Donating blood

       Not quite as good as a ribeye , but they are delicious.  Low carb too.

I do. I thought I was taking elemental iron, but it turned out to be ferrous sulfate, so I recently switched to carbonyl iron.

My recent lab result showed a ferritin result of 112 with a Reference Range 10 - 200 ng/mL.  Anybody know why the Reference Range would vary from 4FurKids reference range 10 - 291?  Youngster vs Old Duffer?

Different labs, and different countries, can use different reference ranges.

BUT. ALWAYS look at the units the lab results use. There are different measurements in lab reports, like quarts compared to liters. You need to make sure you are comparing apples to apples.

 I love platelet donors!

Grim, just in case you aren't surrounded by tons of people who tell you how AWESOME you are on a regular basis (which I doubt) I want you to know I am always available to tell you.  Tu es magnifique! 

What a selfless, generous, wonderful thing to do!  Thank You. 

Kudos to you for donating platelets. I'm O+, but I'm also CMV-, I forgot what it stood for, but was told something that most adults were CMV+ & my blood is blood babies use & that usually they freeze it.

CMV is a virus. Called cytomegalovirus. It can be in our body and be inactive but if your immune system is down it can reactivate. When I started working it meant the patients that I worked with were going to die if they got sick with the virus.

Now there are drugs to treat and help prevent but it's better if you are negative to get negative. My kidney donor was negative as am I. This saved me from having to take medicine to prevent it.

Your blood is precious.

I'm glad this has been a long thread. Donating blood and platelets and stem cells (and organs) are amazing gifts we can give to others.  I gave every sort of blood and marrow for years. Hanging marrow was always a spiritual experience for me. To give someone a simple infusion and these cells are going to go in and take up residency and save the persons life...magic stuff!

Thanks to all the donors. 

 If you are a woman post RnY you need to know your numbers to donate. It's okay if you don't. Encourage someone else in your life to go for you.

Deb

I know the real conversation here is about the health needs of us WLS folks--and if it is OK for us to donate blood.

But as a tangent, I just want to add how much I appreciate people who donate blood and platelets. (Thanks Grim!) Several years ago, my almost-age-5 son was in a serious accident, where he lost 50% of his body's blood by the time he got to the emergency room. He was given 2 units of blood immediately, and then platelets for several hours, in an effort to stop the blood flow from his shattered organs. The initial units of blood saved his life, and the platelets saved his future health--without those platelets he would have had to have a lung and spleen removed.

I do not know who donated that blood or those platelets--but someone did, and I so appreciate it.

So, whether we can donate ourselves or not, let's encourage our family members to do it, and do it often.

*Said son is now 17, and we adore him--such a great young man. We are grateful every day that he is still here with us.

Special story...special son. My DH has received a thank-you note in the mail from someone appreciative like you.