't have to come back for 16 as opposed to 8 weeks for your next donation.

Now I've been doing this type of donation on and off for the last 10 years. Over the last year my hematocrit levels haven't been high enough to do it. From Wikipedia...The hematocrit (Ht or HCT) or packed cell volume (PCV) or erythrocyte volume fraction (EVF) is the proportion of blood volume that is occupied by red blood cells. It is normally about 48% for men and 38% for women.[1] It is considered an integral part of a person's complete blood count results, along with hemoglobin concentration, white blood cell count, and platelet count.

To do this kind of donation, you need a minimum hematocrit level of .40%. Today my level was at .36%, which explains the fatigue I've been feeling over the last few weeks. To do a normal donation, the level can't be below .38%, so I wasn't able to give blood today.

Now the part that has me pissed off is this...

Three years ago I was diagnosed with Stage 1 Hypertension. Which means my blood pressure hovers around 155/90, which is moderately high. To combat this, my doctor put me on three kinds of blood pressure lowering medicines. And the three meds do the job quite effectively, as my blood pressure now averages 110/72. But I just found today, that two of the meds that I take have the side effect of causing Acid Reflux (GERD).

Guess what? I've been suffering from this for over 18 months. It got so bad that another doctor put me on Omeprazole (Prescription Prilosec) to treat the acid reflux. I had a feeling that the Omeprazole was causing me varied amounts of side effects associated with it, so 12 days ago, I stopped taking it. Within 72 hours, I started to feel much better, aside from the stomach pain.

To make a long story short...when I got home this afternoon after not being able to donate, I googled Omeprazole & anemia, and found out that this medicine also causes hemolytic anemia in almost everyone who takes it.

Now did the doctor who prescribed it, tell me to keep track of my blood count because of this side effect...NO!!!! Also, did he tell me not to take it for more than a three week period...NO!!!! I've been taking this daily for close to 18 months! When I first started taking this, my hematocrit level was considered on the high side at .58%, so it was beneficial for me to do donations to lessen the level, because of another illness that can happen from too high a red blood cell count, Hemachromatosis.

So here it is in a nutshell...My first asshole doctor never told me about the side effects of the blood pressure pills, which caused me to develop GERD. The asshole gastroenterologist puts me on a medicine that you are not suppose to take for more than 21 days, which also causes anemia.

And my wife still can't understand why I don't like to go to the doctor.

[MEJHarrison]

I've donated a few times over the years.  Was thinking I'd actually like to do it more often.  Seems I'm B+.

Anyway, after my last donation a few months ago, they called for weeks wanting me to donate platelets instead.  But I was too busy at work to take the time.  Now that our big project is winding down, I should give them a call.  I did it years ago when I was in college and it wasn't all that bad.

[Antares]

Anyway, after my last donation a few months ago, they called for weeks wanting me to donate platelets instead.  But I was too busy at work to take the time.  Now that our big project is winding down, I should give them a call.  I did it years ago when I was in college and it wasn't all that bad.

You should do it. If they're asking you for platelets, then you'll be helping someone with Leukemia. Years ago, I was type matched with a young girl who was suffering from it, and I'd get calls every so often to come in, because she needed the platelets.

[KinkyCyborg]

So right now, I'm kind of in a not too happy place.

I get to the blood center this afternoon and they start to do all the preliminary tests (blood pressure, temperature and pulse rate) and I tell the nurse that if possible, I'd like to do an R2 donation. An R2 donation takes out double the red blood cells of a normal donation. How they do this is by hooking up the siphoning needle and tube to a machine that spins the blood in a centrifuge and separates all the blood's components into separate containers. They then take everything but the red blood cells and pump it back into your arm. This kind of donation is equal to two regular donations, and you don't have to come back for 16 as opposed to 8 weeks for your next donation.

Now I've been doing this type of donation on and off for the last 10 years. Over the last year my hematocrit levels haven't been high enough to do it. From Wikipedia...The hematocrit (Ht or HCT) or packed cell volume (PCV) or erythrocyte volume fraction (EVF) is the proportion of blood volume that is occupied by red blood cells. It is normally about 48% for men and 38% for women.[1] It is considered an integral part of a person's complete blood count results, along with hemoglobin concentration, white blood cell count, and platelet count.

To do this kind of donation, you need a minimum hematocrit level of .40%. Today my level was at .36%, which explains the fatigue I've been feeling over the last few weeks. To do a normal donation, the level can't be below .38%, so I wasn't able to give blood today.

Now the part that has me pissed off is this...

Three years ago I was diagnosed with Stage 1 Hypertension. Which means my blood pressure hovers around 155/90, which is moderately high. To combat this, my doctor put me on three kinds of blood pressure lowering medicines. And the three meds do the job quite effectively, as my blood pressure now averages 110/72. But I just found today, that two of the meds that I take have the side effect of causing Acid Reflux (GERD).

