Bad experience donating blood

[teachermom2834]

and I feel like the phlebotomist was not good. Wondering about my experience.

I have never donated before but dh does regularly and we have regular drives at church. I finally signed up to do it yesterday. It was at a mobile lab in our church parking lot. Dh and I rode together but they were running really behind. We happened to show up for the appointment after a good friend of mine so dh left to take my dd to an activity and I stayed to donate and my friend was going to wait for me and take me home. 
 

So I got all set up when donated and it was fine. When I was done the woman popped a band aid and a compression wrap on my arm and sent me on my way. Told me to grab a T-shirt and snack on my way out but no further direction. My friend was waiting for me so I grabbed stuff and headed to her car. When I sat down in her car I felt a “whoosh” down my arm and my hand sticking out the bottom of my sweater was was covered with blood. I got up to head back in to the lab. I had blood all down my sweater sleeve and on my T-shirt and jeans. I must have looked like I’d been stabbed.  I know blood can look like more than it really is but it was quite a scene. 
 

So the woman working sat me back down and applied pressure and an ice pack and I sat there about 15-20 minutes before I left again and I was fine (besides a really nasty bruise). 
 

I feel like maybe some protocols weren’t followed. Is it normal to just leave immediately without staying for a few minutes to make sure you are not lightheaded or anything? Also, there was a sign in the lab (that I noticed on my second attempt at clotting) that said. “You must apply ice to all first time donors”. That definitely didn’t happen. Kind of ironic- the people before me all got stickers that said “I donated blood” and it was explained they were to wear them in case anything happened that anyone treating them would know the situation. Well, I realized later they never gave me that sticker. So if I had passed out driving or something it would look like I had been attacked or shot. 
 

When I got back to my friend’s car I told her I was glad I didn’t get it on her car and she pulled out a big plastic bag full of probably 50 bloody wipes and she described a major cleanup she had done when I went back in the lab. 
 

I’m not traumatized or anything but I am very glad I hadn’t driven myself there and I had a friend with me. I’m just kind of wondering if I was mishandled and things were done incorrectly. I definitely wouldn’t want to go back to this company/mobile lab. The whole setup felt unprofessional even before my bleeding experience. But I wouldn’t rule out trying to donate again in a different setting. 
 

Thoughts from those with experience? How common is my experience and should my phlebotomist been more careful?

[lauraw4321]

I’ve given blood a lot. Usually when you are done they first have you apply pressure and hold your arm above your head while they finish up with the blood. Then they apply a bandaid and a pressure wrap. Since I’m a regular giver they dont ask about whether I’m woozy, but that is normal to ask before having a person stand up. 
 

They then want me to stay and eat a snack. I think the real purpose of the snack is that it makes you stay there for a few more minutes to make sure nothing like that happens. 
 

I’ve never had ice applied to me after donating. I’m sorry you had a bad experience. It is always more pleasant in the permanent building than the blood mobile. 

[Terabith]

I donate regularly.  Nobody has ever applied ice, or forced me to wear a "I donated" sticker, but they do have me hold my arm above my head for a few minutes and apply pressure before doing the pressure wrapping.  They do usually suggest that you sit down for like 10-15 minutes at the canteen afterwards, but nobody has ever forced it.  

 

[vonfirmath]

4 minutes ago, Terabith said:

I donate regularly.  Nobody has ever applied ice, or forced me to wear a "I donated" sticker, but they do have me hold my arm above my head for a few minutes and apply pressure before doing the pressure wrapping.  They do usually suggest that you sit down for like 10-15 minutes at the canteen afterwards, but nobody has ever forced it.  

 

The only time they "forced it" for me was the time I evidently turned white. They didn't want me to leave until my color returned. No ice. They do encourage a snack. But not required.

Edited November 24, 2021 by vonfirmath

[Granny_Weatherwax]

I am so sorry you had such a bad experience. That doesn't sound at all like anything I have ever seen at a brick and mortar donation site. I have never donated at a mobile site.

I, too, am a regular donor. I've never had ice offered nor have I ever seen ice offered to anyone else at the donation center. I am there a while since I donate platelets (takes 2.5 hours from check in to check out) so I see a lot of whole blood donors coming and going. Most donors are directed to sit and hold gauze over the needle site for a few minutes, some hold their arms up, all are offered a snack and asked to wait at least 5 minutes in the canteen. I have never been directed to wear a sticker to alert others to my donation for health purposes. Honestly, I thought those were more for promotion of donations than a safety feature; kind of like the 'I voted' stickers we receive after voting.

I think you fell through the cracks. If they were booked solid and backed up, the phlebotomist might simply have forgotten to go through all of the steps with you. It's a shame it happened.

Thank you for donating, though. I do hope you'll consider donating again (at a brick and mortar site) in the future.

Also, check the donation center website for educational materials and information. You can get a feel for the organization and how well they treat their donors by looking through their FB page.🅰️ 🆎 🅱️🅾️
 

[Acorn]

I have never had ice or stickers before. They encourage a drink and snack before leaving so I imagine that’s about 10 minutes of sitting before leaving. I’m thankful you donated today and wish you felt better about the experience. 

[SKL]

It's been a long time since I donated.  They always made me stay a while after and eat and drink something.  Now I'm wondering whether that changed with Covid - maybe they don't want people hanging around as long.

I had one time I was in a hurry to leave, and I all but passed out.  After that, I would only give blood if I had plenty of time to hang around after.

