"May" We Tell You You ROCK?! (Remember! Both donors AND NON-donors are stars!)

[nutraxfornerves]

I was wearing my 10-gallon T shirt today. As I was exiting the supermarket, a man approached me.
"Excuse me, but are you really a 10 gallon donor?"
"Yes"
"I'm an anesthesiologist." (I notice he's wearing scrubs.) "Blood is about the most important thing there is and I want to thank you."
"My husband had a perforated ulcer that blew into an artery. He needed 12 units. I figure this is payback."
"I like the way you think. Keep it up!"

[LadyDyani]

My daughter turned 16 in October, and she decided she wanted to go with me to my appointment yesterday. She's been talking about wanting to donate since her birthday, so she asked if they could fit her in.

Here's a few quotes:

"Wow, that was a lot of questions."
"Look mom, they had to stick my finger twice!" - We both had bandaids on both hands.
"Will this hurt?"
"I don't wanna look!"
"Is it full yet?"
"That hurt way less than I thought it would."

And an hour later after we got home:

"I'm kind of dizzy."

When I suggested she use ice so she didn't develop a bruise, she waffled a bit and said she was too cold to use ice. I looked at her and realized. She wanted a bruise to show off to her friends at school. So she skipped the ice. Still didn't get a bruise. 

She was very excited, and she did good. I'm very proud of her.

[GreenEyedHawk]

Had to take a break from donating due to some health and stress issues, but I'll be back in the saddle...errr...chair....February 1st!

[Niamh84]

I only just donated for the first time last year. Donated twice but when I went in for my next appointment in November I had a support on my wrist so they wouldn't let me donate (Ireland is crazy strict, they didn't really have a reason for not letting my donate using my other arm but you just have to accept their decision whether it makes sense or not) so I was going to go in December but I got a cold so obviously couldn't then. 

I then forgot all about it until reading this thread. Even though having just read a couple of pages my ears are now ringing and I have a horrible knot in my stomach you've given me the push to go.  I'll see about making an appointment for tomorrow .

[Niamh84]

Appointment made for next week.  I'm feeling really odd and dizzy now (Can you tell what a complete baby I am about this!!?) 

[Snooks]

I'm booked in for Tuesday.  I think this will be pint 37.

[Arila]

I got a call while I was getting in the car to go to work -- I'd forgotten all about the appointment at the work drive today -- went back in side to put on some short sleeves.


I find that when someone else gets woozy, it's really contagious to me, so I had to practice some meditation to avoid thinking about the lady who they were fussing over so much. I keep telling myself that I've done it like 10 times already, so I need to stop psyching myself out!

I filled my blood bag faster than the super-fit fireman in the chair next to me! Also, they have new monitoring machines - they sound like Mario Brothers when you finish your donation -- ding ding ding!!!

[gmatoy]

My DH is a universal donor and, until health reasons restricted him, he donated as often as he could. Until they told him that he was "more valuable" being on call for emergencies involving babies. He was so happy that they would call and have him come in to donate for a baby! (He had never been exposed to a lot of things that make most people's blood not a good match for infants.)

I have a problem with the lack of iron, so I could never donate. I'm very proud of DH, for his willingness to get up in the middle of the night to donate blood!

[GreenEyedHawk]

I don't like seeing the needle...I won't freak out or anything if I see it in my arm; I'd just rather not.  What I DO like watching is the thing the blood bag rests on, sloshing the blood back and forth, back and forth.  Something about the rhythm of it is relaxing.

Yeah, I know I'm weird.

[ladyknight1]

I've donated 1 and 5/8th gallons so far. I fell off the donation wagon due to a few somewhat negative experiences and then being very busy.

Because of an extra credit option for a class, I made an appointment to donate tomorrow.

[ladyknight1]

Oh, and I am B- and DH is O+, DS is O+, so I got to have the lovely Rh shots when I was pregnant and after delivery.

DH was stationed in Germany in the early 1990's and can no longer give, but he used to donate with me a lot.

[Snooks]

I felt like I was in the zombie apocalypse the last time I gave because there were no platelet donors so it was really quiet and they had more staff than they needed for the three blood donors.  The donor carer forgot to inflate the pressure so it's a good thing I've got good veins otherwise I suspect they'd have been peeling me off the ceiling.

[ladyknight1]

I couldn't donate as I was running a low grade temperature. Very strange, considering I am not sick.

[LadyDyani]

I couldn't donate as I was running a low grade temperature. Very strange, considering I am not sick.

Did you have your heat on high in the car on the way there? I once had my temp register as 101. Waited 20 minutes and took it again and it was 97.8, which is usual for me. Having the heat on high and wearing a coat can make you overheated.

[ladyknight1]

No, I was in my car with the AC, since it was 80F that day.