Yippee, 2dae i donated Blood (in school) again =)
I simply love the idea of donating blood and saving all the As ppl :p
Last year, was my 1st time donating blood--under parental consent but being 18 alr this year, things get even simpler +)
Glad that i got a very good nurse 2dae and everything went smoothly!
Sad that no one in my class went with me to donate blood for such a good cause :X
Now, let me share with you some FAQs about Blood Donation:
How long does it take to donate?
They advertize that it takes about an hour, but it took one hour and fifty-five minutes for us one time, even with an appointment and being a previous donor (including myself!)
How do they get the blood out of you?
They will poke you twice, once in a finger to get a drop of blood for an initial test, then when they draw your blood donation.
Okay, yes, this is when it hurts a little, but just for a few seconds. While you lie down on a very large well-padded lounge chair, the nurse puts a needle in a vein in your arm. No, the needle is not the size of a drainpipe.
For some people, if you are warm the vein is easier to find, so if a nurse has had trouble finding yours, keep a sweater on next time. (My LHS vein is too small and not suitable for them to pluck the thick needle in :X)
Once the needle is in place it doesn't really hurt and you might not even notice it. (That's very true =) Then, when the nurse tells you to, you start squeezing something like a a rubber ball that they give you once every five seconds. It takes about ten minutes to pump out a pint. Racing to pump blood faster than your friend at the next table is not advised :p
There will be one or more nurses and Docs in the room the whole time you and other people are donating. If it is your first time they pay special attention to you LOL.
Having an experienced nurse who get right down to the correct vein helps (Thanks to her, my hand never bruise seriously 2dae!) and please RELAX when donating--i know it's pretty difficult to achieve this esp for 1st timer--but trust me, having a calm mind does aid the needle injecting process and blood flow!!!i still rmb last year where my stupid blood flew so slowly and i got to sit on the chair for so long... Think i squeezed the cutie blood-droplet-toy too hard and was too nervous! Luckily the needle never break :D Haha, love donating blood cos it's a Super good deed.
Morale of the story, "Be cool and donate blood if you can!"
They may sae that by donating one BAGful of (hot :p) blood, you will save 3 lives cos the bag will be spilt up... etc. but in actual fact, major operation will use up not only 1 or 2 but numerous packets of blood so the Blood Bank is always seeking donors (*_*)
Some real stats--Preliminary studies also found that heart attacks and other cardiac problems were less common in men who had donated blood compared to men who had not. The two studies involved over 6,500 men and were conducted by the University of Kansas and the University of Kuopio in Finland. Researchers believe by giving blood, men -- and post-menopausal women -- rid their bodies of excessive iron, which is thought to contribute to heart disease. While the medical community is still not certain if a link exists between blood donation and reduced risk of heart attack, giving blood certainly doesn't harm a donor and helps patients who need blood.
So, what are you waiting for? Be a Samaritan and Donate the best.gift to Blood Bank 2dae :)
