Lola69

Is irradiated blood safe? as it’s been treated with x rays and radiation.

CllcanadaTop Poster CURE Hero in reply to Lola69

Absolutely safe.. most blood these days is irradiated... its treated with gamma radiation

~chris

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rcknow

Thanks for posting this. I had to have around 25 units of blood over the course of the first few months that I was diagnosed and it literally kept me going. I had always been a regular blood donor when I was younger. If I could still do it, I would in a heartbeat.

AussieNeilAdministrator

Those of us reliant on IVIG or subcutaneous IgG to maintain our immunity depend on several thousand blood donations to make up just one batch of IgG. So next time someone asks what they can do to help you - just ask them to consider giving blood regularly. (It actually 'only' requires several donations to provide us with enough IgG for one infusion. Using the donations from several thousand donors provides a wider coverage of antibodies against all the infections currently circulating).

Neil

MsLockYourPostsVolunteer

Whenever I see a plea for people to be tested as a possible match for a patient needing a stem cell transplant on Facebook I repost it everywhere, also. Whether one matches the person making the plea or someone else, you have the chance to save a life. A little more involved than donating blood or platelets if you are a match, but just a simple cheek swab to find out.

I asked my hematologist about irradiated blood at UCLA out of curiosity (it isn't an issue for me - yet, at least). He said that all of their blood is irradiated. If it is an issue for you, ask now about the blood supply at the hospital (s) you use or might end up in. Educate your primary care and make sure that the information is in all of your medical records, your advanced directive if you have one, and anywhere else that might be checked. Educate your family, and friends who might get a call in an emergency, about this, also. Better to be ahead of things and never need to have the information used than to have to worry about this in the middle of an emergency.

CllcanadaTop Poster CURE Hero in reply to MsLockYourPosts

Here is the link to Be The Match, U.S.

bethematch.org

~chris

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MsLockYourPostsVolunteer in reply to Cllcanada

In the U.K., AnthonyNolan.org

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