Feel free to debate the moral issue if you like, what I'm really wondering about is whether it's got any negative implications for the donor or not. Any info?

Go for it.

I don't think I can, I have very low iron. But the blood banks here are running low due to our extreme weather cancelling clinics lately so it's been on the news. If I get my iron under control I'll revisit the idea. Just wondering what losing that much blood does to your system, if it's got negative or even positive effects...

I've never heard anything bad about it for the donor. Like you my iron is always too low plus I take thyroxine so they don't want my blood

Yeah, I dont believe it has any long term negative side effects, as our bodies are built to be able to handle large amounts of blood loss and survive... but there IS a limit, and the vast majority of blood banks out there wont let people come even close to that... although its possible, If somebody tries hard enough.

EditI should have said, Survive AND replenish...we are adorable little blood factories more or less...)

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Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/29/2010 03:44PM by Curator.

If you can, do. Just don't eat that cookie or whatever they give you afterward.

I would suggest bringing another snack high in natural sugar along with you though...some carrot or orange juice would be great.

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Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?

I am sure I read something sometime about it being a stress on the body to lose blood like that. Then I read something about it being great for the body to make new blood to fill the need, that it cleaned you out and stimulated all sorts of good stuff. Nobody has read anything like that?
I'd like to donate, I have a fairly rare blood type. The one that is supposed to eat a meat based diet .

Ive read both, but considering our body is made to make blood, im sure it probably can have some beneficial effects, or at the very least no lasting negative effects, as long as its not done to often, and really, some momentary negative effects, vs possibly saving somebodies life, for me, is worth it, and I have a massive phobia of needles... I had never donated blood either till just recently here because of that phobia... but thought to myself, whats a little fear and stress for me vs somebodies life?...

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Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?

i donate , no ill effects so far at least none that ive noticed,

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

Well, I have a different take on this. I used to donate until about 1984; as a matter of fact they even gave me a little silver pin for "all" my donations. I have slightly odd blood in that if I ever "needed" a donation it should be negative blood; but what I donate is considered positive. How 'bout them apples...neutral blood!

I'm not so young any more and over the years I've come to have a different view of this whole business. I am not a Jehovah's Witness or even religious and I do not base my life on the bible, but I think that there is something grossly against nature and creation to switch blood. I am not criticizing anyone for doing this but I see the neverending promotion of donation + transfusing to be just an industry. The medical intelligentsia don't care about alternatives.
The JWs gave me a booklet explaining how there are techniques available that make it unnecessary to have blood transfusions.

You may ask: suppose such & such (or even me) were smashed to bits in an accident and you needed 15 quarts of blood pronto. As I see it, someone who was that badly injured should not be revived. All things end, including our and our children's lives. Desperately falling back on the infusion of a billion dollars' worth of technology (of which transfusion is only one aspect) to stitch the almost-dead back together is a sign of the worst spiritual illness imaginable.

Ive had some JW's tell me this be4, none of them could point me to any scientific studies showing this as even possible yet... And although you definitely have the right to choose to not be revived should you find yourself in such a condition (you can have this specified beforehand to make sure they dont revive you) At this point, if thats your opinion, you may as well not take any supplements, or medicine of any kind, no antibiotics or disinfectants, If you cant survive without those, you weren't meant to, right?

I wouldn't be alive today if it wasn't for a blood transfusion, I wouldn't have been able to experience the love and growth and happiness I have if it wasn't for that transfusion, I wouldn't be the beautiful, (but still learning), being I am today if it wasn't for somebodies choice to donate blood, Maybe you think that denotes spiritual illness, but honestly, Such a lack of compassion and warped point of view, seems closer to that description than people who just want a second chance to live, learn, and love. (And to be honest, my reason for needing a large blood transfusion wasn't nearly as good as those who have been in a random accident.)

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Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?

Well, ya sure told me, didn't ya? Hot damn!

