Tuesday, October 24, 2006

1st time for everything

I just donated a pint of blood.

To many of you that probably seems hardly noteworthy, you do it all the time.

For me this was a very hard first. I'm terrified of needles and blood coming out of my body. Blood tests at the doctors are an experience more notable for the terror than the resulting clean bill of health. I'm the patient that has to be stretched on the floor first, because well, it's easier to put me there than to have me fall there.

The stats don't lie... pulse: 72 normally 60; blood pressure 118 over 80 which seems high for me. Those are the physiological numbers of fear. Cold clammy hands. Lightheadness even before the anemia pin prick.

Hearty kudos to the blood center people. They were very gentle with my freaked out self. It's over now. I have a giant purple bandage strapped to my arm. It wasn't so bad. No giant hematoma like the ones from the MD's office.

It wasn't so bad, I could probably do this in the future.

3 comments:

MLE said...

Go you! I am very proud of you.

I think I can donate again. The last time I did was in August I think.

Monkey McWearingChaps said...

Between the tat and genetic anemia I'm not eligible and never have been. My sister got rejected last time she tried. Too bad, because we are a reasonably rare bloodtype or something.

-qir said...

I was off the hook for years because I'd taken anti-malarials when I went to South America.

But too many people need the blood for me to be stingy with my phobias.