I was a good boy today. I rode my bike to work instead of driving and I donated blood.
Have you ever donated blood before? This was my first time. It's quite an experience. They ask you questions like
"If you are a man, have you had sex with another man, even once?"
"Are you donating blood just to get the free AIDS test?"
"Have you ever had sex in exchange for money or drugs?"
"Have you ever had sex with someone who has had sex in exchange for money or drugs?"
"Have you ever had sex with someone from Africa?"
They won't take your blood if you answer yes to any of those questions. And if you've lived certain places, like England, India, or France for more than a couple months, they won't take your blood. If you've been to Guadalajara, in the last six months, even for one day, they won't take your blood. A slight cough will disqualify you. No wonder there's a blood shortage.
After answering the questionnaire, they prick your finger with a special plastic pricking device and collect a drop of blood. They drip the blood into a solution of copper sulfate and if the drop doesn't sink, you don't have enough iron in your blood and they turn you away. You also have to have a good pulse, blood pressure, and body temperature.
If you're lucky enough to be one of the chosen few, they scrub your arm with alcohol and a scouring pad. This is the most painful part of the whole process. My arm was red and raw from where they scrubbed it!
As they were extracting my blood, my fingers and toes got all tingly. I could have fallen asleep right there! But I had to stay awake to periodically squeeze a ball using the hand attached to the arm they had tapped. I guess if you don't move your hand periodically to keep the blood flowing the process takes longer.
Having taken their pint of blood (that's one pound worth!), they disconnected the collection bag but still had to fill a couple test tubes with blood for their screening tests. Finally they pulled the needle from my vein. I had the needle in my arm for about fifteen minutes all together. My friends told me that my face was ashen for about five minutes after the process. Apparently all the blood they took came straight from my face. I wasn't quite light-headed. More like a "level 2" on the 10-piont drunkenness scale, but not exactly the same.
It was quite a unique experience. I highly recommend it.
Have you ever donated blood before? This was my first time. It's quite an experience. They ask you questions like
"If you are a man, have you had sex with another man, even once?"
"Are you donating blood just to get the free AIDS test?"
"Have you ever had sex in exchange for money or drugs?"
"Have you ever had sex with someone who has had sex in exchange for money or drugs?"
"Have you ever had sex with someone from Africa?"
They won't take your blood if you answer yes to any of those questions. And if you've lived certain places, like England, India, or France for more than a couple months, they won't take your blood. If you've been to Guadalajara, in the last six months, even for one day, they won't take your blood. A slight cough will disqualify you. No wonder there's a blood shortage.
After answering the questionnaire, they prick your finger with a special plastic pricking device and collect a drop of blood. They drip the blood into a solution of copper sulfate and if the drop doesn't sink, you don't have enough iron in your blood and they turn you away. You also have to have a good pulse, blood pressure, and body temperature.
If you're lucky enough to be one of the chosen few, they scrub your arm with alcohol and a scouring pad. This is the most painful part of the whole process. My arm was red and raw from where they scrubbed it!
As they were extracting my blood, my fingers and toes got all tingly. I could have fallen asleep right there! But I had to stay awake to periodically squeeze a ball using the hand attached to the arm they had tapped. I guess if you don't move your hand periodically to keep the blood flowing the process takes longer.
Having taken their pint of blood (that's one pound worth!), they disconnected the collection bag but still had to fill a couple test tubes with blood for their screening tests. Finally they pulled the needle from my vein. I had the needle in my arm for about fifteen minutes all together. My friends told me that my face was ashen for about five minutes after the process. Apparently all the blood they took came straight from my face. I wasn't quite light-headed. More like a "level 2" on the 10-piont drunkenness scale, but not exactly the same.
It was quite a unique experience. I highly recommend it.
VIEW 3 of 3 COMMENTS
badm0j02:
a friend in arroyo grande just joined the site today. as soon as he sets up a profile, i'll tell you his name. Mabye you can get a CC_SG group goin'.
christine3782:
I tried to give blood a little over a year ago. They didn't want my potentially malaria-infected blood.