Guess what? I've been suffering from this for over 18 months. It got so bad that another doctor put me on Omeprazole (Prescription Prilosec) to treat the acid reflux. I had a feeling that the Omeprazole was causing me varied amounts of side effects associated with it, so 12 days ago, I stopped taking it. Within 72 hours, I started to feel much better, aside from the stomach pain.

To make a long story short...when I got home this afternoon after not being able to donate, I googled Omeprazole & anemia, and found out that this medicine also causes hemolytic anemia in almost everyone who takes it.

Now did the doctor who prescribed it, tell me to keep track of my blood count because of this side effect...NO!!!! Also, did he tell me not to take it for more than a three week period...NO!!!! I've been taking this daily for close to 18 months! When I first started taking this, my hematocrit level was considered on the high side at .58%, so it was beneficial for me to do donations to lessen the level, because of another illness that can happen from too high a red blood cell count, Hemachromatosis.

So here it is in a nutshell...My first asshole doctor never told me about the side effects of the blood pressure pills, which caused me to develop GERD. The asshole gastroenterologist puts me on a medicine that you are not suppose to take for more than 21 days, which also causes anemia.

And my wife still can't understand why I don't like to go to the doctor.

It would appear we have a lot in common and your revelations are a bit alarming to me. 

I too suffer from high blood pressure. I've been on various medications to combat it since I was 22 years old (I'm 37 now). For a number of years now I've been on 2 pills for it. Cozaar (100mg) and Adalat (20mg). In the past 2 years I too developed GERD and in the past 9 months it has worsened to the point where I was vomiting and would be laid up for a 24-48 hour period at a time. I'm also on 20mg of Omeprezale and while I was going through this particular bad bout they doubled it for awhile, taking 40 mg a day! I'm now back to 20 mg a day and it has been easier to moderate after some diet restrictions and some other lifestyle adjustments. I've also had two endoscopy's as I have been worried about Barret's Esophagus which is scar tissue that can be a pre-cursor for cancer but I came back clean.

I've never been told that omeprezale should be taken in moderation and I've also never been told that it causes anemia!  I have an appointment with my doctor just before Christmas, ironically to have my blood pressure checked and prescriptions refilled and I will definitely be asking some pointed questions! 

Thanks for the info Antares.

KC

[Antares]

I've never been told that omeprezale should be taken in moderation and I've also never been told that it causes anemia!  

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1992636

When you go, you should have them do blood work. Like I mentioned in my post, I went from .56% to .36% hematocrit level in 18 months.

Also, I couldn't find the article I read, but it supposedly suppresses something in your colon that fights a microbacteria that can cause you great intestinal sickness. I read this article back in the spring when I got very sick with vomiting and rampant diarrhea. It was the sickest I had ever been in my life. If I had owned a gun, I would have shot myself. I literally slept on the floor, in the bathroom for 24 hours, it was so bad.

[Blair]

Here here, Antares!

I began donating when I was 16 (highschool blood drive). I have O-positive blood, and give two or three times a year. I don't do more than that because the one time that I tried, seizure-related issues suddenly increased for a few straight weeks after the fourth donation.

When I was a baby, I had to have a life-saving operation, and I was lucky enough that my father is the same blood type. He gave me life once through the conception that lead to my birth, and he gave me life once more through his blood. Every time that he has an operation, I stand ready to give back to him if needed.

There is always such a great need for donations. It is a truly worthy cause and takes only a few minutes of your time.




Giving blood is giving life.

[Dragonfire]

My step dad has to take high blood pressure medicine.  He's also been having problems with acid reflux.  It has been getting worse for him for ..hmm...at least a year, maybe 2.  I know he's never been told that could be a side effect of the blood pressure medicine.

The side effects a lot of medicine causes are almost worse than the original condition at times. 

[Achim]

It start getting weird when they fight the side effects of one pill with another one

[Kathy]

Medications can be very difficult to balance positive and negative effects. Every person is different and reacts to things in different ways. Most people do not develop problems but that doesn't mean that you won't. It is important therefore to be proactive with anything that is health related.

Know the things you take, why you take them and learn as much as possible about them. Become aware of the interaction of things you take. Drugs, foods, supplements all have an effect on one another. Keep a journal to keep track of things.

But, maybe most important, trust your body. You will know if something isn't right. You've lived in it all your life - only you know what fells right and what does not. Become self aware and learn to recognize and believe it when it tells you something is wrong.

Take your journal with you at every medical visit. The more details you give your health care team, the better they are able to treat you. They only see you for a few minutes - make those minutes count. Ask questions. Get answers. Don't be afraid to keep at it until you have a clear understanding of every issue involved in maintenance of your health.