"It's In You To Give" is the quote of the Canadian Blood Services [the Canadian Red Cross no longer collects blood]. I learned this motto today when I went to donate blood for the first time! I was excited for a while to do this, I just never got around to do it. I put it off for years by telling myself that I'll do it later repeatedly. But I finally did it! Now my blood will save 3 patients somewhere in Canada, and all I had to go through was a little questionnaire [about risky behavior and travel destinations] and a needle!
Next time I go again (56 more days!), I hope that it's as exciting as it was this time. It's truly gratifying to know that you're saving someone's life. The other thing I have to keep in in mind is to not squeeze my fist so hard, no matter what the nurse says. As she prepared my arm for the needle, she said squeeze hard [so she can find my vein], so I figured I'd be helpful and squeeze as hard as I would while weight lifting. That vein popped out as if it was begging to be popped by that needle. I then proceeded to go back chatting with this girl donating blood...until my peripheral vision caught something in the air..and then the nurse saying "UH Oh". So apparently you can squeeze your fist too hard and end up having blood squirting all over you when she puts the needle in! Of course Murphy's Law would dictate that the day you get a messy shirt, is the day that you happen to be in your nice dress shirt [that I wore at the clinic that morning]. So that day I proudly walked away, knowing I did something good, with a blood drop shaped sticker on one side of my shirt that said "First Time Donor", and with a blood stain on my other side of my shirt. Quite the walking advertisement I must say!
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2 comments:
I gave blood once... and the woman stabbed my arm several times looking for a vein... in her defense i happen to have small veins.
BUT... she was rough... and ended up scraping the needle on my vein... and kept on hitting the arm i was giving blood with.
She was a horrible, stupid, idiot. And I will give blood when I'm damn well ready again... because seriously... that was a BAD experience. Although... I do like the stickers and free stuff they give you :P
I'm giving blood tomorrow at school. My dad believes that it drains you of energy and that you never get the energy all back in your lifetime (he heard this once from a not so wise old man in the old country). However, I choose to give life to people, so I'm going to go to sleep now and rest up for tomorrow.
P.S. I'm excited!!
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