I’ve been working at the American Red Cross for nine months and 15 days, and during those nine months and 15 days, I’ve adamantly told myself I’m going to give blood. I haven’t yet because I, like so many others, prefer not to be poked in the arm with a needle. This serious, full-blown, irrational, paranoid fear of needles is exemplified in two memorable experiences with shots:
1. The immunization shot. This shot was no big deal, I barely felt a pinch. Afterward, while my mom was chatting with the nurse, I was trying to get her attention. She kept consistently nudging me away thinking I was trying to interrupt her. No, I was only momentarily taking a pause to conveniently pass out!
2. The wisdom teeth. I was making a big fuss about the whole thing when the nurse pulled a sneak attack and stuck me with the shot to knock me out. I was so upset and blubbering, “YOU LIAR! YOU LIAR! YOU LIIIaaa…..” as I passed into dreamland.
Needless to say, I wasn’t in any particular HURRY to be poked again. But I soon came to the realization that we’re in a pretty serious blood shortfall, man – so I sucked it up and marched myself over to the Red Cross blood donation center (with my friend, Molly Graham, to hold my hand, of course). Let me break the whole top-bloody-notch (pun intended) experience down for you.
Prepare to give blood
Before you donate, do yourself a favor and visit redcrossblood.org. There’s helpful advice about what to do before, during and after giving blood. For example, some helpful tips for me:
1. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate: Drinking water is always important, so this comes as no surprise it’s important before giving blood too.
2. Wear comfy clothes: Do these awesome ranchero-style boots count? It doesn’t get in the way of my shirt rolling above my elbow for the nurse to poke my arm, so I think I’m good.
3. Pack on the iron: No, I’m not talking about the iron you lift in the gym (although that’s healthy, too). I’m talking about the iron that’s in your food. For example, the day of my donation I ate an egg, banana bread with jelly, a spinach and kale salad, a clementine, a kiwi, an apple, and a piece of bread with almond butter right before I gave blood.
Before giving blood
First, take two steps in the blood donation center’s door, and don’t look back!
Then, when you’re in the waiting area, casually take a gander at the FREE food already available BEFORE you give blood. I was feeling a little hungry, so I munched on some pretzels and slurped up more water while I waited for my turn.
When your turn comes, you’ll be taken to a separate waiting area. Don’t panic. Here you’ll be asked a series of basic questions while they check your temperature, blood pressure, and then… the dreaded finger-prick! This is necessary to determine your fate of whether or not you’ll be able to give blood that day.
Giving blood, the full lowdown
First-timers, you should know that the people who work at the blood donation centers are super nice and very professional. Karen Dominguez, bless her heart, was my phlebotomist (pronounced: fla-BOT-o-mist) of the night. She graciously seated my friend and me together. Karen kindly asked who wanted to go first. I decided if I watched my friend get poked first, I would likely back out. My courage was sky-high and I was ready to DO THIS. She told me she would count down when she would prick me in my right arm’s healthy veins.
One… Two… Three!
Done, it wasn’t that bad! And then… the panic set in.
Wait, that was it? That wasn’t that bad. Wait, blood’s coming out now? Let me take a peek. Bad idea… bad idea… Did the lights just dim down? I feel like I’m under water, is she talking to me? Am I freaking out? I think I’m freaking out. No wait, I’m definitely freaking out!
Folks, I put this in here because I want to be realistic about my experience. But in all seriousness, I was simply panicking. The prick in my arm really wasn’t that bad, but my anxiety-filled nerves got the best of me and started making me feel a little uneasy. Karen (BLESS HER SWEET LITTLE HEART) calmed me down, got me some cold, wet towels and told me to cough really deep into my stomach (all of which helped immensely).
In all, I totally regained my cool. Within 20 minutes a pint of blood was taken out of my five-foot body and placed into a bag that would soon be whisked away to someone in need. How cool is that? In a few weeks, I’ll also know my blood type!
In summation, go give blood. It does benefit someone out there and if they could, they would certainly let you know how much it means to them. Need proof?
@RedCross @hrstroud lol Thank you for giving blood. If it wasn’t ppl like you giving blood I wouldn’t be here today
— Sarah’s Escape (@SarahsEscape) January 28, 2014
