Donating Blood...It doesn't hurt a bit!

Tra and I went to the Red Cross a few weeks ago (note, they are on 524 Forest Ave and their phone # is 775-2367 because I know you'll want to donate!) to donate. I've been a regular donor for years and am proud to report that Tracy has now become one, and this was her third time donating. The fact of the matter is that blood donations are ALWAYS NEEDED. The shelf-life of blood is 42 days. So there is a constant need for supplies to be replenished. The requirements to donate are pretty simple. Here they are, right from the Red Cross Website:
1.are at least 17 years old
2.weigh at least 110 pounds
3.are in good health on the day of donation
4.have no history of exposure to hepatitis or AIDS
5.your last blood donation was at least 56 days (8 weeks) ago

The whole thing takes an hour or so, depending on how busy they are. They do take appointments and you can get set up easily in their system so that they'll call you when you are ready to donate ( which is every 56 days) to make an appointment, or you can just walk in.

They make you read a bunch of stuff, then they do a quickie physical exam and ask a bunch of wacko questions (like if you've been a prostitute, a drug addict, etc). My advice is to hold your comments and laughter and just get through the questions)
Then they take a pin prick of blood to make sure your iron level is ok. (I used to flunk this alot but now take a multi-vitamin that contains iron and haven't flunked in a long time). Then you go to the donation area, which is four bed thingies. They swab you with iodine and then the needle goes in. Sometimes it doesn't hurt at all, just a super quick pinch or sting. Other times it can sting and hurt like a bastard but this is typically short lived and no big deal. Sometimes you are left with a small bruise on your arm, but hey it makes you look tough and righteous. Once you're hooked up (and I for one don't look) it only takes about ten minutes or so to get the pint. You have to roll a hard plastic tube in your fingers the whole time to keep the flow going.


Then they remove the needle, give you a bandage and escort you over to the "Canteen" area. They ask you to hang out there for about 15 minutes. It is pretty much run by volunteers. Last time though, we had a young, clueless spacy young gal who DID NOT have hot Otis Spunkmeyer cookies ready for us nor she keep tabs on us. Usually though it's sweet senior citizens who run a tight ship and keep the warm cookies, and sometimes pizza, coming. Yep, it's all about the food! And that's basically it. I can't stress enough how easy it is to donate. The pain is minimal and it's a great way to make a real difference in someone's life. It is used in surgery, trauma, chemotherapy, kidney dialysis, hemophilia, shock and other life-threatening conditions. If you ever need a buddy to go with you if you've never donated before, just let me know. I know we're all busy and also alot of people think that they'll faint. That's urban legend, most people are fine.
Ok, I'm getting off my soapbox now and returning to my bowl of pistachio nuts.
Oh wait,one more thing, here's the link to the New England American Red Cross.
Over and out, ALP