Vets, anyone donate blood?

A group I volunteer with is going to donate blood on Thursday. I donated prior to surgery (in June 2012) but I haven't yet post-op. I was never told not to by my centre, and I checked with my GP once who did not think it would be a problem. I have done some searching but the advice I see that says not to donate is all older (pre-2010).

Does anyone here donate blood? My labs have all been good since surgery and I'm 3 1/2 years out. I can't see a reason not too but though I would check with my peeps here. 

I can't say for sure....but I think it should be fine, providing your labs are all good. 

There is no way that I could do it....my iron levels are non existent (my ferritin is 1!!), and my hemoglobin is borderline needing a blood transfusion myself. 

Good job being able to keep your levels up! And as a recipient many times....thank you for the amazing gift of life!!

I'm thinking it should be ok as a one-time thing, and I'm due for lab work in the spring so I'll know shortly if there's any issues. I'm sorry you've had such issues. How are you feeling these days? 

Unless you know your lab work, it's risky. We need to keep our stores. You might find even when they test you that you don't pass the iron test. I didn't before surgery :)

I think you are right! 

Im feeling pretty crappy. Had a revision back in September due to severe bleeding ulcers and now I am full of ulcers again. They are not quite as severe yet so we are pretty much waiting it out. They are not healing despite treatment. They cannot revise again so once the ulcers become bad enough we will either remove my entire stomach and connect esophagus to intestines or reverse my RNY altogether. I wish they would just heal. The pain is pretty bad some days. 

Good luck with your donation! 

Did they do RNY to RNY, or RNY to DS? Just curious. I have a friend who needs a revision, but she isn't well enough for surgery. 

Just my .02 but I would not donate blood.  We need all the iron stores we can maintain and even if your levels are good now, they may not be in the future.

I did not experience low iron until my 4th year post surgery.  Unfortunately I stuck with Feramax for a whole year trying to bring my levels up before switching to Proferrin which helped immediately. 

There are other ways to assist in life - I just wouldn't risk it as a wls patient.

I was five years out when my iron dropped and it took about two years to get it back to normal levels.  Donating blood is a reckless choice for a post weight loss surgery patient. 

That's the thing, when it dropped for me in the past, it took a long time to get it back to minimum levels.

The Red Cross had a good screening program the last time I donated (I am pre op). There are a lot of questions and they check your iron before donating to make sure it will be ok for you to donate. The experts would be the nurses at the red cross when you donate. They really don't want you to be at any risk for problems when donating. Let them know if you have any concerns. Speak to a NURSE not a volunteer. If the nurse thinks there is even a small risk they will let you know.

After you donate there is a vigorous screening as well. They test the blood for all kinds of things. It has actually become common that people donate blood so that the screening process and disease testing will tell them if they have a disease without going a doctor. (This started happening alot after Aids issues years back. People would donate blood rather than going to a clinic to be tested.) I believe that they contact you if they find anything wrong with your blood after testing. 

If there is something on the screening questions that indicates that it would be safe for you to donate but the blood would not be safe for a patient to receive, they will still let you donate so there is no issue of others knowing (like if you came in a crowd of friends but the questions indicated you have a disease and your blood cannot go to a patient they would still let you donate so your friends have no idea.) They use your blood for research. 

You have done the right thing in first asking your doctor. If he/she thinks it is ok, I would say go ahead and try to donate but be prepared that they might not let you donate and even if they do, your blood might be used for research and not go to a patient. Blood for reaserch is also much needed.

There is such a need for blood and donors. Unless there is any indication you should not donate I think you should try to donate. It is a good cause and all volunteerism is a great thing.