Give Blood

Today (as the title suggests) i gave blood for the very first time. The sticker on my hand and the yellow dye on my arm are proof!

Going in for the procedure was a scary task in itself but i've come out the other side a new and better person.....not, really, it just sounded good!

I got really nervous and edgy about it because all these thoughts kept racing through my head such as what if i have cancer (i've always had a feeling that i'm gonna die from breast cancer!), what if i'm iron deficient, what if they tell me i have all these bad things and then there was the horrible thought of how much it would hurt!

Well in hindsight i can safely say now that i'm fine! At least for the time being! Sure, there's still a risk that they could find something bad in my blood but i gave blood so they can test it all.....they can't take my red blood cells until my next visit but they said they could use my plasma which was just as important. I also get to find out what blood type i am which will be cool and it's something i'm really excited about and looking forward to seeing!

So please still pray for my blood results that they're clean and healthy, also for my iron levels which i'm doubtful about.

When you give blood you have to go through rigmarol!!!! First you have an interview with a nurse which isn't too stressful except for the blood pressure machine, damn, i hate that machine, it can go to hell!!!! It really hurts, feels like it pinches your arm and cuts of circulation to your hand I HATE IT. Then the nurse pin pricks your finger to find out your haemoglobin levels which mine were fine. She was right when she said most patients say it hurts more than giving blood - it really does!!! It leaves a nasty stinging after effect!

Then you go and give your blood away and let me tell you, when you've never been before, it's a scary sight, 'specially if you don't like the sterile environment of a hospital!

I got over it and the nurse called me up, she was the most precious thing ever!!!! She made me feel comfortable and even told me that i had the best seat in the house coz it was near the tv - bleh, i'm not a tv fan so i felt bad for taking 'the best seat'.

Next TIM LEWELLYN was my nurse for the afternoon. He used to go to my old church and so it was really weird letting him take my blood, i felt so vulnerable!!!! I had actually wanted the young nurse who looked like Dr House to take my blood but he didn't, anyway, he was married?! hahah.....but anyway, we chatted about the church he now goes to and other Salvation Army things and he was really good to have! I expressed my worries to him and he said that as long as i didn't look at the needle going in, i'd be fine. So i didn't but it still hurt!!!!!! Damn, imagine having a thick blood-sucking needle hanging out of your arm, it's not a pretty sight! But i soon got over the paini and started watching my blood rock from side to side on their weird rocking scales! I became transfixed and a nurse called out to me from the other side of the room 'sweetheart are you feeling ok?' I broke out of the trance i was in and replied that i was fine. I think more than anything, it just made me really weary! I got really tired and just wanted to sleep, the chair i was in didn't help coz it was laid back. But i managed to stay awake for it, i didn't want them thinking i was dying or something. You also had to squeeze this little red thing every ten seconds to pump out more blood. Pretty soon my little bag of blood was getting full to the max! It truly was awesome and incredibly amazing what was happening! We have soooooo much blood you know - God is incredible!!!

Anyway so Tim removed the massive, giant sized syringe out of my arm and i was ordered to lay there and recover - that was boring but apparently they make all blood donating virgins do that! After it, tim escorted me to the tea room where i was again ordered to sit, eat, drink and relax. The nurses stuffed me silly!!!!! First she gave me a glass of water, then she gave me a ham sandwich and then she gave me a salad and then asked me if i wanted a popper, how could i resist, i LOVE poppers!!!! They kept asking me if i was ok, at one point they even asked Tim if i was ok when i was standing right there?! I was fine man?! Even tim was getting worried about me getting back to work.......geeez they must have a lot of passouts!!!!!

So that was my deflowering for donating blood, pretty exciting huh?! Well i'm excited and i'm so excited that i wanna book another trip to the blood dr again soon and take more people with me next time but i have to wait coz the date's not on their list yet?! aw mannnnnnnn..........

Today, i possibly saved someone's life and if that isn't the case then i at least helped someone on the road to recovery and as one of my good friends says, that makes me a legend!!! wooooooooooooooo.......

Apparently i get a keyring the next time i go but i am no longer a blood donor virgin and it feels great?!

So if you EVER get the chance to donate the blood that's just sitting under your skin that you apparently don't need, make sure you give your blood away, the nurses are over-grateful to you for doing it and even though it hurts a little bit, you will possibly save someone's life - what are you waiting for?! Someone is dying and you just might be their lifesaver - don't ya wanna be a hero?

GO FOR GOLD!!!

Tink xoxo

PS: I have a little bruise and hole in my arm where the mother of a needle went in to extract my blood! Awesome war injuries, could've been better though!