I remember River Fraggle from this site being so thankful for the blood that saved her life when she was a child. She was such a dear, that girl. She really made me consider donating blood with her story, it became so real to me.
What I wouldn't give to save the life of my child in a time of need, and if not able to give it myself how incredibly grateful for the kindness of strangers I'd be. My heart clenches up at the thought of it.

While I agree that the medical establishment is far from perfect or in some cases even good, I don't mind the idea of people contributing to save the lives of their community members. If someone wants to do it, they should. And if they don't, well, they also should abide by their own conscience and Not do it.

I agree with that entirely coco...

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Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?

Would you open minded folks put any limits at all on exchange of body parts that keeps people alive who in some cases have clearly reached their limit? Not in law, but in your own personal opinions as to what goes and what crosses the line. Just for the sake of discussion. I would not donate a body part for my own children or anyone else. While I am scared to die and even more frightened of losing a child, I believe that we will be reunited in God's good time. But most of all I have a healthy fear of our Creator. If you are "saved" by gross means, your life is no longer yours.

Im open minded to what people do or do not want done for themselves, Just not to some one considering it a spiritual illness to want to have a second chance at life after horrible circumstances leading them to the operating room.

As far as what crosses the line in my opinion, is technologies like what they are working on, to create a bio-ceramic brain, to transfer a human mind to, they believe that to be a viable technology by 2050... That I think crosses the line, at that point I dont think we would even be human... as far as transplants go, If they dont need the transplant because of a chronic drinking/drug problem, im all for it, I had a friend who died a horrific death because no one in his family would give him a bone marrow transplant, and the close match they found from a stranger didn't take...

I thought you said you weren't religious? Either way, without going into to much detail and breaking the forum rules, There is nothing in the bible about God not being ok with taking life saving measures to help someone...In fact, there is the opposite(Good samaritan story, jesus healing people and raising some from the dead...), and If some all knowing all powerful being DID create everything, he/she/it also created our capacity to save each other using medical science.

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Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?

I can't conceptualize a fear of Creator, to me the life force of this cosmos is not something to fear. That is another topic though.

Yes, of course I would give an organ for my child if it was one I could live without. I could more easily lose a kidney than a son or daughter.
I don't believe in unnecessary life support though. My uncle succumbed to illness recently and our family made the decision to turn off his life support when he was no longer able to sustain life on his own. A difficult decision to be sure but no one even suggested another option. He passed away on the 24th of December.

There are unfortunate people kept alive in institutions who can not see, hear, move, speak or live without constant pain and many drugs several times a day. To me, this is so far from natural. It's not compassionate or reasonable, it's torture. But euthanasia is illegal. I shake my head.

that I agree with, I wouldnt want to be kept alive on machines... but thats just my personal choice.

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Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?

I would absolutely LOVE to help people out in this way, but since I've had arthritis, they won't take my blood unless I get tested and am free of Rheumatoid arthritis. I say go for it! <3!

I know a person who has hemachromatosis. It's a somewhat common hereditary disease where the blood stores too much iron. (Many people have it and don't know it.) Anyway, he has to give blood to keep his iron level down within normal range.


My favorite raw vegan

Horsea,

I preface this by saying I understand and appreciate that your experience and cosmology are very different from mine.

I do not fear my Creator; I feel this is perverse considering my Creator's all encompassing love. Further, I think that discompassionateness is one of the greatest sins I could commit against my Creator, and always try to go on empathy when making a decision concerning someone else's welfare. Lastly, I do not believe that we are corporeally reinstated in the afterlife, as the afterlife is not material. Thus, donating my corneas or whatever shall not influence my state in the Beyond. I came to this conclusion after considering that if an omnipotent deity cannot make broken organisms whole again, the nature of the deity is problematic. I understand that there are faiths and/or sects that define God differently(as imperfect or limited in power, for instance), but I subscribe to the NT definition of the nature of the Creator: omniscient, omnipotent, omnibenevolent. I could not allow a fellow human to suffer unnatural cessation of life without wanting to help.

I really don't understand where the Witnesses or certain other sects get these proscriptions from. I'm guessing they use a non-standard Bible. It's interesting to me.

