I was disqualified in 1984 because the FDA had added ankylosing
spondylitis (all autoimmune diseases) to its disqualification list.

Then suddenly in 1999 I learned the FDA had dropped arthritis
as a reason to disqualify donors, as long as there is no
pain/swelling/redness on the date of the blood donation.

Mary and I gave yesterday (Monday), and I'm only 1 or 2 pints away
from becoming a 5-gallon-club member.

The following is from our blood bank's web site; note the "Medical
Conditions" paragraph and "Arthritis."  Local blood banks can add
other reasons, to the point of being ridiculous.

DO NOT DONATE BLOOD IF YOU:
 a.. Have AIDS or have ever had a positive HIV test
 b.. Have ever used needles to take drugs, steroids, or anything not prescribed by your doctor
 c.. Are a male who has had sexual contact with another male, even once, since 1977
 d.. Have ever taken money, drugs, or other payment for sex since 1977
 e.. Have hemophilia or another blood clotting disorder and received clotting factor concentrate
 f.. Have had sexual contact in the past 12 months with anyone described above
 g.. Have had syphilis or gonorrhea in the past 12 months
 h.. In the last 12 months, have been in juvenile detention, lockup, jail, or prison for more than 72 hours
 i.. Were born in, lived in or received blood products while in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Niger or Nigeria since 1977
 j.. Have had sexual contact with anyone who was born in, lived in or received blood products while in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Niger or Nigeria after 1977
 k.. Have received a blood transfusion in the United Kingdom from 1980 to the present
 l.. Have any of the following conditions that can be signs or symptoms of HIV/AIDS:
   a.. Unexplained weight loss or night sweats
   b.. Blue or purple spots in your mouth or skin
   c.. Swollen lymph nodes for more than one month
   d.. White spots or unusual sores in your mouth
   e.. Cough that won't go away or shortness of breath
   f.. Diarrhea that won't go away
   g.. Fever of more than 100.5 F for more than 10 days
Remember that you CAN give HIV to someone else through blood transfusions even if you feel well and have a negative HIV test. This is because tests cannot detect infections for a period of time after a person is exposed to HIV.

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Medical Conditions
 a.. Allergies - can donate if no infection present
 b.. Arthritis - can donate if no redness, pain or swelling of joint(s) at the time of donation
 c.. Asthma - can donate if no symptoms
 d.. Blood disorders or bleeding tendencies - cannot donate
 e.. Brain or spinal surgery that required a transplant of brain covering (dura mater) - cannot donate
 f.. CJD: a blood relative diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) - cannot donate
 g.. Cancer
   a.. Basal cell, squamous cell skin cancers - can donate if diagnosis known before, or after removal
   b.. Melanoma - 1 year wait after last treatment and considered resolved
   c.. Other carcinomas (breast, lung, prostate, colon, bladder, etc) - 1 year wait after last treatment and considered resolved
   d.. Blood related cancers such as Lymphoma, Leukemia, Myeloma - permanent deferral
 h.. Colds, fever, flu
   a.. Cold, flu, sore throat, cough, respiratory infection - can donate if no symptoms
 i.. Cold Sore
   a.. Cold sore, fever blister, canker sore - can donate if lesion gone
 j.. Colitis (Ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, irritable bowel, etc) - can donate if feels healthy and well
 k.. Diabetes - can donate if stable
 l.. Heart Attack - can donate after one year if no symptoms
 m.. Heart Surgery - Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery (CABG); Angioplasty; Stents - 6 month wait and no heart symptoms
 n.. Hemochromatosis - cannot donate
 o.. Hepatitis
   a.. Hepatitis or undiagnosed jaundice after age 10 - cannot donate
   b.. Hepatitis at age 10 or younger - can donate if no known positive confirmed test results for Hepatitis B surface antigen, or known Hepatitis C
   c.. Positive hepatitis test - cannot donate
   d.. Hepatitis or jaundice with mononucleosis, CMV or EBV - cannot donate
 p.. Herpes (genital) - can donate after lesions clear
 q.. Major/minor surgery - can donate after healed and reason permits
 r.. Pregnant/Abortion/Miscarriage - cannot donate for 6 weeks after delivery, abortion or miscarriage
 s.. Strokes - can donate after 1 year
 t.. Thyroid conditions - can donate if healthy and well

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Other Possible Restrictions
 a.. Body/ear piercing/acupuncture - can donate if done with a sterile, single use needle/equipment or with a piercing gun using single use studs, otherwise a one year wait
 b.. Dental work
   a.. Routine work (teeth cleaning, scaling, tooth filled) - wait until next day
   b.. Root canal/tooth extraction - 3 day wait
 c.. Hepatitis exposure - needs evaluation
 d.. Tattoo - can donate after 1 year

