Save a Life – Give Blood

Yesterday, I went with a friend to give blood. I like giving blood. It's a simply way to help out someone in need. Plus, I love the Hi-C Orange and Nutter Butters that are normally given out after you give. I've given blood since high school and though I took a several year hiatus after college, I decided that now was a goodtime to start giving again.

But after yesterday's blood giving experience, I think that I will avoid giving blood for a while—maybe forever. It wasn't my entirely my fault that I failed to fill up the bag. As the women said, my blood was slowly dripping out and my tiny vein lay too close to the muscle to get the needle in properly. I've been told that I have small veins before but it's never been a problem with a skilled sticker. So I honestly didn't expect any problems though the finger poke to get an iron level reading should have foretold what would come. The woman had to squeeze my finger like a cow's udder to get anything substantial to come out. In contrast my friend said that her blood spurt out as soon as the needle hit her skin.

After 15 minutes of having the needle adjusted and readjusted and having to squeeze and unsqueeze a ball to get things moving, we gave up. I think that it was too cold in the room and that all the water I drank that morning just wasn't enough.

The blood I gave can't be used. It will just be thrown away. What a waste! I wish there was a way for them to return the blood back to into my body because I think I need it. By the time I left the room, my teeth were chattering and goose bumps covered my skin. I went outside for a bit to warm up in the sun, but that didn't help much. In fact, I didn't warm up until later that afternoon.

It is so odd to have had such an unfortunate donation experience. I've had a vein collapse before, but nothing compares to the dissatisfaction of not filling up the bag and basically wasting time and blood for naught.

But I shouldn't complain too much. While my friend did fill up a bag, she blacked out and had to spend the morning in the nurse's office. Craziness!