blood donation

I donate blood as often as I can... it's kinda like my own way of doing something for the society. Also, mom used to tell me that dad did it a lot when he was alive so in a way I'm probably trying to continue some sort of tradition.

I started donating at the age of 18 and I actually quite like doing it. It gives me a sense of pride or satisfaction or some sort knowing that what I do can help save someone's life.

I am squeamish about needles... but as long as I don't see where it goes, it's not as bad....

I've only had one collapse in all my years of donating. That one time, was in a mall, I saw that there was a blood donation drive and had gone over to volunteer. After I was done, I looked up and realized that there was a long queue of volunteers and being a 'seasoned' donor I told the nurse that I can just get up so that the next volunteer could start.

Two minutes after I had gotten up, spots started to blind my vision and the next thing I knew, I was back on the stretcher bed with nurses and my friend, Maggie looking at me "Are you ok? You blacked out and almost hit the ground, lucky we saw you were collapsing!"

This time, I was out with him in the mall and I saw a blood donation drive. Pretty quiet one too. So I walked over and signed up. Turns out I was their first volunteer, which really surprised me because it was about 2 in the afternoon.

Everything went well, as usual. Then when I told the nurse I wanted to get up, she held on to the bed and he extended his hand to hold my left arm (I was donating with my right) and somehow as a reflex to getting up, I used my right arm to help push me off the bed.

THEN I realized that I had used my right arm and I looked down, blood was gushing out cuz I applied pressure to it. Hahaha... he panicked a bit... the nurses panicked a bit... and all I did was stare at my blood flowing out staining my arm, top and a bit of the floor

They made me lie down again.

This time he made sure that he lifted me off the bed instead of letting me get up by myself :)


Then I had realized AFTER the entire incident that he's squeamish about needles and blood....

He's really fantastic I'm telling you... in his own little subtle ways... he's blowing my mind...