Giving blood | Down's Syndrome Association

Giving blood

I give blood a lot. Here are my tips for when you give blood.

	You have to drink lots of fluids throughout the day and eat regular meals.
	You can find it out where the venue is on the NHS Give Blood website: http://www.blood.co.uk. You have to book before you go.
	They will give you a seat, wait until you are called. They give you a leaflet which explains the importance of blood safety and what will happen.
	The nurse brings you a chair and talks to you. You tell them your date of birth and your address. They make sure you drink a pint of water before donation.
	They will call your name and help you on the chair. They make sure you are OK, they clean the arm.
	A blood pressure cuff will be placed on your arm they are friendly people and will keep checking.
	They will find a vein and say “small scratch” and they put the needle in. When the needle is in it does not hurt. They will ask you to move your hand to keep the blood flow.
	You will hear bleeping noise. It takes between 5 and 10 minutes and you can ask for assistance if you need it. Remember your body replaces the blood you give away so it won’t hurt you.
	Once it has finished they take the needle out and advise you leave the pressure roll on for 30 minutes and the plaster dressing on for 6 hours.
	Afterwards they will give you a drink and a biscuit and a rest. When you are ready you can go home. I give blood a lot. They give my blood to the people that need it.
	My blood is used to help people that need it more especially in accidents.
	I think everyone should give blood. You can save lives today.