I am sick of

[I_UndergroundPanther]

People who claim to have had corona before and some say they got it twice,and you know they are bullshit.

But they keep play acting like thier immune system is so special while they got like 3 or 4 risk factors that you know would have complicated the situation if they really caught covid...

What irritates me the most is unvaxxed that tell lies about being unfazed by multiple infections and wont get tested I want to slap them silly or worse.

[canetoad]

1. So am I

It kinda defeats the idealogical purpose to keep shifting the severity of the condition depending on your own personal status.

[CentralMass]

2. Statistically speaking, it is possible.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

3. Might be possible

But I think its more
likely they are lying.

[llmart]

7. +1000

I have an anti-vax nutjob of a niece who has been spouting her crap for years. She got Covid and now is going around bragging about how because she's so healthy and goes to a "nontraditional holistic physician" (whatever that is) it proves she has an extremely strong immune system. To which I replied, "if your immune system is so strong, then why did you get Covid?"

I got no response.

[ARPad95]

9. Tell her there's such a thing as an overly robust immune system.

It's called autoimmunity and women have a higher risk of suffering from autoimmune disorders due to genetics, hormones or who-knows-what.

https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-Autoimmunity.aspx

Good luck to her and her overly robust confidence level!

[totodeinhere]

19. The current strains of Covid are so transmissible that merely having a strong

immune system may not be enough to prevent an infection.

[Ms. Toad]

20. I know people who have had it twice. n/t

[Mr.Bill]

25. My stepdaughter has had it twice.

She is an RN at a hospital and has a high exposure factor. Both times she had nasty symptoms, but stayed home and took care of it there.

[ARPad95]

4. They have "pure blood" if you want to know their secret. /sarcasm

They actually come on the American Red Cross Blood Donors FB page to announce:

1. They will never accept blood from a vaccinated blood donor because it's tainted, toxic, unclean, inferior etc. and demand the American Red Cross separate the unvaccinated blood from the bad blood;

2. They refuse to donate their own supposedly "pure blood" because they'd be required to wear a mask at the donation centers/sites.

In other words, they do not give a damn about patients who are in desperate need of blood transfusions and never intended to donate in the first place. I guarantee you the majority of them wouldn't even get through the eligibility requirements and screening process. Pure blood, my arse!

[ShazzieB]

5. Wow. That's just...I have no words.

I knew they were bonkers, but God almighty, that is unbelievably messed up.

I understand wanting to feel special, but using something like this to do it is beyond pathetic.

[ARPad95]

10. "I understand wanting to feel special"

Feeling special is a normal human need. They want everyone to know they're superior (i.e., Aryan race bullcrap level). Thank goodness they get laughing emoji reactions and "you're ridiculous" type responses to their posts.

[brewens]

8. I've had a lot of people tell me they would donate if the blood was given to hospitals for free.

I'm retired from a blood center. Usually, those people are full of shit. I've explained numerous times we had to charge for the blood because it's all paid staff with expensive equipment and facilities making it happen. Two people I have explained that to seemed to get it, then sometime down the road, they say the same freakin' thing! It's like talking to a wall. I learned to just blow them off when I hear that and not waste my time.

The last one I remember was a fat middle aged lady smoking a cigarette outside a hospital. I never even said anything to her. I was coming out of the building I was registering donors in to get some paperwork off the bus. She just had to let me know she was on to our little scam. LOL Not a chance in hell she would have passed the mini-physical.

[ARPad95]

11. Yes, that's an oft-repeated sentiment on the ARC Blood Donors FB page, too.

Last edited Sun Jan 23, 2022, 03:52 PM - Edit history (1)

If it's not their blood because they refuse to donate for [insert selfish reasons], why do they even care? And if they end up in the hospital needing a blood transfusion*, you'd think they'd pay whatever the cost if it meant the difference between living or dying.

*Only if the blood is from an unvaccinated "pure blood" donor. If not, then they'll sue the hospital for giving them tainted blood!

[brewens]

12. I've donated (mostly platelets) around 230 times. That's around 650 units of platelets, because they

usually get three units a pop out of me. I'd just as soon they pass on my fully vaccinated and boosted units. Let deserving people that don't drag down our gene pool have it.

[ARPad95]

13. Wow! You rock!

Are you blood type AB Rh+ blood type, the universal platelets donor? Platelets have such a short shelf-life so they're always in high demand.

I'm O Rh-, the universal (whole) blood donor. Whole blood donors can donate 1 unit a maximum of 6 times per year (every 56 days) or 2 units (Power Red donors) a maximum of 3 times per year (every 112 days). I'll reach my 3rd gallon before the end of this year.

[brewens]

14. Good going. They don't want your platelets. O- reds are too valuable. I worked there, so a lot

of time if I wasn't out on a mobile, they would let me donate on the clock. They were smart enough to run the numbers on that and know it was well worth having someone scheduled to cover for a couple of us to donate.

