Blood Donors

[chrizzy100]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Nostromo
I donate blood when I can, which is not as often as I would like because of work schedules. On average, I'd say about once every year.
[/quote]

Nostromo....I have partial immunity to malaria...which I got from my father.....it does have a name that I can't remember......have you heard of it....??

[Nostromo]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by chrizzy100[brNostromo....I have partial immunity to malaria...which I got from my father.....it does have a name that I can't remember......have you heard of it....??
[/quote]

Was it the African type Falciparum Malaria? This is the only one of the 4 types that can cause a serious and potential fatal complication called Blackwater Fever (Cerebral Malaria). Although there is extensive research going on about developing an effective anti-malaria vaccine, none is in general use. The 'malaria prevention' that we take on tropical holiday (not always appropriately prescribed) are actually antimalarial antibiotics aimed at keeping a steady high blood level so that even if the parasite enters the blood stream following the mosquito bite, it cannot localise and multiply effectively.

[E. Cosgrove]

I am a lapsed blood donor.
Used to donate regularly but then one time they wouldn't take it as I had a cold sent for me 6 months later and same scenario, I think it happened a third time and then they stopped sending for me, no excuse I know and I need to go again.

[chrizzy100]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Nostromo
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by chrizzy100[brNostromo....I have partial immunity to malaria...which I got from my father.....it does have a name that I can't remember......have you heard of it....??
[/quote]

Was it the African type Falciparum Malaria? This is the only one of the 4 types that can cause a serious and potential fatal complication called Blackwater Fever (Cerebral Malaria). Although there is extensive research going on about developing an effective anti-malaria vaccine, none is in general use. The 'malaria prevention' that we take on tropical holiday (not always appropriately prescribed) are actually antimalarial antibiotics aimed at keeping a steady high blood lever so that even if the parasite enters the blood stream following the mosquito bite, it cannot localise and multiply effectively.
[/quote]

My father was in both Africa and Asia in the second world war......all we know is it was 'recurring malaria'..and that he had to leave the army early...and he was very sick with it......I had some test when expecting my second baby....it was a study I took part in to see what antibodies women had...when they got my tests back.... ...they asked me about my father was he black.??....had I left the country....have I had malaria myself.....I never thought much about it...till a new doctor I had read my notes and told me of a new study saying that fathers can pass antibodies to malaria onto their children.....I just wondered if you'd heard of it.....

[John Rocke]

went last friday, still got the bruise.

they don't give locals any more either.

the bit I really hate is when you have to offer up a finger or thumb to give a drop for the initial test.
I get a cold sweat at that. I spend all day at work cutting and scratching myself without a second thought, but that little prick in the finger gets me every time

jr

[Ray&Sarah]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by John Rocke
went last friday, still got the bruise.

they don't give locals any more either.

the bit I really hate is when you have to offer up a finger or thumb to give a drop for the initial test.
I get a cold sweat at that. I spend all day at work cutting and scratching myself without a second thought, but that little prick in the finger gets me every time

jr
[/quote]

I agree with you there John that is the worst part in my opinion too, actually giving blood is a breeze after that.[msneek]

[fiona]

I used to give blood regularly and have had a blood transfusion but no longer can due to medical condition. Have my bloods checked every 3 weeks and if they are not good enough will have to have something to boost me for the chemo. Having had 23 lymph nodes removed from my left underarm they are now only attacking my right arm - so the veins go into hiding at the sight of a needle! We are now into heated up pillows on the hand.

[Nostromo]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by chrizzy100

[i]My father was in both Africa and Asia in the second world war......all we know is it was 'recurring malaria'..and that he had to leave the army early...and he was very sick with it......I had some test when expecting my second baby....it was a study I took part in to see what antibodies women had...when they got my tests back.... ...they asked me about my father was he black.??....had I left the country....have I had malaria myself.....I never thought much about it...till a new doctor I had read my notes and told me of a new study saying that fathers can pass antibodies to malaria onto their children.....I just wondered if you'd heard of it.....

The immune response to Malaria in humans is still very much under study. It seems to behave like a double-edged sword. Babies can inherit short-term Malaria immunity from their mothers (who might not themselves be immune by then) but this is lost after 6 months. The current thinking is that a built-in surface antibody in the Plasmodium itself confers this temporary immunity, but there are other polyspecific substances contracted at the time of infection that inhibit this immunity from becoming long term. That's why development of a successful vaccine has not been easy and Malaria keeps "coming back".

[porky]

I used to donate regularly then as with Liz lapsed because of several colds. I finally phoned to find when the next session was locally and I was told they didn't need my blood group at the moment (AB Neg) and would contact me again when they did. That was 3 years ago and I'm still waiting for the contact.

Jacqui

[LesleyB]

Luckily our receptionist at work is very active in organising the mobile units to come on site, so I give twice or three times a year. They usually manage to collect 35-40 units on each visit.