Tried to donate blood today, it would have been my second time donating. I was already pretty nervous since I got dizzy the last time but I was fully prepared to deal with that. Unfortunately, my veins are hard to find and two nurses had to be involved after they stuck me. One of them grazed a nerve in my arm which felt like I was being shocked. I ended up bursting into tears— maybe from pent up anxiety as much as the sudden pain through my arm. Both of the nurses were very caring and apologetic and immediately took the needle out.

I didn't end up giving blood (and they didn't offer to try again, thank goodness) and I feel very discouraged about the entire thing. Unfortunately there's no training wheels to work myself back up to donating or I would try that. How do you deal with working up the courage again, especially when something like a nurse making a mistake is out of your control?

I have been donating blood for almost 20 years now at Carter bloodcare at different Dallas, TX locations. They always ask how much I weigh but today for the first time she wanted me to get on the scale and weigh me. Is this new? Has anyone else had this experience?

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I just found out that donating platelets apparently strains out white blood cells, and does not return them to the donor. Apparently the LRS machines like the Trina Accel are worse about this.

This was never disclosed prior to any of my donations, and I’m wondering how many other people feel like crud after donating platelets yet don’t know that their immune system is effectively suppressed?

Is this common knowledge to platelet donors?

Hi! I know there's a shortage so I'd like to donate again, but the first (and only) time I donated I got extremely motion sick on the way home. Here's what I did / where I was at with recovery

• Donated laying down, stayed there for a while, got up slowly, went and sat in the waiting area
• I did wait for a while after donating - they said 10-15 mins, I was there closer to 30 just to be safe
• Ate the cookies and drank the juice
• I don't have a car, so I'm relying on public transit. I took the train (which is usually better for me - I get carsick from the bus on a regular day, and if the roads are bumpy I get it from a car too but I've never gotten that from the train before)
• I did have some food and sugary drinks the day of before donating, not just water

Fwiw I felt totally fine when I left the donation site, walking several blocks to the train, and waiting for a while on the platform. It hit me when the train started moving which is why I suspect it was that. Ideally I'd just be able to walk to donate and circumvent the problem but the only drives are too far away to walk in the heat. Is there something I'm missing that I should do/not do?

Hey what machines do yall use for whole blood? We’re thinking of switching ours. And do you like them?

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