betheboo 40 Posted April 15, 2011 Just curious if there are any blood donors out there that have had the band? I am one week post op and have been called by the red cross two times since surgery. I am a dedicated blood donor and feel that it is a very important cause but I'm worried that due to my diet restrictions donation may take me a while to recover from. Appriciate the input Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MarcyLoo 12 Posted April 16, 2011 I don't donate anymore, but I would totally suggest you ask your surgeon about this. My guess is donating is ok if you have a balanced diet, take a dialy multi Vitamin, but you'll want to wait so many weeks post op to donate since your body is recovering and you need to restore blood lost form surgery. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
honk 780 Posted April 16, 2011 I would talk to your doctor bout how long after surgery you should wait. In general though thin people give blood. My goal is to eat like a thin person. So If I've eating the same amount as a thin person I should be able to give blood like a thin person. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jess55 97 Posted April 16, 2011 I donated blood six weeks after surgery. I had looked it up on the web and it said as long as your back to normal activity you can donate. I did tell them when I went too just to verify it was ok Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Saraboo 21 Posted April 16, 2011 I've donated both blood and platlets since being banded. I was fine. My only issue was low Iron, but I had that before being banded, so nothing new. I was worried about thta as well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kll724 3,055 Posted April 16, 2011 I have had my band for 18 months. I have donated 2x, but last month my Iron was too low. It doesn't bother me, just make sure that you remember to take their offer of liquids and snack. I took "Gatorade" when offered a drink. I thought that the high sugar, etc would help me rebuild my strength after giving. I am not sure that I would give right away, you should check with your surgeon. Karen Share this post Link to post Share on other sites