Donating blood... question about it

I'm Apos too. Thanks to all of you who have donated but particularly the platelet donors.

In my job I gave them everyday. They are magic.

I've been a regular Red Cross doner for decades, and it was one of the things I asked about when I joined the bariatric program. I agree with everything GT said. My platelet count has always been extremely high so they call me in for a double donation when the local supplies go low. I asked my surgeon about continuing to donate platelets and as my platelet count was still very high at one month out he was fine with that.

I donated plasma last year, twice a week for months. The place where I donated was a for profit group that used the plasma for medical purposes including transfusion blends for cancer patients. They also can pull out antivirus for medical usage. I have the rabies vaccination so my plasma can be used to create the short acting anti-rabies medication used to protect people exposed to bats etc... Where I was donating my plasma (and they make sure you agree you are DONATING it) the doners were compensated for their TIME as the donation takes an hour or so. In this facility the payments for your TIME came to around $300 usd per month if you donated twice a week. When I was going through my separation, this income basically covered my gas and groceries each month. Plasma takes a nutrients but you only lose the red blood cells that are pulled for testing (whole blood) and some that get chopped up in the separation process, you can see that visually in the color of the plasma being collected. Generally being very well hydrated prior to the pull seems to result in less damage to your red blood cells.

I am planning on waiting a full year before I try to donate whole blood. In the mean time I am continuing with my double platelet donations as there seems to be no downside to my health.

I also figure that pushing my body to replace the lost platelets forces my body to use more calories from somewhere and that can only help me in the weight loss stage :)

I was advised donating blood was not recommended after WLS. My husband's type O+ blood is universally sought after so my new duty can be to help nudge him in when the "bloodhounds" seek him out. Besides, even with weight loss, my veins are hard to find versus his easily-visible, bulging blue arm veins. There is no nudging necessary to help him enjoy the treats available after blood donation is over.

So, the only iron information I see on my latest blood test results are these... I don't see it broken down for just Ferratin. Do I need to ask for something different?

Gawd, yall... this all gets so confusing to me! LOL (and for the record, those 'description' buttons don't work!)

I wondered that as well because I don't see Ferratin listed on any of my results either.

As with everything, everyone will respond differently. As an O+ family, we ALL donate regularly. We joke that it's time to visit the vampires. I never eat a snack or drink juice, my 140# son never does either, the vampires don't fuss or complain or force us to stay if we don't BUT my 135# daughter gets nauseas and dizzy if she does not have that snack. So to each his own and I guess it depends on your center as well.

I know your question wasn't can i donate blood but since everyone else is putting in their 2 cents, so will I lol

First its your decision, 2nd if your doctor is comfortable with it, ITS YOUR DECISION lol, if you choose not to ask the doc, the blood bank ALWAYS checks an individual's iron before they let you donate, so that's a safety net and yes your blood regenerates itself. As many other's have stated, some get anemic, some don't, I highly doubt that a donation would cause you to become anemic, it's not sucking out your iron, it's just borrowing some of the quantity of blood you have.

Every time you donate blood, you save a life! Thank you for being someone's hero!

PS: I get mild anemia from time to time since I was a small child and I still donate. When I was pregnant I had to take ferrous sulfate. As long as my levels are good at the bank, I donate.

They don't check the iron. Just hemoglobin and RBC. You iron- ferritin - can tank even when your other numbers are still ok. I learned that the hard way.

ok, sorry, they don't actually check iron, I was using a layman's term. And MOST people are ok with just having those checked prior to donation. I'm sorry that you had a bad experience.

You're an adult, and can make your own decisions. If you read through this thread closely, you should be able to see what some of the possible hazards of donating after WLS are.

The Red Cross tests hemoglobin, BP, temperature, and minimum weight and age. That's all. I have seen far, far too many people a few years out from WLS who have serious iron issues. The farther out you are, it becomes almost a certainty. Donating blood in a situation like that would be the difference between health and horrible illness.

I'm not against blood donation, at all. Just the opposite. I've donated well over 400 units of platelets, red cells, and whole blood. I've donated since surgery. I do platelets to conserve red cells that take several months to replace. I have FULL labs drawn and watch them like a hawk. 90 percent of WLSers do not.

If your doc is only drawing 4 vials of blood for lab tests, they aren't checking enough, and you will never even know if you are deficient. You can pass the Red Cross finger stick test for hemoglobin, but it can still be very dangerous for those with WLS to donate.

Because it absolutely is sucking out iron that our altered anatomies may or may not EVER be able to replace.

Lol but what I meant was they're not sitting there with a magnet drawing out every last drop of iron you have. Yes, some of everything you got is being taken away. And I have read alot of this thread which has given me something to think about since I already teeter totter on the edge of anemia here and there. Like, will I be able to continue to donate because of my predisposition to anemia? Will the WLS knock me over the edge and just make me anemic all together? HA maybe that'll just be a good excuse to play ostrich from the surgeon... as tough as I may try and appear on the outside (that's from being completely alone my whole life), I'm really a chicken on the inside, well ostrich lol if I can't see you, you can't see me HA