Does anybody know if I will ever be able to resume being a blood donor now that I have had breast cancer? I have previously made 63 donations and was aiming for my 75th donation milestone before my breast cancer diagnosis put paid to my plans this year. I have had my op, my lymph nodes were clear, chemo over with now and start 3 weeks of radiotherapy next week. I will be on herceptin until next September 2012.
I know that this sounds silly, but being told that I can not donate blood really upset me. The BTS sent me a certificate thanking me for my 63 donations, and now, when I visit the MacMillan unit and see some folks receiving 3 units of blood at a time, it makes me so proud that I was able to help people such as these. I would love to be able to resume being a blood donor and make it to my 75th, if not, my 100th donation.
Does any one know if I will ever be able to achieve my ambition?
Hi,
that was a wonderful thing to do and way beyond what most people do. I was led to believe that the only thing we can ever donate now is our corneas sadly.Still worth checking though.
Lily
Due to the slight possibility of micromets in the bloodstream, all we can donate is our corneas.
I’m an ex blood donor; I had to have blood transfusions during chemo and I felt quite good about that, a rosy glow knowing that I was getting back what I had given.
I’m unhappy that I cannot donate organs after my death any more.
If we are in a sudden, violent accident, how would they know who has had cancer? The norm is going to be to opt out of donation, rather than the old ‘oft in’ system.
I was a blood donnor before BC. I was close to my 50th donation. I have been told by the blood donnor service that I can never donate again.
Like you I felt upset about this, but cancer changes so much about our lives this is just one more little thing. I know I would have got to the 50th if I hadn’t got BC.
I feel proud to have been a donnor and you should too.
You have done a fantastic thing in donating so much of your blood. However it will never be possible for you to do it again because of the unknown nature of cancer. It would be so awful if you who had helped save lives would then put people at risk of micro metatastic breast cancer. I had a haemophiliac friend who developed aids because of blood products and died a year later. So the Blood Transfusion Service are rightly protecting everyone by having protocols re who can and cannot donate.
It is hard but as a selfless person you are benefiting others now by not donating. You can however donate your cornea.
It is hard not to be able to donate again, but we can still leave our bodies to science and it could be worth lookiNg into that - also cornea donation can help to prevent blindness for someone else and I thin that is an amazing gift to leave. Personally I was told I could not ever donate blood again before bc - because I had a transfusion (following childbirth) in the late 80s. Blood given then was at risk of CJD and anyone who had received it is apparently unable to donate further blood. But I think all these rules are good as I would not wish again to receive blood if it was in any way potentially unsafe. Mo
Mazalou
I know what you mean about feeling sad not being able to donate again.I got a request through the day after I was diagnosed with BC and when I phoned them up to say I couldn’t do it any more the lovely bloke on the other end of the phone told me about his mum being diagnosed last year and he went with her for her treatment and that she was well on the way to recovery .He wished me well,
I’d given 57 donations and got a lovely letter and certificate from the Service.It’s the only time I’ve cried over my diagnosis so far and that was because I couldn’t donate any more.Just have to think of what good I might have done in the past and will concentrate on ‘my time’ now
Carole
I also cried when I received my letter and certificate from the BTS for the very same reasons. I would have given 2 more by now and that would have made it 65 donations.
As I said, just seeing people sitting there receiving blood whilst I’ve been in the MacMillan unit makes me proud to have been a blood donor. Without donors like us Carole they wouldn’t be sitting in the unit receiving their life-saving treatment. Every time I see a blood pack labelled A+ I feel a deep sense of pride to think that I could have donated that blood before my diagnosis.
All we can do now is to urge others to take our place and become new blood donors.
It’s just one more unexpected loss that BC brings I had to accept long ago that my blood was rarely dense enough for that test drop to sink, I’m just not good at growing blood, even with iron tablets, but I hope I give in other ways. SO impressed by you mega-donors; THANK-YOU.
Ninja asked, “If we are in a sudden, violent accident, how would they know who has had cancer?”
Er, well I think one look at my chest might give the game away: As far as I know it’s the only reason they do mastectomies. Whereas they would have no idea, without checking my records, whether I had been given blood in the past. This whole idea of assuming that everyone could donate, needs looking at again IMO.
Meantime like Mazzalou says, we can at least encourage others to fill our places; Loads of people don’t know for instance that chemo can leave you needing blood, that’s a message we need to get out there. Ask for a “pint” for Christmas!
Also many people who donate will already have cancer beore they are diagnosed… If you gave blood then three weeks later were diagnosed somebody will already have recieved the ‘dodgy’ blood.
I always hate the blood donor adverts as they totally lay a guilt trip on you… I have tried to give blood for many years after fainting the first time age 18 but wasnt allowed to do it cos been in south africa on holidays and then had piercinfs,then a tattoo, then was apparently underweight (only on their scales!) then had needlestick then 5 years ago had cancer so now unable to give… The adverts on the radio always made me feel bad
Well done all you ladies with such huge donations.
Hi, I was a blood donor, but hadn’t donated for a while due to pregnancy, so am not worried that someone got dodgy blood from me. But the other reason couldn’t give blood anymore was because I had to have a blood transfusion after my second baby. Could I have received dodgy blood? I may be really thick here ( not for the first time) but is it screened? I developed a 19mm er- her2+ cancer which I found 29 months after the transfusion. I know we might all be looking for reasons why our cancers started, but I never considered mine could have been related to a tranfusion. Please someone correct me if infact this is impossible. ( am seeing onc tomo so could be an interesting conversation).
Am hating the latest blood drive feel v guilty and am emotionally blackmailing oh into donating even though he has is scared of needles.
I was a blood donor pre breast cancer. I e-mailed them about a year ago and they confirmed you cannot donate blood after a cancer diagnosis, as one of the ways cancer can spread is through the blood. This ban applies to all cancers. I was on 98 donations pre diagnosis.
Wow, Marion - you almost made it to your 100th, but a wonderful achievement nonetheless.
They are finding out more and more about cancer all the time, so, who knows, maybe they will be able to pin down certain factors that may allow us to donate again in the future.
As for trying to find a reason why our cancers started - it is not worth giving yourself a headache over as we may never, ever know the reason. Half the time do we ever know what we are putting into our bodies in terms of chemicals in toileteries, cleaning products, mobile phone usage, foods grown with chemicals, the atmosphere etc etc?
We must just be thankful that we have discovered our breast cancer and that they can do something about it. Hopefully, in most cases it can be removed. It is one of the most widely researched and funded cancers and so much more is known about it today.
Much better to know you have it and be able to do something about it than not.
Well done Marian on so many donations - that really is fantastic.
I too was disappointed that I was no longer to donate blood after diagnosis although of course I fully appreciate the reasons and the need for caution.
I used to opportunity to spread the word amongst friends, family, colleagues etc. about the life-saving work done by the National Blood Service and encouraged other people to become donors.
I was told I can never give blood again, having donated since I was in my early 20s. Pints of the stuff, emptied my body several times. I like the feeling it gives me physically, as the blood renews (like our ancestors had a bleed for health) and will miss it very much.
I had to accept long ago that my blood was rarely dense enough for that test drop to sink, I’m just not good at growing blood, even with iron tablets, but I hope I give in other ways. SO impressed by you mega-donors; THANK-YOU.