Just thought i'd let you guys know that if im not around too much for a little while its because my mums pretty darn ill. She's always suffered from anorexia so she's not too tough as it is but she's had some blood tests for allergies and in the process found she has a dangerously low blood count, six pints short actually. so she's been taken to hospital for an emergency 8 hour transfusion followed by another tomorrow and numerous tests and things. So, erm, i'll try and keep up to date but if there's anything u really think i'd like to know then e-mail me by all means. Hopefully i won't be too tied up and still be able to enjoy the forum but we really don't know right now what's wrong with her. Fingers crossed eh.



TMH

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One golfer a year is hit by lightning. This may be the only evidence we have of god’s existence.

fingers *and* toes crossed.

yep me too



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If the English language made any sense, a catastrophe would be an apostrophe with fur.

Hope they find out what's wrong with her soon and can do something about it.



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That which does not kill us makes us stranger.
(Llewelyn the dragon, Ozy and Millie)

Sarah

Everything crossed for you, mate.



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Do something pretty while you can...

Good luck - I'm hoping everything goes ok



I drink to drown my sorrows. Unfortunately they've learnt how to swim.

Best of luck, hope everything turns out okay.

(ps, if whe's A positive she might get some of mine)



PSD

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This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.

Right, this seems a pretty good time to plug the noble art of giving blood.

Basically it's a great way to earn a free cup of tea for very little effort and a whole evening of feeling smug afterwards. I've given blood a fair few times now, and it has only hurt once, when the needle bruised me slightly, but it was only a little uncormfortable. The first time you go they're extra gentle with you too. You can even ask to donate at the same time as a mate so you can chat while you do it.

It typically takes less than an hour to give a donation, and it gets quicker after the first time you give blood. You'll be asked to fill in a questionaire (that you fill in every time you give blood) and may have to see a doctor briefly to check your weight and stuff like that. Assuming you enter all the right boxes they'll give you a test to check you're not anaemic - basically they prick your finger to get a drop of blood and drop that into a solution. It doesn't hurt, honest.

As long as that's okay they'll then allow you to donate blood. The blod is taken from a vein in your non-writing arm, just below the elbow. A local anasthetic is normally used, althouhg you can ask not to have it. Then you just lie there while a pint or so pumps out, fiddling with something in your hand to stop the blood flow dropping.

After a pint has come out, or after 25 minutes if it's coming slowly for whatever reason, they'll slide the needle out and get you to press on the wound to stop it bruising. They'll get you to wait a while before getting up if you look stressed, or if you turn out to be like me they'll get fed up of you twtching and send you off to collect a cup of tea and a biscuit.

It really is that easy, and that painless. Give it a go. Please?

To see if you're eligible to give blood, go here: [www.blood.co.uk]



PSD

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This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.

Right, this seems a pretty good time to plug the noble art of giving blood.
(UK info only)

I'd like to second that, as well as sending my best wishes to TMH and family.

For those that would like to make more of a difference, you can also ask them to take a sample while you're there to test so you can be placed on the bone marrow register.

And for those that the idea of tea and biscuits doesn't appeal, they also serve crisps and squash.

Unfortunately there are those among us who CAN'T give blood, due to a jaundice condition and the blood bank taking too much blood and having me faint after the event. The minimum level of blood taken donw here is 450ml and that's too much for me to cope with. (I'm quite small framed). But if you can give blood, then please do so. It could be a member of your family who you save. It could even be you.

And the same goes for organ donation.

The blood donor service site has a test you can do online that will allow you to find out if you can go or not, but like Kaz says, you might find out you can't give.

On the subject of organ donation, I have a condition that leaves my left eye unable to focus clearly at any length. I can't read a computer screen with it from 18 inches, let alone any further. My right eye is going the same way. It's caused by my corneas become rippled, basically, and the only option eventually will be to have a corneal graft. If you want to donate in the UK, make sure your relatives know.



PSD

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This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.

Is that keratoconus, PSD?

That'd be the one... I always forget how to spell it, so don't bother!



PSD

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This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.

it can be corrected using gas permeable contact lenses. Have you tried them?

I was told it can be corrected for a while with them, and it doesn't always keep on progressing, but it can get worse, apparently. While my right eye isn't too bad I'm not that worried.



PSD

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This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.

Just take your eyes out, give them a polish and stick them back in. That often helps

rightyo, where's me Dyson? I'll need some serious suction for this...



PSD

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This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.

MedHettar - I truly hope your mum is OK. Look after her and yourself.

PSD - although I am a blood donor and on the Anthony Nolan bone marrow register, I have never felt easy at the thought of donating parts of my eyes. I know it's totally irrational - kidneys etc don't bother me at all.

I would totally agree that anyone who can give blood should try it. It really doesn't hurt - especially if you have the local anasthetic (which you may have to ask for - I always do). If you use a computer mouse, you may want to make sure the anaemia test is not from a finger that you click with - it doesn't hurt, but the slight bruise that can happen can be annoying.

WHY can't you give blood if you're "a man who has had oral or anal sex with another man"? Or a woman who's had sex with a man who has? I don't believe there's a genuine medical reason, not statistically.



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Do something pretty while you can...

Dante, I think it's to do with the threat of HIV.

I can't give blood because I have extremely low blood pressure, and even normal tests give me dizziness.
I'm perfectly ok with donating all my organs if I die suddenly though.


*hugs MedHetter*
I hope everything goes well