I am finally a certified blood donor!
As everyone who donated blood will boast, I am saving 3 lives!
It was not the fun-nest of experiences, unfortunately. For me that is. I don't know what the average blood donating time is (the nurses say 10-15 minutes) but I was on that stretcher bed for way longer than that.
From the get go, we horrible people wanted to donate because we thought we would fail for sure at the stations.
1) Weight /BMI. You can't be below 45kg.
2) Your drop of blood gotta sink (iron probably)
3) You can't have low blood pressure.
Some of us just wanted to know our blood types haha. I was pretty borderline (45.7kg) but I told the nurses I just had skinny arms, don't worry.
I was so sure I'd fail at station 1. But I told myself if I passed all stations I'd just go do it. I mean, Maeyue donates every year =P
I'll bet it's fun for some people. This guy came in much later after I'd started and left before I was near getting done. Guys have larger veins. He was spouting like a fountain while I dripped like a leaky faucet. After awhile, he noticed my torture and kept laughing at my moaning. Yes, I moaned. And I kept comparing the colour of my arms. I think I took half an hour and I admit, I was being a huge baby. Then again, who wouldn't be when their arm's turning blue. Damn freaky okay.
After you fill up a bag, they take 3 vials of samples. I couldn't even fill 2, it was so strange. But I've made it! Now there's just this ugly bruise and puncture wound.
I thought I'd never donate again, cos' really, the horrible pressure on my arm was killing me. I was so scared I actually teared a little, albeit while laughing. But I think I'll recover after a year of regenerating blood cells. I'll be back!
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I was pretty confident about driving home right after. Of course I made sure to gobble down carbs and the sweetest drink I could find. But I just realized how out of control it would be if I blacked out, as I experienced when blood completely drained from my head just now, getting up from the couch. Not to be taken lightly.
2 comments:
my first experience with donating blood was in singapore =)................ I almost fainted on the chair as my brain did not get enough blood during the "bag filling" part of the blood donation XD. So they tilted my chair up and i lay there with my legs higher in the air -_- well maybe i'll do it again one day =)
yea, i didn't faint but it sure wasn't fun. my arm was so long in the position that it got numb, no wonder no blood. think blood stayed in my brain cos i was talking so much and complaining the whole time haha
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