Pardon me for the gap in between posts, time isn't really on my side right now. School ends at 5 plus everyday, and i'm dead beat when i return home.
The past week has been an eventful one, especially the occasion when i (first time in 18 years) donated blood in school. I didn't give it a shot last year, so i thought i would this year. Pretty charitable act by the way, according to them, one packet can save up to 3 lives!
I wasn't the only one in my class who wanted to contribute, but i ended up BEING the only one. My classmates didn't clear the last minute checks before the procedure. Some had recent fevers, with doses of medication in their bloodstream, some were not of suitable weight, and some had insufficient iron in their blood.
I went to each mandatory checkup, one by one. They tested you for fever, asked you a few questions about your personal health. They even tested your iron level by pricking your middle finger, to obtain a size-able sample(squeeze). I passed all.
It was down to the final act of drawing the blood. I would be lying if i said i wasn't afraid of the needle, considering its striking resemblance to that of a Yakult Straw. There were 2 injections. The first was for an anaesthetic, so as to aid numbing of the area where the 2nd needle would penetrate the skin. Surprisingly, the first(and thinner) needle hurt more than the 2nd. By the time the 2nd needle(Yakult Straw), went in, it was almost painless. Blood flowed like a river.
Flow, flow
Halfway
So there i lay, for around 15mins, waiting for the 450ml packet to fill up to its brim. There was the occasional pain when i shifted my arm and the needle contacted with my vein, but with the anaesthetic, it's like an ant bite. They gave me a stress ball to squeeze occasionally, to stimulate blood flow.
A Vampire's Favourite Food
At the end of the process, while waiting for the nurse to attend to me, i was actually hoping that the packet would not burst and splatter the floor. My fear didn't come true, luckily(i would be having high blood pressure if it did).
Yum
Some people became faint whilst donating, and the process had to be halted. But nevertheless, i applaud them for their effort! It's quite touching to see so many students contributing to the Blood Bank to help save lives, many who are doing their first, like me. After the donation, you were treated to some goodies, biscuits, milo and all. I helped myself. There was an inner feeling of happiness, once you realise that someone on the brink of death could be brought back by the mere packet of liquid that you just gave.
Hurray for blood donors! ^^
They gave a sort of bandage to stop the bleeding and identify you as a donor. I took it off at night, and here's what i saw.
Puncture
That about sums up my blood donating experience. Do give blood when you have the chance! Save lives ^^!
