” Wanna come give blood with me?! ” That text immediately sent my heart into palpitations….
“Ummmm….” was all I could manage to text back.
“Daring!” She sent back…
That’s the last time I listen to Oprah… little did I know when I sent my friend this text – ” Devote today to something daring… something that makes you say I can’t believe I’m doing it!” that it would come back to bite me in the ass.
So after a slight panic attack, promises of snacks and suckers…. and many trips to the bathroom, she picked me up and away we went.
As we pulled up, the big red cross bus was in the parking lot, and ladies in red shirts were sitting outside the doors of the building.
The clinic was busier then I expected.
The lady at the desk took my info, and gave me a sticker so everyone would know it was my first time. ( Oh my goodness was I nervous!!!)
Then it was off to station 2 - here they test your blood to make sure your iron levels are good.
Someone conveniently forgot to mention the whole poking your finger to get blood part of the story……
Well… it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, and I honestly didn’t even feel it!
Then it was off to write a test.
13 questions.
Just kidding.. its just a few questions regarding your health … ie. have you ever had the rabies shot.. or have you handled Monkeys recently..LOL!
From there it was off to drop a little card in a box, and then sit and wait for your name to be called.
Once they call your name you step into a little cubicle with a nurse and they check your blood pressure and temperature… as well as go over the questions that you just answered.
My blood pressure was great FYI!!
…and that’s pretty much where my blood donation attempt ended.
It was in this little cubicle where I found out that there is a weight restriction… you need to be over 110lbs, and I could not for certain say that I was over that weight. I tend to fluctuate. So, I was told, so sweetly, that basically if I’m under the recommended weight, they would take too much blood, and I would not be well…. I like being well. So off to the chairs I went to wait for my friend to come out of her cubicle.
“Well at least I can watch and take pictures of Reba” I thought.
Nope.
She wasn’t allowed to donate either.
She had red flags all over her file and she didn’t even notice ,cause she thought everyone got those red flags..hahahaha.
Oh well to make a long story short.. we were both kicked out.
She can’t donate till 2081, and I can’t donate till I buy a scale. LOL!
We were told to go help ourselves to drinks and snacks anyways, but we decided to go for some real drinks to drown our sorrows.
