Jump to content

Blood Donors


skewsus
 Share

Recommended Posts

I will be doing a blood donation this Wednesday.. I did not go ashore in Honduras, I did go into the city of Belize ( not outside it) and I did go to Nachi in Cozumel as Qunitaroo is a safe area. I am glad that I decided to play it safe not risk it...To all my fellow blood donors.. thank you for what you do...maybe one day we can visit the gorgeous countries that we miss now...My hope is the countries that have malaria will one day be removed from the Black list and get the malaria carrying mosquitoes under control...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

My DH donates all the time and was very sad when he checked if he would be able to donate after our cruise. He just got a call today telling him he could donate on April 27 that will be the last time until June 2012.

 

I want to thank all of you who donate. I would not be here today if it wasn’t for that special person who gave me the gift of life.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

Can't remember if I posted this last year or not, but want to make you aware.

 

If you are a blood donor, be sure to donate before you cruise. You will have to wait a year after your return before you can give again due to malaria issue.

 

I was so happy last year to finally do it. I am O negative and a hot commodity. ;) It really wasn't bad at all and I felt good giving something back to people that I could easily do. I asked when I was leaving how soon I could return but said I was about to cruise so it might be a month or so. They asked me where I was going and told me it would be more like a year before I could come back and noted my record. Oh well.

 

I loved Isla Roatan and our Victor Bodden tour and will go back again one day. Just wanted to make known the blood donation info. If you can give, do it. What if it was your family?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have posted here previously but it got poofed so hopefully this one will stay. I am hoping someone can help me look at things in a different light.

 

I have just gotten off the phone with the American Red Cross. My year is up in October and I called to confirm. I was also told that had I stayed on the ship I would have been fine to give blood again at any time.

 

Can someone please explain this to me? A mosquito can bite you just as well on deck as if I am standing outside beside the ship. The rep who was just there to say her words could not explain this to me when I politely asked. I am trying to understand. I know there is greater malaria risk if I had gone way into the island. I guess I think there should be a uniform policy for the port.

 

There. I have vented. Can someone help me feel better about this?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have posted here previously but it got poofed so hopefully this one will stay. I am hoping someone can help me look at things in a different light.

 

I have just gotten off the phone with the American Red Cross. My year is up in October and I called to confirm. I was also told that had I stayed on the ship I would have been fine to give blood again at any time.

 

Can someone please explain this to me? A mosquito can bite you just as well on deck as if I am standing outside beside the ship. The rep who was just there to say her words could not explain this to me when I politely asked. I am trying to understand. I know there is greater malaria risk if I had gone way into the island. I guess I think there should be a uniform policy for the port.

 

There. I have vented. Can someone help me feel better about this?

 

None of it makes sense! We saw less mosquitoes at our excursion to Mayan ruins in Belize than we typically saw at home in the summer. Nevertheless, I was disqualified for a year.

 

I asked why do you ask for foreign travel within the last three years when you only care about within the last twelve months. Shrug, I don't know.

 

I asked would I have been disqualified if I had spent too much time in the United Kingdom where the concern was mad cow disease from tainted beef when I'm a vegetarian? The answer was "Yes, those are the rules."

 

I could not remember the name of our port in Turkey (some of which disqualifies you, and some does not). I pointed out that I had given 2 months before and was allowed. The port had not changed. It did not matter. The computer could go no further. I called the cruise line's 800 number and got the port's name. But then they needed the name of the province to satisfy the computer. (I think they called the national Red Cross and got someone to figure out the province.)

 

Bottom line---the only explanation is that they have rules, and worship them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

None of it makes sense! We saw less mosquitoes at our excursion to Mayan ruins in Belize than we typically saw at home in the summer.

Actually it makes perfect sense, Remember, Your mosquitoes in NY, while possibly more abundant, DO NOT carry malaria. Donating blood is a good thing and it also makes many feel good about themselves but would you feel just as good if you thought you may be passing on malaria to someone in need?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Actually it makes perfect sense, Remember, Your mosquitoes in NY, while possibly more abundant, DO NOT carry malaria. Donating blood is a good thing and it also makes many feel good about themselves but would you feel just as good if you thought you may be passing on malaria to someone in need?

 

What does not make sense to me is the on the ship or standing outside the ship. Can you explain the rationale on that?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What does not make sense to me is the on the ship or standing outside the ship. Can you explain the rationale on that?

I believe the person that told you it was OK if you stayed on the ship was mistaken about the policy, Of course if its relly something you want to be sure of rather than guessing, you could always speak with a supervisor and ask just what the policy is and have them send you a copy of it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I believe the person that told you it was OK if you stayed on the ship was mistaken about the policy, Of course if its relly something you want to be sure of rather than guessing, you could always speak with a supervisor and ask just what the policy is and have them send you a copy of it.

 

She supposedly was a supervisor but who knows. Good idea to request policy in writing. Surely there is one. I may just do that. If I get results, I will report back.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
I have posted here previously but it got poofed so hopefully this one will stay. I am hoping someone can help me look at things in a different light.

 

I have just gotten off the phone with the American Red Cross. My year is up in October and I called to confirm. I was also told that had I stayed on the ship I would have been fine to give blood again at any time.

 

Can someone please explain this to me? A mosquito can bite you just as well on deck as if I am standing outside beside the ship. The rep who was just there to say her words could not explain this to me when I politely asked. I am trying to understand. I know there is greater malaria risk if I had gone way into the island. I guess I think there should be a uniform policy for the port.

