About Me

Monday, February 2, 2009

Blood Donation

That was me today, except probably not as excited as that girl, you could probably flip her face upside down and it would be closer to how I was feeling. Yesterday in Relief Society they had handed out a sign-up sheet for people to give blood and for those to volunteer. It's not that I have never wanted to help by donating blood (I did try once when I was a senior in high school....I went to the library and filled out all the paperwork to do it, then I sat and waited, and waited. I started to get really hot and feel kind of light-headed. They ran out of time and were not able to finish everyone, I can't say that I was too disappointed :D), it's just that the needles and the blood kind of freaked me out. So instead of signing up to donate I would go and volunteer. I got there today and there was only one person donating blood, I was assigned to be at the snack table. Since there was not many people there I started texting friends trying to convince them to come and donate, one of them was Erin, she told me that she was already planning on coming in later and that I should do it with her.
When Erin arrived, I talked to her for a bit and then decided that I should work to overcome my fears and so I went and signed up. First glitch, I didn't have any photo ID, solution: use Erin's ID to go and print off a copy of my BYU ID (btw Erin, I still have your ID and I owe you $.07 :D). I sit down and start to read the information, some of it was soothing but some of it just made it worse. I got called to go back behind the screens, the lady takes me behind like two or three others before she gets to the one where I get to sit down (I tried sitting down in the wrong where some other girl was sitting). Next glitch, she asked me my Social Security Number and I blanked, solution: just leave it blank. I then had to fill out some questionare thing about all drugs that I have taken, and whether or not I have had sex for drugs, money, or jewelry. The lady then came back and took my blood sample, temperature and a couple of other things. It seemed like every little while they would ask me what my name was again (I'm glad that I didn't blank on that part :D).
I was then told to go and sit down in a chair. I was kind of stupid and sat watching Erin for awhile while she was getting ready to have her blood drawn. But then it was my turn. I was really nervous, but the lady was very nice and told me when to look away. It actually didn't hurt really that much. I was almost done when she asked me how I was feeling, my response-not so good, I was feeling rather queasy and thought that I was going to be sick. The lady quickly grabbed two ice packs, one for under my neck and another for on top and then gave me a bag to throw up into, I contined to lay down for like 10 minutes and then they brought me a water bottle, then I was allowed to sit up for like another 10 minutes, then finally I moved to the snack area for another 15-20 minutes before I went home.
I was quite surprised of how simple it was and that it didn't hurt that much, it's just that I always over-analyze things and over stress/worry over them so that I make myself sick, which is what I am pretty sure that I did today. I am not sure that I am hankering to do this everyday, but I think that it will be something that I will go and do again.




2 comments:

  1. Hey beth.Do you have looked at my comment?I want to make friends
    with you.I'm the friend of marni.I
    think maybe you are her friend.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your entry brought back so many memories. I too had finally worked past my nerves my Sophomore year of college, only to get there and realize I was disqualified for serving a mission in Peru. I still haven't given blood to this day. I should take your lead . . .

    ReplyDelete