I love the way you communicate things Tam, I really do <3 you encapsulated my feelings in your words far better than I ever could.

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Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?

Tamukha,
JW's are getting the anti transfusion ideas from a few passages in the bible which prohibit the consumption of blood. Leviticus 17:12 is one, Acts 15 is another. I used to work with a JW who quoted this. I was so surprised, and said "Do you keep kosher then?!" He just looked at me kind of strange, and that was the end of the subject. I take it from his silence that its ok by their religion to eat meat which isn't drained of blood. That was the original intent.

Sorry, I don't mean to offend. Its really kind of gross topic, but I thought I would answer the question to some degree. I find it strange when some group singles out a passage and makes it mean something different than what its historical context intended. The JW take might make sense extended in the way that they do, but it seems like the more literal and obvious reading should also be applied.

As an addition, most people consider JW as a cult, because it has this subtle distinction between Jehovah and Jesus. Some don't consider them christian because this denies the diety of Jesus Christ, which is supposed to be a defining doctrine for Christians.

On another completely different topic, it reminds me of Sikhs. A sikh woman claimed that there was something special about cotton used in turbans and holy underwear. She added that it was necessary to be as organic and vegetarian as possible. I was taken aback because cotton is generally the most heavily sprayed crop ever. She was surprised to hear that, and doubted it. I just said look it up if you think I am not being truthful.

Peanuts are planted between rows of cotton. Sad, isn't it, that a staple of children's diets is one of the most heavily sprayed crops there is. Totally unforgivable that.

Coco,
I didn't know that peanuts were planted with cotton. Peanuts and peanut butter is actually a fairly commonly consumed product. I guess its a good thing to have an allergy. Actually no allergy is good, but thats sort of a silver lining to having to always carefully read lables and avoid them. My neice is allergic to them, and I always felt so bad for her, but its maybe the best thing.

I thought there was something bad about peanuts reguardless if you are allergic to them. Isn't it bad for hormone production in men or something?

Aflatoxin contamination, they stimulate coldsore breakouts, I'm sure there's more.
Wikipedia had this to say
"Peanut allergies have also been associated with family history and intake of soy products."
Peanuts have tons of different uses, George Washington Carver is often credited with inventing 300. We read an ancient book on the topic a while ago, you can do so much with peanuts! They are amazing in many ways, just not for eating.

Curator,

Aw, thanks buddy! Right back at ya

Mislu,

Thanks for the explanation. Am baffled by the bone ignorance--who doesn't know that that proscription refers to koshering of flesh foods?! Who?!!! Gad.

Also, as of today, the wonderous term "Holy Underwear" has entered my lexicon of swear words.

Tamukha,
LOL! I would have never thought of 'holy underwear' as being a swear word, but it sounds fitting. I remember the first time I heard it I thought she was joking, but she was dead serious. I guess Punjabi is her first language, and english her second. Maybe there is some cultural difference that she isn't aware of, how it sounds in american english.

My parents are LDS, and wear the temple garments. I guess they could call that 'holy underwear', but its officially called temple garments. It sounds better. Some make fun calling them magic underwear, or what not. They are supposed to provide some sort of special protection or something. I am not sure what the sikh reason for them are.

The sikhs have the 5k's komb, knife, underwear(with a k somehow)the wrist band(also with a k in their language) and turban. I don't know if I have them correct. Its interesting, and its very, very distinct whenever you see a baptised sikh. Some people often confuse them for muslims because of the turban. I did for the longest time.

Mislu,

There's a debate in a local school system here about allowing Sikh boys to come to school with their kirpan daggers. Will be interesting to see how it turns out. I recall how disgusted my mother was when that Sikh fellow was shot dead in Arizona after 9/11 because his murderer thought he was Muslim. My mother knew a great deal about religious sects near and far, and about all manner of ethnicities and it surprised her that people didn't know what a Sikh looked like on sight. I explained that most people probably have so little contact with them, and so much exposure to the Disneyland view of the world, they really can't make these distinctions; I know I wouldn't have known the difference but for her.