Thursday, July 15, 2010

Have Crohn's? No Donating Blood in Canada

Last Wednesday I did something that took me years to work up the courage to do. I went to the Canadian Blood Services clinic to donate blood. I figured that after a PICC Line and an NG Tube, I could handle this no problem. After filling out the paper work and getting my finger pricked to test my iron levels I was denied based on having slightly low iron. However, the nurse still brings you into a private interview room to explain how to get your iron levels up. During that conversation I discovered that if you are on iron supplements due to your doctor's orders, they won't take your blood because they don't want to counteract what your doctor is doing (building up your blood levels).

Then when I mentioned that the iron supplements were related to my Crohn's disease, she then looked up Crohn's in her binder and discovered that people with Crohn's are 'indefinitely" barred from donating because it would be a danger to the individual. If you had a flare-up or intestinal bleeding, they don't want you to be weakened by giving blood. Too dangerous.

So, there you have it. Got Crohn's? No donating blood for you - at least not in Canada.

13 comments:

  1. Well there goes MY plans for this weekend! Did you at least get the cookies and juice??

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  2. Nope, no cookies and juice. :( It was arranged through my work so I got to have a casual-dress day at least.
    Plus, now I can stop feeling guilty about not donating!

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  3. I wonder if that's the same in the States. Interestingly enough, I gave blood right before my big flare-up/hospitalization, although I was already feeling "off". I wonder if it exacerbated it slightly....

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    1. It's not. I donated at ComicCon in San Diego last year. Every blood collection agency is different. I will state the "you might need your blood" excuse is a lie. CBS can't screen for Crohn's and since the cause of Crohn's is unknown they don't take the risk of potentially transmitting the disease. I was giving blood safety (as far as I know) for years before I was diagnosed with Crohn's despite definitely having it long before symptoms presented.
      CBS just wants to cover itself. It's not for your safety it's for theirs. I just wish they'd be honest about it.

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  4. That's a good question. I'd be interested if any other American's have specifically asked their Blood Services people about Crohn's.

    I think the main concern is if you have any internal bleeding... having low blood counts is risky.

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  5. I have Ulcerative Colitis, and with my condition you need to by symptom and medication free for 5 years before you can donate. I find it disheartening because my blood type is A-, which is in short supply right now. I wish I could have helped.

    RED

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  6. I am currently living in Israel where if you have Crohns and want to donate they basically smile at you and say "No, but stay healthy!" As far as I can remember, it was the same in the U.S. I think it's partly for our health, partly because of how common it is to take steroids and other medication that affects blood. Aside from that, it seems a major reason is that they are also not sure exactly how Crohns works, and cannot risk that Crohnsie blood could in fact affect the receiving patient. I do know, although haven't tried it yet, that there are Plasma centers that specifically need blood and plasma from Crohns patients to help study and improve diagnostics of our wonderful disease. Some of them even pay!

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  7. Well I can tell you.... I had just started giving plasma at a plasma center. Not only to help others, But I'm on a fixed income. So, the first 2 donations are 50 dollars each time and 25 the following and so on.Well I have Crohns disease. I needed the extra income because I'm disabled do 2 a foot injury I got 2 years ago. So, besides sitting around the house i figured. Make a little extra money while I'm helping people as well. I am a 41 years old and female and have had it for 11 years. I got a blockage once and had surgery about 6 years ago. So every since then I have had no major flares. So, since that was the case I didn't mention it to the plasma center. Well today I was called back to a back office and they said why didn't you tell us you had Crohns disease. Of course I played dumb. Well they told me it was dangerous and they will not accept me anymore. I'm not sure how they found out, the only thing that shows up would be my iron level. So, does anyone have a clue how they might have found out?? I knew if I had told them off the get go they woulnt of taken me. I had donated 3 times before they found out. Like I said it won't show up on a blood panel only iron level.."......If anyone knows how they find out. Please let me know....Thanks

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  8. Ps. I failed to mention I live in the U.S in Alabama.

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  9. Hi Anonymous, it is probably in your medical charts provided by your doctor. I hope they screen all donations. I really don't agree with anyone lying to or withholding information from the people collecting blood or plasma donations. Even if you don't think it makes any difference, telling the truth is very important when making a medical donation like that.

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  10. It's unfair to dictate to people what they should be doing "For their own health." I used to give blood every 60 days up until my Crohn's diagnosis, I am unmedicated and in remission, if collecting my donation causes no risk to recipients they have no business telling me no. This is paramount to telling someone, "Sorry can't take your blood today, you might get hit by a bus and need a blood transfusion" It's my choice to give. Period.

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    1. No it is not your choice and it is not a RIGHT to donate blood. These organizations have the right to deny anyone for any reason. They have the right to protect the people receiving blood and donating blood and the right to try and protect themselves from potential law suits!

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  11. Hello, I was just at the Canadian Blood Mobile arranged through work and thought I would donate blood for the first time. I have a rare and universal blood type and wanted to help out a few friends that have been diagnosed with leukemia. I went throught the same procedure, pricked my finger, went into the private room, filled out a questionnaire and boom! I checked off that I have Crohn's disease and that was an automatic no :( No donating in Canada if you have Crohn's disease.

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