then they might as well go to the doctor

Exactly. But I suppose some people would go to the bloodbank instead of the doctor, partly because they’d think they would be relatively anonymous (quite the opposite, actually), partly because of shame maybe. It’s no easy topic, for such a terrible disease. But going to the doctor would be the very best solution for all parties involved.

As you say, all blood donations will be tested anyway.

Interesting that they only interview you the first time. I wonder if they’re just so desperate for donors here that they’d rather take the blood and have to throw it out after testing than turn potential donors away immediately. Of course, since they have to test everyone’s blood every time anyway, that might make sense. Just because one has passed the eligibility requirements once doesn’t mean one will always pass.

There’s one thing I forgot to mention, and it’s related to “talking to a person”. I quite simply forgot that the first time you donate blood in Denmark, you do get asked these questions by a person, and you told all this information as well. Additionally, you aren’t actually allowed to donate blood the first time, all you do is give a blood-test. Then it’s 3 months until you can give blood “for real”.

They take test samples once you start the donation here, too. The prick on the finger is just a few drops for a quick test of some sort. According to their website, it’s a red blood cell count check.

I didn’t actually get encouraged to relax and eat sugary stuff. Darn! The main thing they told me was to drink 4 extra glasses of something non-alcoholic a day for the next several days. I remember my dad telling me that he used to give blood a lot in the Navy because it meant that he got off-duty as a result.

Come to think of it, the worst part of the whole experience was probably when I was trying to charge to class in the snow afterwards. It felt kind of like someone was sitting on my chest. Pretty good encouragement to take it slow, frankly.

As for the actual process, indeed it does seem that there are a few differences… Of course I described the brief version. You also have to answer questions in Denmark, but you cross out checkboxes on a piece of paper. As for the bloodtest, in Denmark it’s not a prickle in the finger, it’s actually done with the same needle that’s used for the actual donation. Meaning, once you start donating, they’ll sample a little of that along with the actual donation.

The squeezing a ball is also here, it’s just a sponge instead dry of course.

And yes, there are refreshments aplenty just like you mention. Bonbons, apple juice, orange juice and so on.

There are two more strong arguments:

1. It’s actually healthy to donate a little blood… it’ll “refresh” your own supply (because you have to produce new blood), and it’ll stir the circulation.

2. It’s one of the very few situations where doctors and nurses will tell you “when you get home, don’t work, relax, eat cookies, chocolate and drink lots of sugary drinks”. Yep. Happens very rarely among doctors I’ll tell you that.

You’re fully deserving of mention! If it hadn’t been for your post and subsequent reply to my comment, I wouldn’t have checked the eligibility requirements and discovered that I could give blood.

Greg:

To add to what Joen described, here’s my take on the experience (and it may be worth remembering that there my be procedural differences between here and Denmark). When you first go in there’s some literature that you have to read that basically informs you of most of the things that could prevent you from becoming a donor (diseases, risk of HIV/AIDS, etc.). After that, there’s a brief interview/mini-physical where they take your temperature, BP, and ask a long list of questions about diseases, sexual contact, and travel. Most of them are pretty darn obviously ‘no’ for people like you and me.

They also prick your finger there and do a quick blood test in what looked like copper sulfate. Not entire certain what they’re testing, but the woman who pricked me didn’t do the best job, so it hurt a bit more than it ought to have. They use the same device that diabetics use to test insulin levels, actually.

After that, you head over to their reclining beds, where the actual donation takes place. They have your back propped up and your feet slightly raised. Your arm goes on a stand to the side. I would describe the needle they use as a bit larger than what Joen stand. I think the inner diameter was about 1 mm. It really does only feel like a brief pinch, though. As they’re taking blood, there’s a stiff rubber ball that you keep squeezing and then releasing to help keep blood flowing. Sometimes people start feeling light-headed or nauseous, at which point they lay you down with your feet above your head level and do all they can to make you feel better. I know this because the girl next to me got ill and they took good care of her.

Once your bag is full and you’ve been unhooked, you head over to the refreshments area for some juice and cookies. They had pineapple juice here, which excited me

All in all, it’s not tough or worth avoiding in any way unless you have an irrational fear of needles.

I’m glad you liked the new site design! My little circular icon was a fun thing to create. That, I think, was when I noticed that SSN are my initials backwards. Ha! You’ll have to let me know what you thought of the Faerie stuff. Some of those just had their world-premieres as it were.

Greg,

The actual prickle of the needle hurts a tiny bit, but feels much differently than you’d think it would. Most people imagine it’ll feel like taking a regular needle and jamming it into your arm. But because the blood-needle is thinner and sharper and handled by someone who knows what she/he’s doing, it doesn’t at all. It rather feels like pinching your arm hard, for two seconds.

The actual blood-trickling, which can be quick, or take some half our depending on lots of things, doesn’t hurt at all. The needle now sitting in your arm feels slightly sore, and that’s the only external sensation you’ll have. However, after lying there for some 5 minutes having given some blood, it’s likely you’ll slowly start to feel a bit tired and light-headed. Not to worry, this is remedied by a drink of water or cola afterwards.

You’re fully deserving of mention! If it hadn’t been for your post and subsequent reply to my comment, I wouldn’t have checked the eligibility requirements and discovered that I could give blood.

Greg:

To add to what Joen described, here’s my take on the experience (and it may be worth remembering that there my be procedural differences between here and Denmark). When you first go in there’s some literature that you have to read that basically informs you of most of the things that could prevent you from becoming a donor (diseases, risk of HIV/AIDS, etc.). After that, there’s a brief interview/mini-physical where they take your temperature, BP, and ask a long list of questions about diseases, sexual contact, and travel. Most of them are pretty darn obviously ‘no’ for people like you and me.

They also prick your finger there and do a quick blood test in what looked like copper sulfate. Not entire certain what they’re testing, but the woman who pricked me didn’t do the best job, so it hurt a bit more than it ought to have. They use the same device that diabetics use to test insulin levels, actually.

After that, you head over to their reclining beds, where the actual donation takes place. They have your back propped up and your feet slightly raised. Your arm goes on a stand to the side. I would describe the needle they use as a bit larger than what Joen stand. I think the inner diameter was about 1 mm. It really does only feel like a brief pinch, though. As they’re taking blood, there’s a stiff rubber ball that you keep squeezing and then releasing to help keep blood flowing. Sometimes people start feeling light-headed or nauseous, at which point they lay you down with your feet above your head level and do all they can to make you feel better. I know this because the girl next to me got ill and they took good care of her.

Once your bag is full and you’ve been unhooked, you head over to the refreshments area for some juice and cookies. They had pineapple juice here, which excited me

All in all, it’s not tough or worth avoiding in any way unless you have an irrational fear of needles.

I’m glad you liked the new site design! My little circular icon was a fun thing to create. That, I think, was when I noticed that SSN are my initials backwards. Ha! You’ll have to let me know what you thought of the Faerie stuff. Some of those just had their world-premieres as it were.