[PLMerite]

"On this topic, I will never understand why healthy people avoid donating blood."

I gave over three gallons (one pint at a time!) before the Red Cross decided that people who had lived in Europe and eaten the beef were not wanted as donors.

[soccermom]

Me too. I would hope that wouldn't preclude me from donating marrow, though. The minute risk of Mad Cow Disease is nothing compared to the imminent risk from leukemia.

[Allegra]

I gave over three gallons (one pint at a time!) before the Red Cross decided that people who had lived in Europe and eaten the beef were not wanted as donors.

I used to donate regularly and still have the mugs and gallon donor cup and all of that.

But I've been hanging around too many weird countries the last three years and the blood bank doesn't want it anymore. ;-)