All his life, he slept like a stone. But now, there's an annoying trip to the bathroom every night, sometimes once or twice a night. For most men, these nightly bathroom runs may be the first sign of an enlarged prostate. Other symptoms may include trouble starting a stream of urine, leaking, or dribbling. And, like gray hair, an enlarged prostate is a natural by-product of getting older, doctors say.
For almost all cancers (such as breast, brain, prostate, and lung), a person may donate blood five years after diagnosis or date of the last surgery, last chemotherapy or last radiation treatment. For blood cancers (such as leukemia or lymphoma), a person is not allowed to donate blood.
Apheresis platelet donors, however, must not take aspirin or aspirin-containing products 36 hours prior to donation. Aspirin reduces the potency and performance of your platelets. The more time between taking aspirin and donating blood, the better for the recipient. It is recommended that you call the donor center before you come to donate to inquire about any medications you are taking. Most times, taking medications will not keep you from donating.