17. Donate Blood (again) and Not Pass Out.

BCBS had a blood drive on December 3^rd and I wavered about participating.  I’ve only given blood once in my entire life, in college, when I was 19 and weighted 120 pounds soaking wet.  Remember those days? Sigh.  Anyway, that one time I was able to give blood, I had to be carried back to my dorm room.  I remember it was around Halloween because my roommate and I were planning on going to Halloween party and I had to bail because I couldn’t get out of bed.  It really did me in. 

I had tried to donate a few other times, besides that one, but had been turned away each time because of my anemia. They test a small sample of blood before starting anything, and it needs to rank 12.5 or higher. 

With all these factors, you can see why I might be hesitant to donate blood again, especially at work.  The last thing I’d want is to pass out and be found under my desk, or be so sick I’d need to go home.  An email went around from one of the other admins on my floor, asking for people to sign up because participation up until that point had been low.  It also shared the fact that we’d earn a ½ day off AND we’d get a free small Yankee Candle.  SIGN.ME.UP.

I plugged myself on the calendar for 10:15, smack in between 2 meetings, and mentally prepared.  I stocked up on fluids that morning, and even brought a B Monster smoothie to work, to replenish vitamins.  Some may say I overreacted, while I like to think of it as being proactive.  I brought my camera down to the room to document my blood donating as much as I could without being creepy.  I signed in, and waited a few minutes until it was my time to go to the screening room.  They asked me a bunch of questions, took my vitals, tested my iron, 12.9 thank you very much!  Once I was cleared as healthy enough to donate, I was brought to a table where I was prepped.  The whole process took about 10 minutes, I was actually a little faster than everyone else donating, because my blood is perfect and awesome.  I waited until all the nurses were paying attention to other people, and I snapped a few semi-creepy pictures of me donating.

{I passed!}

{Photographic evidence that I went through with it!}

{I took this myself, imagine if I asked someone else?  THAT would have been creepy.}

{All done!}

{My post donation snack.}

Once I was all done, I grabbed some pretzels and a grape juice and sat for a few minutes until I was given the okay to leave.  I grabbed another grape juice for the road and went back to my cube.  I have to say, that while I didn’t pass out, or require carrying of any sort, it DEFINITELY knocked me down.  All day I was exhausted and dizzy, unable to focus. Even when I left work, I still wasn’t feeling 100%.  I had plans to go to Ratty’s apartment that night to hang out, and I barely made it from my car to his front door without laying in the middle of the street from pure exhaustion.  I obviously underestimated how awful I felt, because I thought I could make it to his apartment while carrying a duffle bag full of clothes, a computer and snacks.  I had to stop 3 times between my car and his door to catch my breath.  By the time I made it in his doorway I literally collapsed on the stairs, panting, absolutely sure I was going to either pass out or throw up, or both.  I left my bags in the lobby, texting Ratty to let him know to carry them up, and made the treacherous climb up 5 flights of stairs to his apartment.  I rested on the 3rd floor landing.  By the time I got to his door my heart was being out of my chest and my arms and legs were shaking.  I guess they really DO mean ‘no heavy lifting’ and ‘no strenuous activity’ on their paperwork.  For good reason.

I have to say, that although I thought I was dying, it did feel good to donate blood.  I am B negative, which is a relatively rare type, we can only give and receive from the same blood type, so supplies are limited.  I should definitely donate more often, but perhaps on a weekend, where I have nothing to do, and I don’t have to go back to work right after.

{Here is my wondering reward for donating.  It takes so little for me to be impressed.}