Yay!

[tarotgal]

So I donated blood again today and it went SOOOOO well! Better than it's ever gone for me before! I bled quickly for a change- I am sooooooooooo proud!!! *beams*
I drank a whole can of iced tea and ate a PB&J before-hand. Then just before I was up I drank a tiny can of OJ and drank another while giving blood (which I usually do anyway). And I squeezed the little ball thingy constantly (repeatedly, but constantly). My monitor beeped twice but just one warning beep at a time (to signal it was slowing down) instead of enough to call the attendant over to readjust the line every minute like usual. And it went REALLY fast. Usually I take 20 minutes or more. This time was, like, 5. I am SOOOOOOO proud! And happy. I felt really, really bummed when they cut me off before I could give a whole bagful. So I'm so happy I could give the full amount this time. Plus my iron level rocked (they didn't even need to spin it) so definitely a good day where that's concerned.

I even bought a couple used books at the library while I was there to Bookcross with! So it was a very good day for that. Oh, plus I was able to tape one of my favorite episodes of Buffy this morning (the first Buffybot episode... I think it's possibly Spike's best episode. At least, it's in the top there. ANd I love the sympathetic-to-Spike!Xander moments *G* theirloveissohardtofindincanonunlessyouhaveagreatimagination)

All the happy is distracting me from the fact that I only have $1.70 in my bank account at the moment. But at least I don't have any more bills due until the last week of the month. And I've got 2 paycheeks coming to me before that which should more than cover it all.

Comments

[tarotgal]

eek--i definitely am very squeamish when it comes to having blood drawn, so ive never actually donated.
I've never had a problem with blood or needles. I'm totally neutral when it comes to them. It's not like it hurts and I don't mind seeing it, but I've certainly seen a lot of people giving blood who don't like to look at it. They put the bags and tubes under your chair so you really can't see it unless you lean over to look at it.

must have been all the stuff you drank beforehand ;)
Yeah. Last time or the time before they mentioned to me that drinking a lot helps and it SO did. Usually it takes me half an hour and this was SO quick I was astounded! I definitely recommend drinking a lot of water and juice before (and after, of course)

are there any special requirements that you have to do before you go in? (not that im planning on helping out with a blood drive lol *cringe*--i can help in other ways) just curious.
There's TONS of requirements, but nothing "special". You have to weigh more than 110 pounds. Need to have eaten a meal within 6 hours. Need to have a good iron count (they prick your finger and test it to be sure before you donate- I've been turned down once because of that). You can't have had sex with someone who has HIV/AIDS or with a male who's had sex with another male or with someone who has traded sex for money and/or drugs. You can't have had malaria recently or lived for more than 5 years in England/Ireland/Scotland/Wales since 1980 because of the whole Bovine thingy. You can't have had a blood transfusion while out of North America. They don't let you donate if you've been in prison or been a prostitute or used a needle when taking illegal drugs. You need to be in good health and not had a recent surgery. You get the idea. Basically, it's really nothing special apart from having recently eaten and being in good health.

Which makes sense because it's SO easy to give blood. You just fill out forms, sit there, let them prick your arm, and then wait 5-20 minutes, get up, have free cookies and juice, and you're good to go! No work required (unless you're me and you have to drink and squeeze the ball constantly to make sure it doesn't set off those newfangled electronic weight monitors! LOL! But even then it's not really hard work to sit and drink.)

[http://users.livejournal.com/-circe-/]

Oh, yay! I'm glad that went well for you. It's so sad that the blood supplies are so low when there are plenty of healthy people out there who do not have a deathly fear of needles. It only takes an hour (and I must say I enjoy the 'giddy' side effect. It might be all in my head, but it's fun. :) ) AND there are studies which link it to reduced heart attack/stroke.

Helping others not die, while I help myself...not die. Win win. :) And, to be honest, I kind of enjoy the experience. LOL.