 

There. I have vented. Can someone help me feel better about this?

 

I am a former blood bank supervisor and RN. I posted this opinion on another thread:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=30920968&postcount=25

 

The official best answer I heard at a conference in Orlando a couple of years ago was that it isn't the one single mosquito that is the concern, it's the multiple bites that can occur during a visit to an area that is "endemic" with Malaria. Multiple bites innoculate the unwilling victim and can cause them to develop the disease when often one single bite won't.

 

The problem is that people have poor memories, and even sometimes will lie just to get a free T-shirt. In order to prevent these events from causing even one unsafe unit from getting into the blood supply, the rules of the CDC and FDA are interpreted very strictly by the blood banks. One contaminated unit can close down a blood center and quickly erode public confidence. Your desire to donate is very commendable. Thanks for your dedication. I now work in a local ICU-transfusing blood products daily. I see the results of your donation and on behalf of my patients-I thank you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

None of it makes sense! We saw less mosquitoes at our excursion to Mayan ruins in Belize than we typically saw at home in the summer. Nevertheless, I was disqualified for a year.

 

Alas-the mosquitoes in the USA don't have malaria, but the ones in Belize can. It's not the mosquito, it's the malaria they carry.

 

I asked why do you ask for foreign travel within the last three years when you only care about within the last twelve months. Shrug, I don't know.

It triggers a question about whether you were a resident or a visitor. A resident of a malaria risk area can carry the disease and not have symptoms because of resistance they have built up due to multiple exposures over time. A brief visitor will show symptoms of malaria in less than a year. No symptoms after a year, you're ok to donate.

 

I asked would I have been disqualified if I had spent too much time in the United Kingdom where the concern was mad cow disease from tainted beef when I'm a vegetarian? The answer was "Yes, those are the rules."

 

Some blood banks will take strict vegans if they will assert they have never consumed meet products while in the UK. Every blood bank interpretes the CDC rules differently. At the blood center I worked at, we would accept the donations from vegans.

 

I could not remember the name of our port in Turkey (some of which disqualifies you, and some does not). I pointed out that I had given 2 months before and was allowed. The port had not changed. It did not matter. The computer could go no further. I called the cruise line's 800 number and got the port's name. But then they needed the name of the province to satisfy the computer. (I think they called the national Red Cross and got someone to figure out the province.)

 

The documentation rules the CDC imposes are strict and require the Country, Province and the City. Documenting your answers proves the question was asked by the person interviewing you.

 

Bottom line---the only explanation is that they have rules, and worship them.

 

I'm a former blood center supervisor and a RN-hopefully I can answer a couple of your questions:

Sounds like the blood center you went to wasn't very good at training their staff to answer your very reasonable questions. I tried to answer your questions above. Hope this helps. Thanks for your desire to donate! My current patient's survival depends on generous donors like you. Thank you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...
  • 4 weeks later...

I was looking at old post I had made tonight and saw this one.

 

Please remember to donate before going to any place listed. Normal people like me need blood regularly to surrvive. I can't stock pile for myself, it would defeat the purpose, possibly kill me.

 

I so much appreciate the generosity of so many who donate blood.

 

Blood is not just need for emergencies or surgery....some need it routinely.

 

Thank you again to all that give life saving blood.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was looking at old post I had made tonight and saw this one.

 

Please remember to donate before going to any place listed. Normal people like me need blood regularly to surrvive. I can't stock pile for myself, it would defeat the purpose, possibly kill me.

 

I so much appreciate the generosity of so many who donate blood.

 

Blood is not just need for emergencies or surgery....some need it routinely.

 

Thank you again to all that give life saving blood.

This is not the place IMHO for such posts, I have given gallons over the years but since taking up travel I can no longer give, Perhaps you should push the blood banks to better screen donors or come up with better testing so those like myself can continue to donate, its not like they take peoples word for it that the blood is free of hepatitus, aids, etc...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 months later...

Blood Donors Beware – Cozumel and vicinity is a CDC designated malaria risk area

I recently (9-16-12) returned from a port call in Cozumel and tried to donate blood and was told I can’t donate for one year because Cozumel has been identified by the CDC as a malaria risk area. As a universal donor I’m quite upset since I regularly donate to Children’s Hospital. My wife who is a Red Cross donor has also been deferred for one year.

I think cruise lines need to be responsible for alerting passengers to these risks. Upon further research on the CDC website I found Dominican Republic and other Central American and Caribbean areas are also risk areas.

DONORS SHOULD CHECK the CDC website, search malaria, before traveling if you want to preserve your donor status.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...

I went to Dominican Republic last January so I haven't been able to donate blood for almost a whole year. I leave February 1st next year for my next cruise to other countries (like Cozumel & Roatan) who are on the list. I have a time frame of about 2-3 days that I will be able to donate in January before I leave on my next cruise. I have traveled extensively and had never been to a country that was on the list of malaria countries until this past year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Some travelers get vaccinations for things like Hep a and Hep b typhiob and others, Some take anti malarials, This is really not something I would be asking on a public anonymous internet forum if i or my family should or shouldn't do, I would suggest talking things over with a medical professional knowledgable in travel medicine and or at least take some time and read what the CDC and Canada Health or other first world agencies have to say

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm thankful that this was stickied as I had forgotten about this. I'll be sure and donate before my upcoming cruise. Slightly disappointing as I was scheduled to reach the 5 gallon mark later this year. However, I'm glad that they take these necessary precautions. I'd hate to find out I made someone ill with tainted blood.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...