[ARPad95]

15. I'm also CMV negative so extra valuable.

It kind of freaks me out that the downside of being the universal blood donor is that I can only receive blood from other O negative (and preferably CMV negative as well) donors. In the late 1980s, I hemorrhaged after giving birth to my 2nd child. They prepped me for surgery instead of transfusion. Fortunately, I was able to (barely) avoid surgery, but didn't understand for a very long time the truly precarious situation I was in.

Is that the same for you if you ever need platelets? You can only receive AB+ platelets?

[brewens]

16. I'm A+. I'm not sure type is that critical for platelets. n/t

[Ms. Toad]

21. Just be aware you may pay for it later.

I've donated around 8 gallons (they lost my record, so I have to count the pins they used to give out at a a gallon, and then multiples since then).

I acquired DVT in my left arm (thoracic outlet syndrome), and was prohibited from donating for several years while. Once I was able to donate, I was told to use my right arm. Then I acquired DVT in my right arm. Once it was cleared I was told I could donate from either arm (which I did for a while). Then I had breast cancer - and can't use my right arm for any bloodwork for the rest of my life because of the risk of lymphedema.

Now I also have a sarcoma, which requires contrast CT scans (medium bore needles). Because of the breast cancer they can only use my left arm. AND - the last few times they have had to stab me multiple times because the scarring in my veins from the large bore donation needles causes them to roll.

I wouldn't change my choices - but you never know what life will throw at you, and how your choices may later impact your life. Keep an eye on scarring - and if the Red Cross (or other collection site) suggests your veins are rolling, or are heavily scarred, it may be time to consider stopping.

[ARPad95]

24. Thank you for sharing your story, Ms. Toad!

Last edited Sat Jan 29, 2022, 02:03 AM - Edit history (1)

It's definitely timely and very welcomed by me. I decided not to donate for the American Red Cross again after my last donation on Monday. I'm still recovering from the damage done to my vein by a phlebotomist-in-training. By the looks and feel of it, I think there's going to be permanent scarring. The ARC's lack of any meaningful follow-up with me is proof I was only a bag of blood and nothing more.

I'm sorry you found out too late to prevent the permanent damage done to your veins. Your post serves to convince me even more I'm making the right decision for my own well-being and don't need to feel sad or guilty. Plus the phlebotomist who did my bloodwork today (for a whole other ARC horror story that occurred) advised me not to donate again after she saw my vein and heard how it happened.

By any chance did the ARC use 16-gauge needles on you?

[Ms. Toad]

26. I don't know, specifically,

but their site indicates they use 16-17 gauge needles.

The damage to my veins was just repeated use of large bore needles, over time. No particular trauma - I just scar. I can see the tracks on the outside (I can count 15 distinct scars on the right arm and at least 10 on the left. Bodies heal pretty well - but repeated injuries ot the same place - sometimes causes permanent damage.

I have no trouble with routine blood draws - but contrast for MRIs and CTs requires a larger bore needle - so that's when I feel the impact.

I'd love to donate more, but given the restrictions which limit me to one arm - and the frequent need for conrast - it isn't a good choice for me.

When I was young - I didn't even think about such things (most of my gallons were donated by the time I was in my early 30s. I was probably in my mid-late 40s when the Red Cross started commenting that they were encountering scarring

[Busterscruggs]

6. I just want to say

That I greatly enjoy reading your posts. I only wish the world had more lucid and informed people in it like you are. Have a great day UGP!

[I_UndergroundPanther]

17. Thanks

Glad you are on DU too.

[totodeinhere]

18. I have had Corona twice and I have several comorbidities.

Both times my infection was rather mild. My first infection was in December 2020 before vaccines were readily available. My second infection was in late November 2021 after I had been fully vaccinated and boosted. And I am not lying even though you have accused people like me of lying.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

22. The person

I was talking about was bragging and lying.
Because she's unvaxxed,not boosted and desperately wants to be seen as unique.

Shes neurotic that way.
And there are other unvaxxed claiming pure blood and spouting other self aggrandizing bullshit too .she repeats that crap.

Some people lie to feel special.

[Hekate]

23. Well, my daughter & her 3 kids got it twice. Once at the beginning & again over the Dec holidays...

… last month. The first time she was pretty sure that was it as they had loss of taste and all, but as we all know, tests were not so easy to get outside a hospital.

This time the vaxxed family that passed it along to her unvaxxed family was able to get tested, and they had it all right, symptoms consistent with Omicron. They had 2 home tests left over, and sure enough my daughter and her oldest son tested positive.

So far, her luck has held in terms of severity of illness and recovery. That’s what I call dumb luck.

Yes, I believe her. No, I don’t approve of her medical choices. But this all falls under the Serenity Prayer, doesn’t it?