Do you know your blood type?

[Holdfast]

And if so, why do you know?

I think I'm O-neg, but frankly I'm not 100% certain. I seem to recall my parents telling me that once as a kid, but I can't say I've ever had it checked (well, I'm sure I have, but I haven't asked what the result was). I keep meaning to get a friend to do some baseline bloods on me as a general healthcheck; I might get them to check my blood type at the same time. Just curious.

I'm pretty sure (human) blood is always red.

Look at your veins. Most of them are blue. The blood usually doesn't turn red until it reacts with oxygen.

That said, a lot of your blood is indeed red.

Seriously, blood is always red. Trust me on this.

Venous blood is a much darker red than arterial blood though. Veins appear blue-greenish because of skin/pigment/tissues in between.

vial. Vile means something else altogether.

I prefer phial, personally, because I'm snotty like that.



Like others have said, for anyone receiving proper medical care, there's really no reason to know, as you'll always be cross-matched if you need blood. If it's a major emergency and it can't wait for the cross-matching, they'll chuck O-neg in you as it's a universal donor type in those situations. There's always a couple of units swilling around in a fridge somewhere in the ER. At least, there used to be in my day, I don't know if they've got quick enough at cross-matching to avoid this emergency need nowadays. ZR or StolenThunder will be able to tell you what happens these days, I'm sure.

 

[Miss Chicken]

O positive.

I know because I used to give blood.

 

[Neutral Zone]

Yeah, I know, it helps as I had a kodney transplant back in 1977.

 

[wew]

Yes, I learned it when the military stampped it on my dog tags.

 

[Mallory]

A+. I've known since I donated blood in high school.

 

[StolenThunder]

There's always a couple of units swilling around in a fridge somewhere in the ER. At least, there used to be in my day, I don't know if they've got quick enough at cross-matching to avoid this emergency need nowadays. ZR or StolenThunder will be able to tell you what happens these days, I'm sure.

'Round these parts there's always some Irn Bru which'll do in a pinch.

 

[propita]

A+, learning from high school biology class--and same as Hubby.

My sister is A- and my brother is B+. Comes from having a Mom who's AB+ and a Dad who was O-.

 

[auntiehill]

I'm O+. I've known that since I was a kid. I asked my Mom about it one day while watching M*A*S*H together. I also typed my blood in an experiment in high school.

My hubby--who was in the Air Force--has no idea what his blood type is. He apparently just "forgot." I don't see how one can forget something that may be vitally important information.

 

[TorontoTrekker]

I'm O+. I found out when I gave blood during university (back when I was still allowed to donate).

I once had blood drawn to determine if I had mono. Just a tiny little vile, and I passed out. I will not be donating anytime soon.

It's a good thing you haven't had to deal with my situation, then.

I think I posted last year that after suffering multiple fainting spells, I was diagnosed with hemachromatosis, which is a genetic disorder that causes the body to build up and retain excess iron. My ferritin count was at 965 nanograms per cubic millilitre; the top end of the normal range is 400. The treatment is the regular removal of blood (it's called "phlebotomy"), so for the past six weeks, I've been going to the hospital every Wednesday to have 450 millilitres of blood taken. (Skip the leech jokes, please, I've heard them all.)

I think that every single drop of blood that was in my body at this time last year has been removed, between the blood tests and then the treatments.

And now, of course, they think that I might have been misdiagnosed because my hemoglobin has been dropping dangerously fast - and they're worried that they've made me borderline anemic. (And, in fact, my ferritin has also been dropping quicker than expected - it was down to 473 after the treatment two weeks ago.) The nurse told me last week that they're stopping the treatments to pursue further testing, so they only took a couple of vials instead of the full 450ml.

So, yeah, RoJoHen? Be thankful you don't have what I have (whatever that may be).

 

[JustKate]

It isn't vital information, I guess - I mean, somebody's going to check before they hook you up to one of those little bags. But in my case, since my blood type is pretty rare and I have two siblings who share it, I do think it's good thing that all three of us know. We might be each others' best option in case one of us needs a lot of blood or an organ donation or something like that.

 

[All Seeing Eye]

This thread would have been more successful had there been a poll. An open poll so we see who has what blood.

 

[ShamelessMcBundy]

Keep your hands off my blood.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

I'm O+. It's fairly common, but it's still nice. I can donate to any positive person (sorry negatives, you're out). I know because I asked my parents before I first donated blood. I think I was told before that point too, but I could never remember it. Not the most useful info, but there are certainly less important things I know.

 

[indranee]

mine's A-Positive.

 

[John Picard]

I once had blood drawn to determine if I had mono. Just a tiny little vile, and I passed out. I will not be donating anytime soon.

Isn't "tiny little vile" redundant? Also, are you certain it wasn't a "small vial"

 

[Zulu Romeo]

I am AB+.

Since you have the same group as me this must mean you are also a superhuman.

Yes.

Well, technically speaking, AB+ can receive blood of ANY ABO/Rhesus type - we call them the "universal recipient" - as they lack the antibodies against the ABO and Rhesus antigens (because the blood already has those antigens from the very beginning, these are recognised as "self" and harmless). People with type O- blood can only receive blood that is type O-, because they lack those antigens from the beginning and therefore have developed antibodies to all ABO and Rhesus antigens - as a result their immune systems consider any blood units containing any of those antigens as foreign and Evil™ and needing to be punished.

Like others have said, for anyone receiving proper medical care, there's really no reason to know, as you'll always be cross-matched if you need blood. If it's a major emergency and it can't wait for the cross-matching, they'll chuck O-neg in you as it's a universal donor type in those situations. There's always a couple of units swilling around in a fridge somewhere in the ER. At least, there used to be in my day, I don't know if they've got quick enough at cross-matching to avoid this emergency need nowadays. ZR or StolenThunder will be able to tell you what happens these days, I'm sure.

They still use stored type O- blood in situations such as obstetric emergencies. However, nowadays with the advent of electronic issuing of blood (useful only if there are no known atypical antibodies in that patient), and with fully trained ward staff ensuring that no mistakes are made (because for all intents and purposes, human errors are pretty much the commonest causes of blood transfusion reactions), then in the majority of cases blood typing is less likely to be a limiting factor in the issuing of blood units to a patient, and in most cases the blood you receive will be your exact ABO/Rh match - although I have seen in a few cases in the past that the compatibility rules have applied: a patient receiving type O- blood just because it is available and almost about to expire, for instance. Certain other patients, ironically very often those known to the haematology medical team with haematological malignancies and atypical antibodies, need specially serologically-matched blood from a local tertiary centre, sent to the hospital with blue lights sometimes.

 

[Cayla]

O-. I found out by learning how to do blood typing in a college class.

 

[thestrangequark]

I can't donate so I don't know -- I vaguely recall my mother telling me I had one of the rare types, so I'm guessing its AB+ or -. I also remember her telling me that she had do take medications while carrying me because she had that condition wherein the RH type is incompatible, or something like that.

 

[AstroSmurf]

^ I can't donate either. Of course the Red Cross wouldn't take it even I could donate since I am a gay.

And thank you Zion for the clarification. I knew it was something like that but I couldn't remember the specifics.

Oh and just an FYI, when I was tested for mono they only stuck my finger and drained off a few samples into those little glass straws. If that is what RoJo is referring to as a vial... When I was 22 they drained off some fluid from my liver with a needle longer than my arm. This hypodermic monster was pleasantly inserted into the middle of my abdomen so they could get it under my ribs. I am assuming that poor RoJo would have died from fright... and that makes me... THE MAN.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I'm O, but I can't remember if it's negative or positive.