I always wanted to give blood and never got round to doing it until the year before I got diagnosed with RA. I went by the local school and a big banner was out, it was a Wednesday, the day I went to Slimming World and I thought to myself......a pint of blood will be at least a pound off when I get weighed tonight
I went and went through all the registering bit, got on the bed, had the needle put in and within 30 seconds it had to stop. I was bleeding under the skin. The nurse apologised so much telling me I would have one big mighty bruise (and I did), so off the bed I went, I couldn't understand why she didn't try in the other arm.
When I had the invitation to give blood again I rang to say that I had RA, told them what drugs I was on (SLZ and painkillers) and was told I couldn't give blood anymore and my name was taken off the register. I don't know if it was because of RA or the drugs.
Paula xx
