Donating blood at the Red Cross

This morning, I rode my bicycle to donate a pint at the Pullman Asiawan hotel in Naklua. The Thais make the event like a social occasion and there were loads of laughs and posing for photos. They even rushed around me for a group shot as I was the only foreigner. Nobody warned me for the pain...
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When they remove the tape from your arm. Ouch! Also, what the heck is going on in the swimming pool?

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by impact

The Thais make the event like a social occasion

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Ha, too right they do. Not in Pattas but they had a do on at the Chiang Mai shopping mall last week. My blood was rejected, I'd taken tramadol in past week. Will make a point to join in the festivities next time and let them suck my farang veins dry.

Donating blood is a good thing, but I've been turned away 4 times in a row and finally gave up. The American Red Cross would not take my blood within 12 months of visiting Southeast Asia, and back in the 90's they turned me away because I had been to Britain within the prior year during the mad cow scare. The other 2 times they said my pressure was too high. If they're this fussy, the shortage cannot be that critical.

I couldn't see the rationale of turning me back due to having tramadol a few days earlier. They said something about muscle relaxants contaminating the blood, couldn't find an answer after a quick google search. Apparently farang blood in Thailand is well sought after.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 9999

I couldn't see the rationale of turning me back due to having tramadol a few days earlier. They said something about muscle relaxants contaminating the blood, couldn't find an answer after a quick google search. Apparently farang blood in Thailand is well sought after.

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Be careful with that stuff; I had it for about 3 weeks before and after my hernioplasty last year, and getting off of them was very unpleasant. The sweats, runs and a depressed feeling lasted about 7 days. Worst was the sweating, I called it meltdown and it would come on after about 6 hours unless I took 2 more pills.

Yeah tramadol withdrawal is a bitch. Tapering down is the way to go.

In the pool? It looks like a bunch of red corpuscules fleeing a Hep c virus.

turned away in korea as had been in the uk
mad-cow fear.
still i did offer.