I gave blood on my lunch break yesterday; I had wanted to donate my blood for a long while. I went to give blood at my local blood bank in 2008 but I had recently had a piercing at the time and so the nurse said I couldn’t do it, after that I suppose it just never crossed my mind to go back again, until recently that is. I had been looking around for somewhere to donate and then when I wasn’t looking I stumbled across a place to donate.
I was walking through the back streets of Oxford Street as I was on my way to work; I was almost at my destination of work place when I saw a blood bank, I went in and made an appointment for 2.00, my lunch hour.
The morning at work went by pretty quickly, I didn’t hang around to eat with anybody I left to complete my bloody mission. After waiting around for a little while, and drinking lemonade it was my turn to donate.
First of all I had an iron test where a lady pricked my finger and squeezed out my blood, she then got a little syringe and drained the blob of blood from my finger and put the blood in a test tube filled with some sort of liquid and pressed a button. The lady told me to take a seat on the red chairs outside and wait until my name was called. I sat comfortably for at least a minute until a girl called my name. I could tell she was a trainee nurse, as she looked young and fresh faced. I was a little sceptical as back in year 8 or 9 when I had my BCG skin test I had a trainee nurse who supposedly was about to kill me as she placed the 6 pin needle in the wrong place, lucky she didn’t press down. Anyhow as a result of that experience I wondered what was in store for me. I didn’t say anything or act hesitantly towards the nurse I just let her do her thing and thought to myself, whatever will be will be.
The nurse asked which arm I wanted to use, I said my left and then she asked me to lie down. I didn’t feel nervous; as I have had so many piercings I find the whole medicinal experience fairly thrilling. The nurse cleaned my arm for 30 seconds, she used a timer to count the 30 seconds, she then let it dry for 30 seconds and then it was time. The nurse asked if I was ready, I told her I was more than ready and sort of in a rush to get back to work. In the needle went; it felt completely fine. The nurse asked me to open and close my hand to help the blood pump out, I was opening and closing my left hand so quickly as I figured it would make the blood pump faster. I read in a booklet before I signed up to give my blood that if you squeeze your bum cheeks then it helps the blood pump quickly. And so I was lying down on this bed opening and closing my left hand really rapidly whilst squeezing my left bum check then my right and then both at the same time repeatedly. There were five other donators surrounding me all on different beds who were all donating at the same time as me, I was the last to lie down but I was also the first to finish donating. The nurse said my blood pumped out really fast which means I have really good circulation. This made me happy. It took 4 minutes and 19 second. The nurse then went on to say, ‘as good as that is, if you have an accident you will loose blood just as fast’.
I watched the whole process of the needle going in and the blood coming out, I found it fascinating. I didn’t get light headed, sick or anything people say you usually get when giving blood. Afterwards I was told to sit down for 10 minutes before leaving and eat some food, I had no time I said, I had to get back to work and off I went. All in all it was a good experience, I know somebody is in need of my blood much more than I am, I have more than enough and so I can spare some on a regular occasion and so I will most certainly become a regular donor, you are allowed to donate every 4 months. Go and give your blood.
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