[lettie]

Been a regular blood donor over the years I'm not aware of the age limit but if you have had a baby or an operation in the last 12 months you are not permitted to give blood. The sad thing is that we are desperate for donors. We have recently been told that we must only give transfusions when absolutely necessary, because of the shortage nationally of donated blood. For example, if a woman has a massive heamorrhage in childbirth causing her to go into shock, we can replace that blood, if however a lady haemorrhages and we can stabilise her without blood then we don't transfuse. The lady who doesn't get the transfusion may be quite anaemic, feel weakened, tired and breathless but may not be transfused unless her symptoms of anaemia are extreme. This lady will be given iron tablets and her body will make up the extra heamoglobin eventually, but this may take a few months, bear in mind she has a new baby to look after. After a transfusion most of our women feel back to normal within 2 days, so it does make a big difference.
Bone marrow is a different kettle of fish. The sad thing about people on the bone marrow list is that there are so many with the same type of blood group, lots more women than men, and the people with rarer blood groups, who tend to be the ones that the service are more desperate for just aren't there.
All I can say is that if you know you have a rare blood group or certain antibodies in your blood. If you are O Negative (universal donor, this blood can be given to anyone in an emergency) Then get over your fears and get donating. You have my assurance that it doesn't hurt. I do it, and I'm not known for doing pain. You never know, you just might save a life.