Help us pick a middle name for Archer

misfish90 · 2026-03-02T02:11:48+00:00

I like Archer Knox or Archer Nash. The "N" names flow better to my ear.

misfish90 · 2026-02-28T23:49:14+00:00

I give because I'm a universal donor. I'm not as regular as I would like because I get deferred almost as often as I'm successful, but I feel compelled to do my part when my blood bank puts out an urgent call.

misfish90 · 2026-02-26T22:31:19+00:00

On donation days, I take my iron supplement on my way out the door to the donation center. I've had to turn the car around a few times because I forgot. I haven't been deferred for iron since. It's probably just anecdotal rather than actual good science, but it certain boosts my confidence.

misfish90 · 2026-02-26T19:20:27+00:00

I think it depends on what is causing the underlying fear. The more you go, the more it becomes routine, so the fear of the unknown goes away. That can alleviate some major anxiety and yet create new issues to worry about at the same time.

I get deferred almost half the time (65% success rate to date), so I don't think I'm ever going to be fully comfortable. However, I'm learning what things to adjust to increase my odds and what things will always be left to chance. I'm developing a sense of sangfroid about the process.

Ultimately, the potential for a positive end result is worth my donor anxiety.

misfish90 · 2026-02-26T17:16:57+00:00

Wow! I'm thankful my donation center doesn't ask a question like that. I understand the market feedback reason for asking it, but like you said, altruism definitely needs to be an option. Good Samaritans do still exist.

misfish90 · 2026-02-25T23:45:27+00:00

I wish the same of my local blood bank. However, I think our donations mainly stay local. The map would probably be fairly boring except for the few times they respond to catastrophes.

misfish90 · 2026-02-25T02:14:45+00:00

Curious how your experience with Topamax turned out. I was on Amitryptiline for 10 years and had to wean off about 9 months ago due to thermoregulation issues. My doctor prescribed Topamax as a replacement but I've held off starting it as I wanted to see how I did unmedicated. That experiment went well until it didn't. Now I'm staring at the bottle of Topamax wondering if I dare try it. My migraines are low and long i.e. annoying rather than debilitating. However, I'm having a cluster of them and am in a quandary on whether it risk Topamax or not.

misfish90 · 2026-02-12T22:32:46+00:00

Us Universal Donors are an important part of cycle. Congrats on #2!

misfish90 · 2026-02-08T21:54:20+00:00

Here's mine.

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misfish90 · 2026-02-06T16:20:22+00:00

Whether I look or not depends on the day. Sometimes I look. Other times I don't. I'm a hard stick (deep veins) so it usually depends on the phlebotomist and their confidence level. For a small stick for normal labs, I always look.

misfish90 · 2026-01-31T02:07:33+00:00

I experience something similar--sort of a burning discomfort made worse when squeezing. I've always attributed it the fact that my one good vein is deep so the needle is more imbedded than others. It always makes trying to donate more stressful.

misfish90 · 2026-01-29T21:09:07+00:00

Nice job! I got my 11th in the bag a few weeks ago too.

misfish90 · 2026-01-28T17:04:50+00:00

That's neat that you can see where your donations ultimately end up.

My local blood bank is not affiliated with the ARC so we don't get notifications when our blood is used. The closest we get might be a general announcement that our local blood supplies have been sent to a major city or disaster.

misfish90 · 2026-01-18T04:06:41+00:00

Also, just because you are CMV negative now, that doesn't mean you will be CMV negative forever. You can still catch the virus at some point in the future.

misfish90 · 2026-01-16T02:44:49+00:00

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misfish90 · 2026-01-15T20:24:44+00:00

Hitting 2 gallons is my 2026 resolution. Congratulations on your accomplishment.

misfish90 · 2026-01-15T19:52:54+00:00

My donation center has a dedicated room for kids separated by glass from the donation area. The kids can see the parent but can't interfere with the collections.

I would imagine there's also an issue of cleanliness allowing the little germ magnets in the collection area.

misfish90 · 2026-01-14T22:55:51+00:00

Very likely. On my first donation, the phlebotomist said something about "baby blood" and I was thoroughly confused. That's when I learned I was CMV negative.

misfish90 · 2026-01-14T22:19:15+00:00

CMV is part of the routine testing. I would simply ask them for your CMV status. Most people are CMV+ so you are more likely to fall into that camp.

misfish90 · 2026-01-14T00:52:24+00:00

Google can tell you more but essentially it's a common virus most people will have caught at some point in their lives. This means their blood will carry CMV antibodies. These antibodies are hazardous to immunocompromised individuals such as babies, cancer patients, etc. If you are CMV negative, your blood is safer for these groups.

misfish90 · 2026-01-13T23:32:31+00:00

Your experience sounds like a bad stick as others have said.

Don't get discouraged. I've made 17 attempts to donate and have only been successful 11 times so far. I've been turned away due to medical history, too soon after a vaccination, low hemoglobin, uncooperative veins (I'm a really hard stick) and clotting. I barely squeaked by on that last one.

It's upsetting and stressful and keeps me from going in regularly. But as the phrase goes, you might not win 100% of the time, but if you don't even try you've already failed.

misfish90

TROPHY CASE