donating blood with CLL

[Ebenezer68]

I have been taking Imbruvia for the past 2 years. Have been diagnosed with CLL for 3. For many years before this diagnosis I would donate blood. Can I still do that. A few years before my diagnosis my iron levels were low so I could not. Was just wondering should I try to donate again. Thanks Cleve

[MistyMountainHop]

As I understood it......If someone has blood cancer, they cannot donate blood or organs. This is what I was told. Of course, this may not be the case.....

[MisfitK]

No, you can no longer donate blood.

[DoriZett]

I, too was a frequent blood donor prior to my SLL diagnosis. Apparently I had not had some common adult virus so my blood could be used for newborns. Let me tell you - the Red Cross was calling me for an appointment before I was really due to donate again because they wanted that blood! I was told to stop donating after my diagnosis - and I did. But I had the concern that I might have passed "bad blood" to infants - and that gave me sleepless nights. No good deed goes unpunished! 😉 Kudos to you for being a donor but we have done our share - time to stand down.

[Ebenezer68 in reply to DoriZett]

Thanks

[Smakwater]

Nope - cancer.org/cancer/survivors....

JM

[casanova]

No you can't. I was disappointed when I was told I could no longer be a donor but I was glad I had been a donor, particularly when I needed to be a recipient of blood donations as part of my treatment.

Maureen UK