What's your blood type?

[Emerald]

Please select your blood type

 

[AlohaBird]

You might want to add a "don't know" option. There was one on the other poll that had quite a few takers. Although I don't get how anyone with a major health condition like epilepsy could manage to not know.

Thanks for setting this up, emerald.

 

[Nakamova]

Hey Emerald -- this poll already exists on the site.

http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f27/whats-your-blood-type-12623/

 

[AlohaBird]

Nak, that one had a major flaw in the design that this one corrects.

The person who set it up, way back, was mistakenly identifying RH as a blood type unto itself instead of the categories above which are composed of an antigen (O, A,B, or AB) and the RH factor (+or -)

It was an interesting question. Hopefully everyone who participated in the other one can toss their data in here.

 

[masterjen]

I don't get how anyone with a major health condition like epilepsy could manage to not know.

Maybe I am overly sensitive tonight, I don't know, but I find this comment insulting. I am very intelligent, but no, I do not know my blood type. Blood typing is not a routine part of testing in Canada when one gets blood tests done to measure medication blood levels, blood serum levels of vitamins and minerals, etc. Knowing blood type is of no relevance when it comes to the vast majority of routine blood tests, and has little to no bearing on treatment of virtually every health condition.

 

[AlohaBird]

I didn't mean it as if you don't know your blood type that means you are not intelligent, I just meant that those of us with a serious health condition like this tend to spend more of our lives in doctors' offices and hospital ERs and ORs than the general population. Places where the question of "what is your blood type?" tends to come up.
We are often people with medic alert tags in case we are unconscious when first responders are helping us. Those tags usually have blood type along with medical conditions and Rx info listed.

I've had so damn many surgeries, I have to know my blood type. I wish I didn't.

 

[Nakamova]

I only know my blood type because before I developed epilepsy I was a big blood donor.

 

[Cint]

Hey Emerald -- this poll already exists on the site.

http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f27/whats-your-blood-type-12623/

I thought it did. Thanks Nak!

 

[Cint]

I only know my blood type because before I developed epilepsy I was a big blood donor.

And I only know my blood type because I needed a blood transfusion when I was severely burned, due to my first T/C seizure 30+ years ago.

I agree with Aloha, anyone with a chronic condition like E should know what their blood type is, just in case........... accidents do happen..... onder:

 

[masterjen]

accidents do happen..... onder:

Agreed, however in many hospitals (at least according to my family doctor) ERs will not go by the blood type a patient tells them or what is on a medic alert bracelet because it is so quick to do blood typing in the ER, and they want to be absolutely sure that the blood type is correct before giving a transfusion.:dontknow:

 

[AlohaBird]

I only know my blood type because before I developed epilepsy I was a big blood donor.

Hmm. I guess blood bank rules vary from place to place and I suppose it would depend on what meds one takes.
I was totally honest with my blood bank and they had no problem with me continuing to donate for years once my seizures were controlled. I've just quit this past year because there is no blood bank where I live now.

 

[valeriedl]

I only know my blood type because before I developed epilepsy I was a big blood donor.

Don't know if you knew this but the Red Cross told me that if you go a certain amount of time without having a seizure, I can't remember how long it was but I know it was a few months, you are able to give blood. They said that the meds you take didn't matter.

 

[AlohaBird]

The blood bank in San Diego said that their rule was that if you are OK to drive, you are OK to donate.
They handed me a list of meds and asked, "Do you take anything listed here?" I said no so we were good to go.

 

[Cint]

Don't know if you knew this but the Red Cross told me that if you go a certain amount of time without having a seizure, I can't remember how long it was but I know it was a few months, you are able to give blood. They said that the meds you take didn't matter.

Here it is from the Red Cross:
http://arcblood.redcross.org/guidelines.htm

Eligibility Guidelines (see *note)
General Guidelines:

-To give blood or platelets, you must be healthy, be at least 17 years old and weigh at least 110 pounds. "Healthy" means you feel well and can perform normal activities. If you have a chronic condition such as diabetes or high blood pressure, "healthy" also means you are being treated and the condition is under control.

-Blood can be donated every 56 days.

-Platelets can be donated every two weeks up to 24 times per year.

-Each potential donor receives a mini-health check during which temperature, pulse, blood pressure and blood count (hemoglobin or hematocrit) are determined.

-Donating platelets takes about two hours. Our centers are open a variety of hours for your convenience. To learn more about platelet donation, click here.


Epilepsy, Seizures: Acceptable as long as you have been seizure-free for the last three months. Medications for seizures do not disqualify you from donating.

Medications: In almost all cases, medications will not disqualify you as a blood donor. Your eligibility will be based on the reason the medication was prescribed. As long as the condition is under control and you are healthy, blood donation is usually permitted. There are a handful of drugs that are of special significance in blood donation. Persons on these drugs have waiting periods following their last dose before they can donate blood: Accutane; Proscar; Propecia; Avodart; Coumadin, heparin or other prescription blood thinners; and Soriatane. If you ever took Tegison (etretinate), you are not eligible to donate blood. If you ever took human pituitary-derived growth hormone, you are not eligible to donate blood.
If you are taking prescription blood thinners such as Coumadin, Plavix or heparin, you should not donate since your blood will not clot normally. If your doctor discontinues your treatment with blood thinners, wait five days before donating.

 

[AlohaBird]

Thanks for posting the official regs, Cint.

I'm sure that many people who have E don't feel "up to it" for donating blood or may be concerned that it would make them pass out or have a seizure. That is a totally personal decision.

But, if you feel like you do want to donate blood and your seizures are under good control, it is good to know that the blood bank does not consider this to be a disqualifying condition.

The same as what Cint posted above shows, what my blood bank people said was that they are mostly concerned with meds that would thin the blood. They consider aspirin to be very dangerous and you can't donate if you have had any in the past day or so.

 

[Cint]

Thanks for posting the official regs, Cint.

I'm sure that many people who have E don't feel "up to it" for donating blood or may be concerned that it would make them pass out or have a seizure. That is a totally personal decision.

But, if you feel like you do want to donate blood and your seizures are under good control, it is good to know that the blood bank does not consider this to be a disqualifying condition.

The same as what Cint posted above shows, what my blood bank people said was that they are mostly concerned with meds that would thin the blood. They consider aspirin to be very dangerous and you can't donate if you have had any in the past day or so.

onder: Well, I guess I'll never be able to give blood. As I've stated several times in different posts, I also have Type 1 Diabetes. My endocrinologist has me take aspirin (when I remember). That is because we are at a higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. Aspirin reduces the risk. And cardio disease also runs in my family. My father had a stroke. So did his mother and sister. And as the RedCross said, one has to have their hemoglobin within range. With Diabetes, the Hemoglobin A1C level needs to be between 5-7 %. Sometimes mine goes just a bit higher, but my endo dr. says that is okay for me because if we mess with it any more, it could bring on a seizure for me.

 

[seagull]

o- that the one everyone can bleed you for but you not get drop of theirs..yep sounds about right for me

 

[Emerald]

Pretty much how it works!

 

[CathyAnn31]

A+ for me.

 

[AlohaBird]

A+ for me.

And a gold star on your report card!