They always applied pressure to the puncture area and made me hold it up and press for some time period.  I have never had any bleeding to speak of after giving blood.

I'm scheduled to give on Friday, so I'll see how things have changed since my last donation.

[teachermom2834]

As unpleasant as it was, it wasn’t a huge deal and I would consider donating again. But I think I would plan to hang around or go with someone. I wasn’t in pain and I knew the bleeding would stop and I’d be fine. The worst part was bleeding all over my friend’s new car. It was more embarrassing than anything else. I didn’t really like walking back into the rv where other people we’re hooked up or about to be with blood all over me. Haha. Pretty awkward! 
 

If I do it again I’ll go to a permanent location and tell the person what happened this time and then be proactive about making sure I feel ready to go. I’m glad I wasn’t driving when all that happened. That would have been alarming. But now I would know to take my time. 

[staceyobu]

Have you had blood work done recently? This makes me wonder if you could possibly have low platelets. I’ve never seen ice applied post blood donation, and I would think it unnecessary. What happened to you is unusual. The tight wrap is usually plenty of pressure to stop bleeding. 

[teachermom2834]

Just now, staceyobu said:

Have you had blood work done recently? This makes me wonder if you could possibly have low platelets. I’ve never seen ice applied post blood donation, and I would think it unnecessary. What happened to you is unusual. The tight wrap is usually plenty of pressure to stop bleeding. 

I do have a doctors appointment next month and I’ll have blood work done. I thought of that too.

[Terabith]

I will also say that I do feel like the quality of phlebotomists has dropped a LOT since pandemic. My husband commented that he feels like we’re on fifth string folks.  Which is fine; I would rather the good ones were in hospitals. 

[kbutton]

I have never bled excessively, but I have had some bad experiences. I have amazing veins but have been told they hit a valve, etc. when they have trouble getting enough blood. “Real” phlebotomists don’t hold particularly high opinions of the blood bank folks and told me there is zero reason for me to have trouble donating. I once had one  blood bank employee notice that if she touched the needle, it would vibrate in my arm, so she kept doing it and pointing it out while also telling me I was clotting too soon, and they might not get a full pint (which means they would throw it away). I left with a bruise the diameter of a softball, and that is the last time so donated. Prior to that, I had also had the problem of coagulating too soon, and it’s not like I can help it, but it seems to annoy them. It always took forever for the blood to fill the bag—I had low pressure at that point in time, which might be why.

I gave at at least two different sites in different states. It seems to be an occupational hazard to blame everything on donors if it’s not perfect.

DH is an in demand type, and he finally quit because he couldn’t find a place to go that didn’t take around two hours every single time, and he was often the only person there! That’s just a lot of inefficiency and puttering around.

[Soror]

Dh is a frequent giver (8 gallons at this point) and I give sporadically (I tend towards low iron). We've never seen anyone use ice after a blood draw. They do always encourage people to sit and wait 15 minutes and have a snack, however, they don't police you and force you to stay.  I think they usually have stickers but not always. 

After finishing donating they put the gauze on and have you hold your arm up for awhile, then they bandage it and send you to snacks. I've never had a bad experience giving but I've seen big dudes pass out while giving and afterwards I take it easy when I get up and sit for a bit for a snack. I'd rather not pass out in front of people. 

As far as workers dh has had good experiences, he nearly always sees the same people working even though he goes to different locations. 

Also, fwiw, the last time I gave they told me there was new protocol and because I was under 125 they were going to take less blood so it wouldn't be so hard on me. I can't find that info now but that is what they said.

 

[Lanny]

OP my first blood donation was when I was at work in Texas. Mobile unit came,  but they did it inside the facility. For me it was a bad experience, but nothing like what you described.

After that, I gave blood a number of times, in Texas and after I moved to Colombia. I always went to a Blood Bank or a hospital to do that. I never had a problem.  When I saw mobile units, I just avoided them. I'm too old to donate blood now.

Please try it again, but in a Blood Bank or in the Blood Bank of a hospital. Thank you for giving!   Only a tiny percentage of the people who are eligible to donate blood actually donate.

 

[Pippen]

I'm not able to donate, but my heartfelt gratitude to all of you who do.  ❤️   If it weren't for blood donors--and a stem cell donor--we'd be missing a young adult at our Thanksgiving table. 

[vonfirmath]

I appreciate this post because it reminded me I was eligible to donate again. Unfortunately, now I'm wrestling with the website to sign up :(

[SKL]

Just finished my blood donation, and this was my experience after the blood was drawn:

• Folded piece of gauze placed over the puncture wound, and I was told to apply pressure and hold it up for some time period, seemed like more than a minute.
• Told to lower my arm and continue to apply pressure, seemed at least another minute.
• There was no blood seeping, but they put on more gauze and taped it.
• They wrapped a red piece of gauze around the whole thing, with instructions to keep that on for an hour.  I'm guessing that is a sign to any first responders etc. that I just gave blood, in case of emergency.
• The worker pointed out the snack/beverage table.  I was not told that I have to sit and stay a while, but the handout they gave me does recommend staying for 15 minutes and what to do if this or that occurs.
  • It is possible they didn't give me instructions about the snacks/beverages because I've donated before, and should probably know these things.

[happi duck]

The first time I gave blood I passed out afterwards.  I woke up on the ground with the blood lady over me saying "I told you to tell me if you were feeling bad!"