dont you think its time

giving blood

when i was younger, i remember going to the blood donor clinic with my mom. she would sit with the blood pumping into that funny little machine that rocks back and forth and i would sit and eat a whole bunch of cookies and wait for her to be done. this experience instilled in me the lesson that those who can give blood should (thanks mom).
so last year when the blood donor clinic set up at uvic i marched in there ready to donate. but they turned me away. i had my ear pierced in the last year and apparently that meant i could have hepatitis and not yet know it. i knew it alright. i was ticked. heres me- young and healthy with darn good blood- and they didnt want it!
but i didnt give up. i just resolved to come back once my year of waiting was over.
which was this wednesday!
they pricked my finger and watched my blood float to the bottom to make sure i had enough iron in my blood. they made me fill out the questionnaire where i asserted that i had not had my ear pierced in the last year... or lived in England between 1980 and 1996. then the nurse took my blood pressure and temperature.
"hmmmm..." she said, "you're blood pressure is too low. i cant accept that low of a reading."
WHAT!! i told her that i had waited all year that i was young and healthy and had excellent blood!! she told me that it was good i was getting all mad about it... that it might bring my blood pressure up and she would take another reading. she said that usually she tells people to be calm and not to be nervous... but she was wanting me to get all worked up about it! (hooray she could tell that they obviously needed strong blood like mine;)
so after the second reading she sent me out to lie on the bed. i had asked for them to use my left arm (because im right handed) but the nurse couldnt find a vein in my left arm. so she tried my right. i was okay with that. i was just glad to be stabbed with the needle at all!
about 15 minutes was all it took and i was ready to mossie. but they made me go sit and eat some cookies and drink some juice before i was allowed to leave.
they had warned me that i might feel light headed. i didnt anticipate it though. im sitting there chatting with the girl next to me... and WHAM! i felt super dizzy... the nurse ran over and yelled "ten in the kitchen!!" as if yelling anything wouldnt give away to the entire place what was going on... sheesh! i was so embarrassed... as they all ran over and moved me to another cot and covered me with cold clothes and made me eat this giant pez candy to get my glucose levels up.
so then i felt better and was ready to get out of there! but they wanted me to stay awhile longer. i managed to get myself off the embarrassing cot and back to my seat at the table with the people who were obviously veterans at this. im sitting there.. drinking more juice and trying to eat more cookies. when the nurse comes over and says... "you look really pale sweetie" and wham! the dizziness again. so the production practically runs all over again. im embarrassed even more. but now that im lying down i feel way better and would like to just get the heck outta there!
this time they really wouldnt let me leave. they wanted me to call someone to come pick me up and take me home. but i knew that at 230 in the afternoon, no one could. but i did know that my friend anna had just gotten out of class... so i phoned her. i just told her i needed her to come rescue me from the blood donor clinic. she was there pronto (like the loyal friend she is!). i quickly whispered the escape plan to her and she executed it perfectly. she reassured those nurses that she would give me a lift home and tuck me into bed.

outta there!! haha. i instantly felt better to be in the fresh air and to have weasled my way free. it made me think that maybe sometimes people in the hospital actually feel more sick because they are stuck in the hospital. just a thought though...
anna had expressed her concern for my pale face but wasnt about to convince me otherwise. once i was outside she said the colour returned and i was looking myself again. she walked me to the bus stop and tried to mother me until my bus arrived and then she promised to phone later and check on my status (which she faithfully did!).

now.. please dont think that i was foolish.. okay perhaps it was a bit. but once i was on that bus i was back to normal and made my way home just fine... and made myself a tuna melt and relaxed.

in all it had turned out to be quite the episode. but i will give blood the next time they come round to the university. the nurse told me that bc is always negative about 15% from what they need and they have to borrow from other provinces. i insist on doing what i can for what i believe is a worthwhile cause. even after this tale... (it wasnt that bad!) i encourage all of you to give blood too!

posted by Megan @ 12:03 p.m.