Home         Forums  

Go Back   Marrowforums > Bone Marrow Failure Diseases > Bone Marrow Failure
Register FAQ Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Bone Marrow Failure Causes, treatment approaches, terminology, related diseases

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
  #1  
Old Wed Dec 15, 2010, 08:45 PM
Julianna Julianna is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Victoria, Australia
Posts: 184
Blood and platelet donation

Hi everyone! Just wanted to share that I was really happy to see on the news the other day the need for blood and platelet donation - especially over the Christmas period. Particularly in Victoria, Australia, they said that there was a shortage of platelets. It was great that this information made it to the news, and hopefully will cause more people to think about its importance.

Well, most of my mates in particular would have had their ears pricked up - and I hope will be given to donate this Christmas!

Have a lovely Christmas everyone. xoxo Julie

P.S. Proud to say I have donated whole blood 6 times before I got sick. Unfortunately have got heaps more back! Thanks to all donors. You're awesome.
__________________
Julie (38yrs); dx AA 1996 & treated w/ATG, cyclosporine & G-CSF; 2010 dx int-1 secondary MDS, low platelets, on prevention antibiotics, fevers of unknown origin, MUD found for BMT when the time is right, which is now! MDS transformed to AML after many infections.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old Wed Dec 15, 2010, 09:48 PM
Neil Cuadra Neil Cuadra is offline
Owner
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Los Angeles, California
Posts: 2,553
Thanks for doing your own little bit of publicity!

The need for donors never goes away, but people who are busy with the holidays tend to postpone donations or forget about them, often leading to blood bank shortages during the last couple weeks of the year. Those who plan to donate soon should try to take care of it this month.

Thanks to all of the blood donors out there!
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old Thu Dec 16, 2010, 07:48 AM
cheri cheri is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Tuckahoe New Jersey
Posts: 243
Low blood donation time of year--WE can help!

[b]I wrote and submitted this to a local free paper for submission--numerous people all over the county told me they saw it. Hopefully, as a "by-product", it may have encouraged a few people to remember to donate...[b]

November 2010

This is a "thank you" to people I have never met, never will, and yet they are literally a part of my life. Thanks to you all, I am here this Thanksgiving holiday.
Last Thanksgiving holds a special meaning to me as I spent it in a hospital, undergoing intense chemotherapy for Acute Leukemia. Over the past year, I have had numerous blood and platelet transfusions to allow me to survive while undergoing continuing treatment for my disease. THANK YOU to all of the blood donors, who make the effort and take the time to donate your blood and other various lifesaving blood products. It was there the second I needed it--every time! Each time I watch the nurse hang a bag of blood or precious platelets, I wonder who the donor was, and if he or she knew how important their donation is in prolonging my life. And, of course, thanks to the Red Cross and all of the doctors, nurses, and other people and organizations who make this miracle happen, every day, for many of us facing all types of health challenges. Because of you, I will get to spend Thanksgiving 2010 with my precious family. Without your sacrifice and generosity, I would not be alive today. This Thanksgiving, I give special thanks to the blood donors in our country!
Sincerely,
Cheri Decker

If each one of us put a reminder to donate in our local papers, imagine the response! It seems to me, blood drives are often underpublicized.
__________________
Cheri Age 54; dx Oct 2009 AML, induction chemo only;dx MDS July 2010,- PRBC transfusion dependent; Results BMB 8/4/11--- 6-8% blasts; Danazol 100 mg 3xday; quit Exjade/ GI distress; platelets holding 40's; Fluctuation in blasts in blood--Neupogen 3-4xweek; off Revlimid again! Procrit weekly
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old Thu Dec 16, 2010, 03:03 PM
Ruth Cuadra Ruth Cuadra is offline
Administrator
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Los Angeles, California
Posts: 616
Cheri, thanks on behalf of all of us who've benefited from the generosity of blood and platelet donors. I'm part of that group and share your appreciation for their gifts. Some years ago, I was invited by the Red Cross to speak to a large group of their blood services workers. These are the people who do the work to collect, process, and transport blood and blood products. They see and know the donors and know they are doing important work, but they don't get to see the results of their efforts very often. They don't get to see and know the patients. So I stood up and told them how much they are appreciated and how much patients like me depend on them being there as much as we depend on the donors. They were pleased and maybe a little surprised to get such recognition. If you find yourself in contact with any of these wonderful people over the holidays, be sure to give them an extra thank you from all of us.

Happy holidays!
Ruth
__________________
Diagnosed AA 10/96, MDS/RA 6/98, MUD/BMT 10/6/98
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old Thu Dec 16, 2010, 06:55 PM
Lori Patrick Lori Patrick is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Posts: 166
Thank you all for your comments. Amen. Until October I had no idea there were so many people who needed blood.

Lori
__________________
Lori, female age 53 dx MDS-RAEB-II 15% blasts 10-2010. Induc Chemo 10/14/10 for 7 days - results unacceptable so 5 additional days chemo. Complete Remission 12/10/10!! SCT 1-11-11 remission achieved!!! BMB 1-29-11 100% Donor! cgvh eyes,skin (Caringbridge.org/visit/loripatrick)
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old Thu Dec 16, 2010, 07:23 PM
triumphe64 triumphe64 is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Dallas, Texas
Posts: 455
I last gave blood on December 30, 2004. When I went the next March to give again, I was told my Hg was 7.8 and I needed blood. Thus began the long journey.
__________________
Dallas, Texas - Age 81 - Pure Red Cell Aplasia began March 2005 - Tried IVIG - Then cyclosporine and prednisone. Then Danazol, was added. Then only Danazol . HG reached 16.3 March 2015. Taken off all meds. Facebook PRCA group https://www.facebook.com/groups/PureRedCellAplasia/
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old Sat Feb 19, 2011, 02:21 PM
Lisa0418 Lisa0418 is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 1
Donating platelets this coming Monday and just wanted to say to you all that I'm honored to be able to do it. We're all just a part of the process and the blessing comes to all!
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old Mon Jul 25, 2011, 09:48 PM
Reneesctmiller Reneesctmiller is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Clermont, FL
Posts: 8
Cheri, what a great way to say thank you! Prior to my husband becoming ill, he was a huge advocate for blood donations - he organized blood drives at the school he was teaching at and donated as frequently as possible. So it was a big surprise when he became transfusion dependant and has needed the donation of so many! We can not express our appreciation enough, so when our church, friends and people ask what they can do to help - we always ask for them to donate blood as often as possible!
__________________
Renee, wife of Brian age 44; dx Prca 2009 & possibly CLL, w/iron overload; treated with prednisone, cyclosporine, rituxan/cytoxan, Exjade & Desferal; spleen removed ‘10; currently transfusion dependant w/iron overload; on Exjade & pending next step in treatment. Patient at Mayo Clinic, Jax, FL.
Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Vitamin K-2 lfeinsmith MDS 42 Tue Nov 29, 2016 07:04 PM


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 07:36 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Forum sites may contain non-authoritative and unverified information.
Medical decisions should be made in consultation with qualified medical professionals.
Site contents exclusive of member posts Copyright © 2006-2020 Marrowforums.org