Day 20: Put My Earmuffs On The Cookie

[anarchist_nomad]

Disclaimer: I am quite knackered as I write this entry. So don't expect coherence. You have been warned.

---

Eighteen months ago today, I arrived in England to begin life as an expatriate. Although there were definitely some difficult times last September and October, it has overall been a pretty spiffy ride so far. I agree with my assessment of six months ago, that moving here was definitely the right choice.

Yesterday, I gave away half a liter of my blood. Not like I was doing much with it, anyway. No bite marks on my hand this time, either. This makes the fifth time that I have donated blood in the UK -- they will only take it every sixteen weeks, so the count advances more slowly -- which means that I have earned my way to blue donor card. To celebrate, I think I shall throw a party in a couple of weeks, when I get back to the States. How does October 13^th at the Event Horizon sound? See you there? Embarrassing though it is to admit, I lost track of how many gallons I donated in the States. Maybe I should call the New York and Heartland Blood Centers to see if they know. Of course, if I ever move back to the States, they will never take my blood again... now that I have lived in the UK.

Tomorrow I leave for Italy. My graduate student, JI, is coming along for his first trip to Gran Sasso. I will be showing him the ropes and training him on how to keep the experiment running.

I have not even begun to pack yet, but I think that can wait until tomorrow. Right now, I think sleep is a really spectacular idea...

Comments

You're so generous

[frogcastle.livejournal.com]

Even generous w/ your blood, and that from a man who has a needle phobia. I'm very impressed. The fact that you gave blood so much in the States that you lost count is not embarrassing. In fact, considering how much it must take for you to lose count, it must have been a LOT. And anyways, it's not something to be embarrassed about.

Re: You're so generous

[anarchist-nomad.livejournal.com]

Even generous w/ your blood, and that from a man who has a needle phobia. I'm very impressed.

Aw, shucks! :-)

Although I do have a needle phobia, I also know that each blood donation can save as many as five lives. There is no justification for letting an irrational fear of what I know to be a harmless process keep me from trying to save those lives.

But you should have seen me the first time that I donated, over ten years ago! They almost couldn't use me, because my pulse rate was too high from hyperventilating! When it finally slowed enough, I was mildly delirious, reciting songs from Les Miz and Einstein's equations (from general relativity) to distract myself from the needle in my arm. For years after, I was much better but would bite my right hand -- HARD -- as the needle went in. I'm finally at the point where I do little more than wince.

The fact that you gave blood so much in the States that you lost count is not embarrassing. In fact, considering how much it must take for you to lose count, it must have been a LOT. And anyways, it's not something to be embarrassed about.

Have I mentioned lately how much I Love you?

It's only embarrassing, I suppose, if you're me... and count things compulsively. I remember tracking my first eight donations quite strictly, as that got me into the "Gallon Club." Eventually, though, I did lose track. It's got to be in the thirties by now, I think...

[winewiskeywomen.livejournal.com]

Neether* of my sons can give blood here in Amerikkka 'cause they lived in G.B. for a while during the 'mad cow' thingy of the early 90's.
What is 'knackered'? From the context i gather it is to be 'fagged'.



*So averse am i to the latest trend of pronouncing neether as nyther that i resort to phonetics.

[acelightning.livejournal.com]

I expect that eventually the US will lift their restrictions on blood donors who have been to the UK. I know they've gotten a whole lot more relaxed about blood donation from people who have tattoos.

[salexa.livejournal.com]

They are still way behind the times on some other donation questions, considering the level of technology available for hepatitis and HIV testing.

The problem is that they would need a test for mad cow disease to feel comfortable receiving donations from people who have lived in the UK. As the prion is potentially transmissible by blood, history (ie the HIV problems of the early 80's) has made them jumpy about the possibility. I am not sure they have fully targeted *what* to look for, let alone found a test to find it. And for this, they can't simply take his word that he didn't eat beef over there.

[acelightning.livejournal.com]

The way I understand it, a "prion" is a protein found in nerve tissues, chemically identical to the normal one, but with the long molecular chain "folded" a different way. This makes it unusable within the nerve cell; furthermore, it also serves as a template to make other copies of the same molecule fold up the wrong way too. It's not "contagious" in the same sense as a bacterium or virus in the blood, but its presence does cause disease. But, since we already know that the molecule can fold up in at least two different configurations, only one of which is correct, it stands to reason that we can determine the configuration of the molecule. Therefore, we ought to be able to test for the incorrect configuration(s).

IANAD, or even a lab technician, of course.

[salexa.livejournal.com]

The problem with looking for configurations of the same protein chain is that most all conventional testing breaks down the configuration to look at the protein or looks for a section of the protein that is not necessarily configuration specific. New testing methods may be needed to test for protein configuration at a reasonable volume before testing can be implemented (presuming they find they have a good enough idea of the bad protein configuration to look for it).

[acelightning.livejournal.com]

I'm sure there will be a test for it eventually. The same problem has come up with every blood-borne disease in turn - I seem to remember that (after the original problems with blood typing were solved) they had to require donors to have a chest X-ray to rule out TB. And I know it took a while to develop tests for HIV, and the various forms of hepatitis. But they always come up with a method of screening eventually.

[parallelgirl.livejournal.com]

Of course, if I ever move back to the States, they will never take my blood again... now that I have lived in the UK.
*splutters indignantly*
Bah! Don't they know that your blood will be enriched with History and Culture? And about the purifying effects of leaf tea and warm beer?

[anarchist-nomad.livejournal.com]

Don't look at me! *grin* I didn't make the rule... and I think it is damn silly. Especially when dealing with a vegetarian!

If it makes you feel better, though, they won't take my blood here for four weeks after I've been in the States. Something to do with the West Nile, even though that's in Egypt. *scratches head*

[envoy.livejournal.com]

if I ever move back to the States, they will never take my blood again... now that I have lived in the UK.

I know this was the case for me *before* because I lived in the UK for more than 6 months between the years of I think 1995 and 1997. I didn't know that had now become a permanent thing? That sucks.

[anarchist-nomad.livejournal.com]

Sad to say, last time I gave blood in the States -- before moving here -- it had indeed become a permanent rule. Maybe it has changed since then? I doubt it, but I wouldn't know.

By the way, that's a nifty looking icon you got there. What's it from?

[envoy.livejournal.com]

It's from the opening sequence of a 1/2 season run TV show called Cupid, one of my favorite shows of all time. The guy who wrote it went on to write the series Veronica Mars.

Bummer about the blood. Stoooopid states!