I tried and found a cheat code! It turns out that if you pass out during the draw and then pass out again while recovering they’ll call and pay for a cab to take you home! They did imply that I shouldn’t come back for a while though…

On a more serious note I had donated blood twice before that with less dramatic results. I like helping people and they give me free snacks afterward. I’d been going every three months because I was in university and had a lot of time for such things. I seem to feel quite tired for the rest of the day following a donation, which I found nice and relaxing. Needle anxiety (and my weak-ass hemoglobin level) aside, it was a positive experience and I’d recommend it!

Yes. I try to catch the blood mobile when it comes to town.

I think it’s helpful to someone and I like to think of it as an “oil change” for myself. Generating a fresh pint.

I would but they don’t want it.

As someone who has received a blood transfusion, thank you random stranger whose blood is now inside me!

I want to “give back” somehow, but I obviously can’t donate blood (yet?).

I tried once. But they said they couldn’t take it in a bucket and wouldn’t stop asking where I got it from.

I do. As often as I can. But sometimes the demand is so high for blood type that they call me up and email me even though I do donate regularly. My grandfather was a lifelong donor also.

I feel fine, the only discomfort is when the needle goes in but it’s fine once it’s done.

Just to add to the conversation I’m in school to be a med tech and transfusion is one of the proficiencies! Its pretty cool how it works, basically after the donation we spin it down into packed red cells and plasma. Plasma gets pooled and treated and can be fractionated out into specific coagulation products or used as a suspension for platelets. Packed red cells are filtered (leukocyte reduced), sometimes treated or irradiated and have SAGM added (saline, adenine, glucose, mannitol) to stabilize the cells for storage.

In the lab we test and crossmatch to make sure everything is compatible before giving the ok! Sometimes it is just ABO and Rh grouping but there are a bunch of other antigens on red cells that recipients can develop antibodies to with repeat transfusion so sometimes we need to identify if that antibody is present and match with units that don’t have it so it won’t react.

There are also a bunch of complications with testing like nonspecific antibodies, cold reacting antibodies, subgroups of antigens, Its really interesting!

If you can you should. If you’re healthy giving a pint of blood is not going to be much of a bother. Eat a good meal before hand and then have some of the snacks provided afterwards. Even if your blood isn’t suitable for transfusion it can be used for research.

I always felt good after I donated.

I used to, but it’s not really a thing here.

I used to. “Why not?” would be the reason. I never felt anything at all afterwards. I would schedule my donations so I don’t have any hard exercise later the same day, but otherwise it wouldn’t impact my life at all.

I stopped after going to my GP for an entirely unrelated reason and being told that I had severely low iron levels. I don’t believe it was related to donating, but it does mean they couldn’t use my blood.

I’m a perfect world, everybody (that physically could) would do this.

But I feel like the fact is a paid thing just makes us all potential blood for evil rich people, literally paying their meatbags to keep a supply around for when they need something. Because you know none of them have ever donated.

I’m not trying to say we shouldn’t, as I’ve benefited several times myself, but just the idea it’s paid makes me feel weird about it.

But we do live in the capitalist past of the multiverse, so it’s inevitable I guess. I know people who depend on that money, too.

Financial incentive plus I have a blood group that’s beneficial to patients

Once around every 2ish to 3 months - essentially however often I’m allowed to

Usually good. Don’t feel dizzy or sick afterwards since I eat and drink well before donating.

I do donate plasma quite regularly too - around once a week - but have not four a couple months now since I got a new tattoo in November. For similar reasons as with blood donations

I do as often as I can, which is every 4 months because I donate double red cells. I am O negative so my red cells are extremely useful in emergencies and it is something I can do to help other people. Donating doubles they give you your plasma plus some saline back so you end up with the same volume of fluid. Because of this, I feel perfectly fine afterwards. I am currently at almost 7 gallons donated.

I recently found out the blood bank has an office near my favourite bar. So I’m going to give blood before a few beers and see how I go. Should be a cheap night.

Fun fact. People from the UK who lived there while BSE was a thing cannot donate blood in the US, pretty much ever.