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For some blood drinkers, there is no such thing as too much blood. However,
there is such a thing as GIVING too much blood.
It is important for blood drinkers to be aware of how much blood they are taking
from a donor and at what level blood loss causes health problems.
Very few vampires would be willing to go to the doctor and ask about how much
blood is okay to take from a donor. On the same note, not many donors would
want to go to the doctor and admit that they have been donating to a blood drinker.
(Ed note: In researching for this article even I was not overly fond of the
idea of approaching a doctor.)
Despite the general hesitancy in approaching health care professionals, all
blood drinkers should know how to meet their blood requirements without causing
the donor to fall ill. There are people in the vampire community who make their
living as a nurse and they are able to provide some information. Since data
on how much blood a vampire can take safely is very scarce or nonexistent, one
can turn to the Red Cross guidelines for advice.
It is not a good idea to take more than one pint from a donor in a 56 day period.
In other words, take no more than 473.18 ml (US conversion) from a donor in
one eight week period. In a standard blood test, an average of around 54 ml
is drawn from the person. The Red Cross requires donors to be seventeen or over
and at least 110 pounds. This may or may not be a suitable guideline for blood
drinkers to follow since some are under the age of seventeen. However, every
blood drinker should keep in mind the legalities of feeding on a donor who is
not considered an adult under the law. Some states and countries deem bloodletting
to be illegal, even among consenting adults. Caution is always necessary in
order to minimize the risk of assault charges.
It is integral that blood drinkers keep track of how much blood they are withdrawing
from their donors. For example, a 10 cc (1 cc is 1 ml) shot of blood per day,
adds up to a total of 70 cc per week. This does not seem like much, but when
taken every day for two months, this amounts to 560 ml. This is over two cups
of blood, and it is 86.82 ml more than the Red Cross allows its donors to give
in an eight week period. It is true that plasma begins to regenerate within
a few hours, but red blood cell production takes at least a few weeks. Red blood
cells do not reproduce fast enough to replace a pint taken more often than every
56 days. While blood loss may stimulate red blood cell production, rushing this
process results in inferior or weak red blood cells which are too fragile to
function properly.
Blood drinkers and donors should be aware of illnesses that result from blood
loss. Anemia is probably the most common concern. There are many different types
of anemia, but the one most related to blood feeding issues is iron-deficiency
anemia because it is frequently caused by blood loss. Watch for these symptoms:
fatigue, low energy, rapid heart beat, shortness of breath, headaches, difficulty
concentrating, dizziness, pale skin, legs cramps and insomnia. Also watch for
the symptoms specific to iron deficiency anemia such as mouth soreness, nails
growing in an upward curve, and a hunger for unusual things that are not normally
consumed such as dirt, paper, or paste. Blood may be considered "unusual"
to most in the health profession so in this context it might explain a donor's
hunger for blood. However, the donor's blood craving should not be confused
with vampirism, and the term sympathetic vampirism has been making the rounds
in the vampire community.
There are a number of reasons to take great care protecting a donor's health.
Aside from the emotional and psychological attachments formed, as well as the
more physical, there are more practical concerns. Anemia must be diagnosed with
a blood test and since it is almost always present as a side effect from some
other underlying condition, a doctor will look for this underlying condition.
If none are found, the doctor may begin to ask questions. Few donors would want
to admit where their blood was going and that the underlying condition was actually
a hungry vampire or blood drinker. However, this is not an excuse to avoid seeing
a doctor when health problems might be present. The donor and the blood drinker
should keep themselves healthy and safe out of respect for each other. In this
day and age, neglecting one's health can be deadly if HIV and other blood borne
diseases are taken into account, not to mention illness from frequent blood
loss.
In order to decrease risk of anemia one should be sure they are not taking
too much blood from the same donor. In addition, eating a well balanced diet
that includes good sources of iron such as red meat, nuts, seafood, eggs(yolk)
and whole grain products can help prevent iron deficiency anemia. Foods rich
in vitamin B-12 and folate are also helpful in preventing anemia.
Iron supplements should not be taken unless anemia is already present or upon
the advice of a doctor. Too much iron in the system can cause illness and may
even be fatal for some people, especially children. Keep in mind that caffeine
often hinders the absorption of iron as can high amounts of calcium. Certain
food preservatives such as EDTA and vegetables containing phytates (whole wheat,
soy beans, legumes, oats, barley, rye and others) can also prevent iron absorption.
Vitamin C encourages iron absorption as it makes the stomach more acidic.
The Red Cross can help blood drinkers screen their donors, unknowingly of course.
While visiting the Red Cross is not a substitute for proper health care it can
help. The Red Cross takes a drop of blood from a perspective donor to determine
blood type and to make sure there is enough red blood cells to donate safely.
If the donor is refused by the Red Cross because of a low red blood cell count,
this is the first sign that taking their blood is not a good idea. Furthermore,
many labs offer independent blood testing, as do Planned Parenthood clinics
around the country. One basic test is the CBC (Complete Blood Count) which determines
the size, number, volume, and presence of hemoglobin in red blood cells. (Note:
other tests for blood borne diseases should be done as well.) The Red Cross
also evaluates the risk factor in potential donors and will not allow them to
donate if they have a history that might put them at risk for blood borne disease.
(HIV antibodies can take weeks to show up in the blood so a person can be infected
but still have a negative test result.) The Red Cross will notify an individual
if any tests are positive or if they detect any health problems. Of course,
using these methods assumes that the donor or blood drinker is honest, and realistically
this may not always be the case.
Accompanying the donor to the Red Cross might help to at least verify the issues
of them having enough red blood cells to give blood safely. The blood drinker
can be present to witness whether or not the Red Cross accepts the person as
a donor. If the donor walks away with a refusal from the Red Cross it would
be a good idea to explore the donor's health further. The same can be applied
to blood drinkers.
Practicing safe bloodletting methods and maintaining health is not only something
those in the vampire community can do for their own benefit. Being educated
in these areas also tells the rest of society that yes, vampires are strange,
but they are not stupid.
© 2002 Ravena Lee
This article is presented as part of an ongoing effort to present other views outside of, as well as within, the online vampire community. Those of us who consider ourselves vampiric don't always look at things from the same viewpoint due to our life experiences. As such, the views and opinions contained in this article are entirely those of the author(s), and may not necessarily be shared by SphynxCatVP. The webmaster is not under obligation to update or otherwise keep current the contents of this article. Most importantly, only you can decide for yourself whether this article or any of the author(s) other views are useful or applicable to you - you are responsible for using your own reasoning and judgement, so judge wisely.
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