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Medications
 a.. Acetaminophen (e.g. Tylenol) - can donate for any blood donation
 b.. Accutane - can donate 4 weeks after last dose
 c.. Allergy medication - can donate
 d.. Amnesteen - can donate 4 weeks after last dose
 e.. Antibiotics - can donate 24 hours after last dose if no symptoms of infection; no wait if taken for prevention
 f.. Anti-inflammatory drugs, such as Advil, Ibuprofen, Motrin and Naprosyn - can donate for any blood donation
 g.. Aspirin and aspirin containing products - can donate / platelet donors must wait 48 hours after last dose
 h.. Avodart - can donate 6 months after last dose
 i.. Claravis - can donate 4 weeks after last dose
 j.. Blood pressure medication - can donate if blood pressure stable
 k.. Depression medication - can donate
 l.. Diuretics - can donate
 m.. Diabetic medication
   a.. Oral or insulin - can donate if condition is stable
   b.. Ever injected bovine (beef) insulin - cannot donate
 n.. Diet pills - can donate
 o.. Birth control pills - can donate
 p.. Female hormone pills - can donate
 q.. Plavix - Platelet donors only: 5 day wait after last dose
 r.. Propecia - 4 week wait after last dose
 s.. Proscar - 4 week wait after last dose
 t.. Soriatane (Acitretin) - can donate 3 years after last dose
 u.. Sotret - can donate 4 weeks after last dose
 v.. Steroids - can donate 2 weeks after last dose and no symptoms
 w.. Tegison - cannot donate if ever taken
 x.. Thyroid medication - can donate if stabilized
 y.. Ticlid - Platelet donors only: 14 day wait after last dose

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Immunizations
 a.. Flu vaccine - can donate
 b.. FluMist - can donate
 c.. Hepatitis A vaccine - can donate, if given for prevention
 d.. Hepatitis B vaccine - can donate, if given for prevention
 e.. MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) - can donate after 4 weeks
 f.. Pneumococcal vaccine - can donate
 g.. Rubella/Rubeola vaccine - can donate after 4 weeks
 h.. Smallpox vaccination - can donate after 2 months (56 days) and no vaccinia infection
 i.. Tetanus toxoid - can donate

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Travel Restrictions
 a.. Malaria Areas
   a.. Travel/Visit (less than 5 years) to an area where malaria is prevalent - can donate 1 year after leaving area
   b.. Lived in (5 consecutive years or more.) an area where malaria is prevalent - can donate 3 years after leaving area
 b.. Mexico, Malaria areas - can donate 1 year after leaving the following areas
   a.. Resorts:
     a.. Acapulco (outside of city only)
     b.. Cancun (outside of city only)
     c.. Huatulco
     d.. Ixtapa
     e.. Mazatlan (outside of city only)
     f.. Nuevo Vallarta
     g.. Playa del Carmen
     h.. Puerto Vallarta (outside of city only)
     i.. Zihuatanejo
   b.. States: (rural areas of the following)
     a.. Campeche
     b.. Chiapas
     c.. Guerrero
     d.. Michoacán
     e.. Nayarit
     f.. Oaxaca
     g.. Quintana Roo
     h.. Sinaloa
     i.. Tabasco
 c.. Costa Rica, Malaria areas
   a.. Arenal Volcano in Guanacaste and Alajuela Province
   b.. Heredia in Heredia Province
   c.. Orosi Volcano in Guanacaste
 d.. Costa Rica, Non- Malaria areas
   a.. Cartago in Cartago Province
   b.. Golfito in Puntarenas
   c.. Limon City in Puerto Limon
   d.. Monteverde in Puntarenas
   e.. Playa Hermosa in Puntarenas
   f.. Quepos in Puntarenas
   g.. San Jose

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Other Travel Restrictions
 a.. England - cannot donate if spent time that adds up to 3 months or more in the U.K. from 1980-1996 (England, N. Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Isle of Man, Channel Islands, Gibraltar, Falkland Islands)
 b.. Europe - cannot donate if spent time that adds up to 5 years or more in European countries since 1980 (including time spent in the UK during 1980-1996)
 c.. Iraq - cannot donate for 1 year after leaving the country
 d.. Military - cannot donate if spent 6 mo. or more in U.S. military bases in northern Europe 1980-1990 or Southern Europe 1980-1996

... I'm busier than a one-eyed cat watching two mice.      
___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.12