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how do you know your blood type if...

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 10/23/2007 3:56 PM (GMT 0)
you've never given blood, never were transfused and no one has ever told you what your type is.  This may sound silly coming from someone who has paid attention to her meds and care pretty carefully.  But, I just never knew what my blood type was.  My parents were not the best record keepers. The only surgery I ever had that could have been a threat to my blood supply was an emergent surgery so it was not something I checked in advance.

We did a check in high school biology (oh so many years ago) and I was O+.  But  how accurate could that have been considering no one was taking the class that seriously back then.

So is it a lab test that my doc does, can he just do it in his office?  How do I find out?

 

Posted 10/23/2007 3:57 PM (GMT 0)
Talk to your doc, he can help you.

:)
Posted 10/23/2007 4:58 PM (GMT 0)
The doc can tell you if you ask, oddly mine won't tell me, i'll ask my GI doc next time, maybe he will.
If he doesn't ithen 'm an alien, I knew it! ;)
Posted 10/23/2007 5:53 PM (GMT 0)
Your doctor could order the blood test to satisfy your curiousity but you might have to pay for it since it might not be medically necessary. You don't have to worry about not knowing it though because if you ever needed blood they would retype you at the time of the crossmatch for the blood transfusion. They would not believe a blood type done at any other time, even in their own records. A "Type and Rh" plus antibody screen is part of any routine crossmatch procedure. If there was no time for a blood type (which takes just a few minutes) they would give you Type O RH negative blood and do a type as soon as possible so they didn't waste their supply of O Neg blood. Then they would give you type specific blood and continue with the crossmatch procedure which doesn't take that long either. There are some technical considerations should you have antibodies (from earlier transfusions or pregnancy) but basically this is what would happen. An antibody screen has to be done at the time also regardless of previous screens.
Hope this helps
Posted 10/23/2007 8:24 PM (GMT 0)
If you had surgery, your blood type is somewhere in your record. Check with the institution where your surgery was performed. Also, if you have ever had a baby, you will have had pre-natal screening for the Rh factor, so your blood type would also be on file as a result of that.
Posted 10/23/2007 10:11 PM (GMT 0)
they did a blood type on me before I went in for my last surgery even tho I knew I am A+ since they had no record at that hospital they had to retype me
Posted 10/24/2007 2:02 AM (GMT 0)
My blood type is O+
Posted 10/24/2007 12:40 PM (GMT 0)
I think I have the RED type. Not to worry, no blue blood here. I was lucky enough to become 18 years old in the 60s. Old Uncle Sam did my blood type for free and gave me a little set of dog tags with my name, and blood type right on them. Now I can look at them any time and not only recall my blood type, but find out who the heck I am too. Even though this was a free deal, I cant recommend it. I had to spend several years in a place where lots of people were doing all they could every day just to see if I had the RED type..
Posted 10/26/2007 12:22 AM (GMT 0)
Sounds like a very "negative" Rhesus experience, Sniper. yeah I'll bet they felt real clots when you got your revenge though.... tongue
Posted 10/26/2007 5:00 AM (GMT 0)
I had a blood test done as a teen before a surgery and they told me, I'm A-. I think it's good to know (especially since we can have emergencies that may require transfusion). I'd talk to your doc for sure.
Posted 10/26/2007 9:42 AM (GMT 0)
They would never transfuse you without typing you first, unless it was O RH Neg blood in an emergency. Giving you the wrong blood type would be a disaster in many cases. They will often type you and do an antibody screen in preparation for surgery. The antibody screen is good for about 72 hours. I'm not sure why they type ahead of time - perhaps to be sure there are no problems- because they would always repeat the type when doing the crossmatch.
Posted 10/26/2007 1:58 PM (GMT 0)
definetly 0+ DUKE BLUE blood here! Good post(s) rootsmith.
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