Donating blood

I went to Walmart today the bloodmobile was there. Generally, I feel that if you can donate blood, you should. You never know when you might need an emergency transfusion and if you expect that blood supply to be there, than you should also be willing to donate. Just my basic feelings on that issue.

At any rate, when I saw the bloodmobile, my basic impulse was, I should donate. I haven't been to Walmart when the bloodmobile was there at the same time since before surgery. There's never an announcement so you never know when to expect it. Then I thought, well I know you can't donate for a certain amount of time after major surgery but certainly 18 months would take care of that. Then I wondered, can someone with RNY donate? I don't see any reason why not but I didn't want to do something I shouldn't and I don't recall there being a question regarding WLS in the past when I've donated but as you can see, it's been a while and regulations I'm sure, change over time. LOL, the only real problem I can see is they try to feed you cookies after you donate.

So anyone give blood since there surgery? If so, was it a problem? Does anyone know if there are any prohibitive reasons for not donating?

I've heard both sides of the issue (I'm pretty sure here on OH - but not in awhile). On the "con" side, people say that if your iron reserves get too low because you donated, it's hard to bring them back up. I personally have not given blood since I had WLS.

I guess it was good I questioned giving before I gave. I hadn't thought of those issues. I checked my last set of labs at my bariatric clinic and although my iron & ferritin were within normal limits, they were on the low side of normal. I guess donating could have had some serious consequences and with the back problems and low heart rate, I probably don't need anymore. Hope you are still healing well from plastics. Thank you for responding.

I suggest that you do a search here on OH for a variety of perspectives. I, personally, haven't given blood post-RNY because we tend to have trouble absorbing enough nutrients to stay healthy as it is and the time and nutrients needed to regenerate your reserves post-donation are prohibitive to me. It is very common post-RNY to become severely anemic even with good nutrition and supplements and need to have iron infusions. For most of us, while it is a good cause to donate, it isn't wise.

That makes a lot of sense. Thank you for responding. Still so much to learn.

I donated a year after my surgery. My hemoglobin was 15 and my surgeon said as long as I felt ok I was good to go. Needless to say my ferritin tanked to 8! I learned my lesson and wont donate again. But my feelings on donating is same as yours, if you can you should! I am o+ so I'm a universal donor but can only receive my type. I'm disapointed I cant donate anymore, but I at least did my part before surgery and donated religiously before surgery.

I hadn't thought of iron and ferritin. I was anemic pre-surgery. I've been okay with iron supplementation so far and I'd prefer to stay that way, absolutely. I donated once every 6 months and before my hysterectomy (my church at the time sponsored a blood drive twice yearly), I invariably couldn't because my iron would be so low. After my hysterectomy, I was always fine until it just got so hard to find my veins, probably, I'm assuming due to my obesity. To be honest, when the CNP told me my iron was low before surgery, I was surprised since I had the hysterectomy in 1998. I would have figured I'd have been fine since I was post menopausal. I just looked at my last lab results and my ferritin & iron were in the normal range but on the lower side of normal. It was probably good I questioned giving blood before doing what I would normally have done before.

I was told not to donate blood after an RNY Bypass because of the tendency for our iron levels to be low. Many end up needing iron infusions at some point. I'm 15 years out and have had two iron infusions since surgery.

I am too anemic too often to donate now, between the RNY and flipping into and out of menopause. But I used to donate regularly before surgery. I am told that once I am well and truly past menopause I may be able to try again...

Audrey

Probably, even though my last labs showed my iron is okay, I probably won't try donating. No point in putting myself at risk and I'm just basing that on a lot of the responses I got to this post. I have donated every opportunity I have been given and I have old blood anyway, LOL, so I feel that if it ever happens that I need a transfusion, I will be covered emotionally.