Good post. I give blood 3 or 4 times per year. There is definitley a shortage at this time.

I believe it is better to give (blood) than to receive (blood). Now if I can just stop fainting like a little girl everytime!

Hi John, I am glad you brought up this reminder.  I was going to give platelets right after returning from my vacation to Belize and Guatamala and but they said that I need to be deferred for one year because Belize and Guatamala are considered high risk areas for Malaria.   I am also on the registry as a bone marrow donor--suppose that would be deferred also.

Good for you Leslie. They now have some very strict guidelines for donating. Some seem a little over the top, but I'm sure they have good reason. There are many ways to donate, lately I've been doing a procedure called "apheresis" which in a nutshell, takes the parts of your blood that is needed and then returns the rest to your body mixed with a saline solution. By doing it this way, instead of helping 2-3 people, you end up helping 4-6. It does take a little longer(around 25 mins for me) but the end result can be used by all types.