I gave blood last night. This probably shouldn’t be that big a deal, but the last time I gave blood was eleven years ago. Something that the nice ladies at the Red Cross did give me some (gentle) shit about. To which I wanted to reply “Is that really any worse than if I’d never given blood before?” Unfortunately, I was too busy being embarrassed about the fact that the last time I gave blood, Peanuts was still being published, the Dot-Com bubble was still forming and 9/11 hadn’t happened yet.
To be honest, I got my blood donor card in the mail when I got home from getting my very first ever tattoo, said “they don’t want my blood for another year” and then forgot about ever donating again. Maybe this makes me a terrible human being, but I think it just makes me human. I’m forgetful.
Also, I don’t like needles.
Says the girl with two tattoos.
Pro tip: Don’t try to make your doctor feel bad about giving you several shots by saying how much you hate needles. She’ll see your tattoos when checking out your back later on that appointment and she will mock you for being a hypocrite. And then she will ask for that lollipop back.
Whatever the reason, I haven’t given blood in quite some time. But, I had some free time last night, I saw the signs for the blood drive and I decided that I would like some free cookies and a T-shirt. Also, something something something critical blood shortage something.
(The fact that my paternal grandfather recently made it out of major surgery with everything a-ok also might have had something to do with me wanting to recharge Ye Olde Karma Banke).
The physical act of donating blood is not exactly what I would call fun, but it did make me feel better about myself in a Stuff White People Like sort of a way. There are things that we do because we care about our friends or our families or our fellow human beings. Things that we hope are helpful. Things that we hope will make a difference. Lying on that table, staring at those ugly ceiling tiles, I realized that I was doing something concrete. Something useful. Something helpful. Someone out there is going to need my blood. And they’re going to get it.
Of course, all of this goes out the window if that someone is a filthy vampire and they’re just going to drink it up, juice-box style.
Damn vampires.
I’ve known several people in my life who were regular blood donors and they were all people that I’ve greatly admired. My sister, Allison, is a regular donor because she’s type O- (which makes her a universal donor) and her blood is just so damn useful. Another woman donates blood, because she didn’t have a lot of money and it’s her way of helping out without writing big checks for important causes. Another guy I know donates platelets, because he has a lot of them and he knows how important they are.
Me? I’m just a girl who loves free cookies and hates needles. Who wants to do the right thing but has a history of anxiety. Who knows it’s not a big deal, but worries about getting light-headed.
Things went well last night. I have “good veins” which made the technician happy. Which made me happy, because there was not a whole lot of jabbing necessary. Any discomfort afterwards was pretty much just from my nerves. Plus, they gave me fruit snacks and raisins. From start to finish, the whole process took about an hour. And that’s with me not having an appointment and having to wait for a technician.
The woman who did my intake told me that blood supplies are so critically low that they call everyone on their list as soon as their 56 days are up to ask them to come back in. When they call me? I think I’m going to answer.
If you’re interested in giving blood yourself, please click here.
PS: Allison’s favorite friendly wager is to bet someone a pint of blood on something. Theoretically, the loser is supposed to donate blood. Well, I bet you all a pint of blood that you won’t give blood. I think that means that if you give blood, I have to give blood. But if you don’t give blood, you have to give blood. Which means that I have to give blood. Which means that you don’t have to give blood, because you gave blood. Which means that I just created a paradox. Which means that I’ve gone all cross-eyed.
Just go donate blood, OK?
Yay you! Donating blood is so so so important and not enough people do it. I did it quite regulary up until I was diagnosed with MS and was thus banned from donating more than 10 years ago. Which sucks, because I think blood donations are so important.
I must have set some kind of good example though, because Bro3 started to donate on a regular basis around the time I was banned. By now also Bro1 and Bro2 donate pretty regulary. I think the reason for that might also be, that our mother got dozens of blood transfusions a few years ago and that saved her life! So… yes, folks: Go and follow Hope’s example!
I faint when they take blood for my physical, so I don’t think your bet is even an option for me.
I think that people with firsthand experience with blood transfusions know just how important it is. I know that thinking about my grandfather as I walked by the sign was definitely a factor for me. I walk by blood drive signs all the time (I work on a college campus) and I always say “I should do that,” but thinking about my grandfather made me actually go and do it. :p
Your family sounds awesome! 🙂
Well, your wife is a blood donation rock star, so I think she has you covered. 😉
I haven’t donated in a long time. My husband has a blood condition where he produces too many red blood cells, so he has to donate on a regular basis.
I got kicked out of a blood drive once because I was too slow of a bleeder. The nurse seemed disgusted with me, told me I was dehydrated and told me to get lost. (in so many words)
I’ve been back since and try to donate a few times a year. And I remember to hydrate really well for a day or two before I go.
I bet it hasn’t been as long as I went!
That nurse sounds awful! You were doing a good thing and she was mean to you? Not cool.
I was a quick bleeder at first, but then it slowed down considerably. I had to do a lot of extra squeezing with the little squeeze ball thing-y.
I try to give blood. Unfortunately, the last few times I attended our regular blood drive at work, the nurses were unable to tap a vein. They can find them, but the veins are spindly and they roll. So, efforts to get my blood were not in vein, but in vain.
A couple of times before, they didn’t have a working centrifuge to spin my blood sample. I have a trait from my Italian side that makes the volume of my blood cells smaller. So, the initial “put drop of blood in liquid” test for iron content always fails. I’m really not anemic. Seriously.
Blood not in vein, but in vain. Ahahahahahahaha!
I tried to donate last week and failed the iron test. Boo.
I’m trying to be better at going regularly. I’m on a blood drive listserv at work and I try to make a visit every time they announce one. Mostly I just need to be able to plan ahead. Walking past a sign for a blood drive just makes me realize that I’ve hardly eaten and will surely faint or I don’t have an hour to spare or whatever, somehow it just never works out.
Yeah, that’s pretty much always me. I go, “wow I should really do that.” And then I don’t. :p