Rejected!!!

Rejected by the blood bank :(

Went with a Rebecca and Steven from work to give blood today – as it was my first visit I had to see a nurse to go over the questionnaire – for those that give blood in Aus here you don’t see a nurse every time to go through the questionnaire just the first time or if you request to.

Anyway going through the questionnaire and was going fine until I answered yes I have had acupuncture in the last 12 months – as I didn’t have a certificate from the clinic saying that they were a member of Chartered Physiotherapists , British council for acupuncture or general chiropractic council – they couldn’t take my blood for 12 months – however I can go back to the clinic and get appropriate certificate and then give blood so not a huge drama and we continue on and then we hit a snag – we get to the questions of surgery – I’ve had several but the one that worried them was my first one – Harrington’s fusion done in 1986.

The conversation goes something like this

Nurse: Harrington’s Fusion??
Me: surgery to straighten and fuse my spine – scoliosis
Nurse: I’ll have to check about that

She pulls out her manual and flicks through it for a bit

Nurse: I will have to go find out about that one

She leaves the room for a while and returns

Nurse: did you have any marrow products?
Me: um no – they used bone from my own hip to fuse my spine
Nurse: so only your own bone?
Me: yes they took it from my hip

And now it gets fun

Nurse: did you have a blood transfusion?
Me: No
Nurse: you’re sure
Me: yes I didn’t have a blood transfusion
Nurse: No transfusion at all?
Me: No transfusion at all
Nurse: and you are sure that you didn’t receive a blood transfusion when you had your back surgery
Me: Yes I’m sure
Nurse: are you able to check with the Doctor/ hospital
Me: that’s a bit difficult as that is in Australia and I am sure I didn’t have a transfusion
Nurse: but you could check?
Me: it would be difficult but I could do it but I know I didn’t have a transfusion
Nurse: But you should have had one
Me: It’s common to have one with that surgery but I didn’t have one
Nurse: And you are sure you didn’t have a transfusion
Me: yes I’m sure I didn’t have a transfusion, I can check – what documentation, proof do you require?
Nurse: umm none but would like you to check
Me: I know I didn’t have one

At this point the nurse choose to move on to the sex questions