I'm scheduled for next Saturday...or Friday. I really should check that. Until then, lots of spinach and that iron suppliment I should have been taking for the past six months. Yum. :D

[tarotgal]

It's so sad that the blood supplies are so low when there are plenty of healthy people out there who do not have a deathly fear of needles.
Absolutely. It's such a simple thing and it really makes such a difference. Where I donate (http://www.inova.com/inovapublic.srt/donateblood/index.jsp) they always say my blood type is less than 1 day's supply. That's super scary to me.
No one in my immediate family can give blood (Mom for health reasons, Dad because he travels so often and is always on malaria meds or in places where he's exposed to all sorts of things they don't like, and my sister because she weighs less than 110 pounds) so it was never a thing I really knew about growing up. I'm glad I had friends in college who worked the blood drives and dragged me along, and an ex-boyfriend who loved giving blood who dragged me along.

It only takes an hour
From start to finish, mine took 2, but there was a big line and only one person handling just three chairs, so it moved slowly. But, yes, you're right. Usually it's very quick. Sometimes less than an hour.

(and I must say I enjoy the 'giddy' side effect. It might be all in my head, but it's fun. :) ) AND there are studies which link it to reduced heart attack/stroke.
I didn't know that! How incredible. I wonder why that is? The exercise (body having to make more routinely)? That's fantastic. Go those studies! :-) I must say I've never felt giddy after giving blood. Faint, once, but that's just because I'm very suggestible. Usually I feel completely normal, apart from a bruised arm. But, hey, whatever gets you there, right? LOL

Helping others not die, while I help myself...not die. Win win. :) And, to be honest, I kind of enjoy the experience. LOL.
Awwwww :-) That's so true, too. You go girl! :-)

I'm scheduled for next Saturday...or Friday. I really should check that. Until then, lots of spinach and that iron suppliment I should have been taking for the past six months. Yum. :D
I haven't been taking my multivitamin for months and I had no problem. So I'm VERY happy about that. Seriously, my favorite part about giving blood (apart from the saving people's lives bit) is finding out if my iron levels are okay. It totally thrills me when I find out I've been getting enough regularly.

I hope it goes well for you... whenever it is you're scheduled!!! Good for you!! :-)

[http://users.livejournal.com/-circe-/]

they always say my blood type is less than 1 day's supply

Oh, wow. I knew that blood supplies were low, but I never imagined THAT low. Mine (O neg) is less than one day supply, according that that, as well. Wow.

I don't remember that the summary of the study (it was just an article for the public) really addressed the reason why the risk was reduced, but I think I assumed it was that, in addition to the cells and plasma, you're getting rid of lipids and cholesterol, cleansing your blood stream a bit.

LOL! I totally get a kick out of checking my iron levels! I'm usually okay to give every other time I try, which is why I really wish I hadn't forgotten to restock my iron suppliments. It's really a bit depressing when they reject me, but it's SO nice when my blood sinks to the bottom of that water cup of theirs. If not, then they have to spin it down, and I've only gotten the okay once after they did that. I used to go to a hospital where they actually analyze a bit of your blood in a machine first, but I accidentally, er, angered the woman in charge of that place and am afraid to go back.

I also kind of like the bruise I get from it, weird as that is. Almost like a badge of honor. LOL. They can never find my veins the first stab, but I don't bruise easily, so it comes out as a wash, really.

You go yourself!! Giving blood and all that! I'm so glad it went well for you. :-)

[tarotgal]

Nah, not all that random :-)

I always found Spander to be a pretty, hm, easy to see sort of pairing.
Like I was just saying yesterday in silverelf's LJ, that seething hatred and constant insult-throwing and lusting after other women is TOTALLY an over-compensating cover-up for their mutual attraction to each other ;-)

Of course, Xander always seemed pretty gay to me, and I don't have much of a problem seeing most sorts of pairings, so maybe I'm a bad example.
LOL! No, you just think like me is all. I definitely find it harder NOT to see most pairings than the other way around. And the Buffyverse just has far too many little jokes and hints (some not so little) to let anyone come out completely clean.

I don't even like Spander and I made a squee sound at their interaction in eps like the Buffybot one and "Him" in s7
*EG* Exactly. There are definitely lots of series moments one can't help squeeing at even if it's not one's favorite character or pairing or what-not. Which is one of the many marks of a well-written show.