There was a blood drive at my school today. I intended to donate blood last year, but I forgot to turn in the permission slip. I was really excited about it!
The entire experience was really painless. I answered a bunch of questions to ensure that my blood was usable, and then my finger got pricked so they could take a sample for the same reason. I was moved to the chair where about six other people were getting their blood taken. The nurse put the needle in and let it do its thing. I drank my water and relaxed. This kind of stuff doesn't bother me. I don't freak out at the sight of needles, I don't get queasy around blood, and I have a high pain tolerance. So there was nothing to worry about.
However, about five minutes before I was done, my hand started to go numb. I wiggled my fingers, thinking that it must have had something to do with losing blood. The numb feeling spread to the rest of my arm. I looked up at the nurse and asked him if my arm was supposed to be numb. He loosened the blood pressure cuff and asked if I was okay. The room started to spin, and then I passed out.
About five seconds later, I heard a woman's voice saying, "Honey, come back, come back to me." I reassured her by telling her that I wasn't going anywhere. (Oh the wonders of semi-conscious ramblings.) I opened my eyes and stared at the three nurses standing around me. "Well hi!" I greeted them. They told me that they were going to stop drawing blood, and that it was okay. "You've given enough for the unit to be usable," one of the nurses told me. I was feeling absolutely fantastic after I regained consciousness. I drank some Gatorade and ate some Oreos as I thought about how wimpy it was to pass out while I gave blood. Most people pass out afterwards. Not me, apparently.
But the entire experience was awesome. I feel really good about giving blood, and I hope to do it again in the future very soon. Hopefully, by that time, I'll be able to do it without passing out.
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