I donated blood today for the first time! It's one of those things I have been thinking about doing for years and today I finally did it. Woooh! I feel very helpful and virtuous.
I don't know why I put it off for so long because when I have blood taken for tests I always watch and I find the sight of my blood morbidly fascinating (when there's no gushing wound involved). I think it was just the prospect of sitting there with a needle stuck in my arm for a longer period of time that deterred me.
But pah! It was nothing! And clearly I am a superb bleeder because I pumped out the requisite 475ml in about 5 minutes compared to the average is 8-12 minutes. I didn't even have time to finish reading a trash mag story about Angelina Jolie struggling to raise 17 kids under the age of 7 or whatever.
Then I got to the recovery area where you can have a drink and a snack while you sit for 15 minutes and they had Target puzzles to do - and I got the nine-letter word! Yay!
Are you a blood donor?
5 comments:
All thumbs up!
I've never given blood. When I was a teen, I was prone to fainting (I think I was anemic), and then for something like seven years I was always pregnant or breastfeeding. I should go!
My husband has type O neg, which the bloodbank is crazy about. Of course, he gave them MY cell phone number, so guess who gives a weekly guilty excuse about why he hasn't been in recently to give blood? Sigh....
Maybe this weekend we'll BOTH go!
Good for you- and thanks for the kick in the boot!
Hey, that's great. After you've done it once, it's a piece of cake (or at least a cookie and juice!). I do donate blood - but it's been a while now, at least a year....I guess I should do it again...
It's such an easy way to "give back".
I'm not allowed to, they don't want mine :( something to do with coming out from UK during a certain time-frame...
Hi Anonymous. Indeed.
Hi Robin. Yes, your hubby should definitely go and give some of his precious O neg blood. Since he's given the blood bank your number you should just make an appointment for him! If you still have low iron you won't be able to give though.
Hello Lance. Yes, like a lot of things getting over with the first time was the hardest bit.
It is an easy way to "give back", which is why I did it. I've made regular monthly donations of money to charity for over 10 years now, but I wanted to do more. I've been looking into volunteer work as well but...I admit I am quite selfish about my spare time, so giving blood was a different way of helping. (I think I just need to find some volunteer work that suits my lifestyle.)
Hi Victoria. Bugger. I think it's the mad cow thing (er...the disease, that is, not you!).
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