Blood Donation

When I was younger, I would have rather given birth than donate blood (FYI, the experiences are not nearly as comparable as I once thought). I had a false preconceived notion that giving blood was a terrifying, painful experience that would result in mental scars second only to an embarrassing sixth grade dance-off.

Needles became less intimidating as I got older and endured an impressive number of blood draws. The experience was never pleasant, but at least they had lost their intimidation factor.

I became interested in giving blood when I saw a post on social media from a mother of a child with cancer thanking the blood donors who helped keep her son alive. The post also mentioned that there was a massive shortage of blood and universal donors (O-negative) were especially critical.

That post spurred me to action. As a healthy young(ish) adult with O-negative blood I was determined to be part of the solution. I swiftly signed up to donate at a blood drive hosted at a local synagogue the next week and showed up not really knowing what to expect.

I was greeted by a retiree who greeted me pleasantly and crossed my name off a list after consulting my ID. I had completed the online check-in questionnaire beforehand so all I had to do was show her a barcode on my phone and I was checked in.

After waiting for around 10 minutes, a Red Cross employee called me over to a desk to test my hemoglobin level with a finger prick (I still find this the most uncomfortable part of the entire blood donation experience!). If your levels are too low, they won’t let you donate. (Sometimes they’ll let you test again with a different finger. Not sure why, but you can get different results each time.)

Once the Red Cross employee confirmed that my hemoglobin levels were sufficient, she reviewed my responses in the questionnaire I had filled out online. Five minutes later, I was lying on a gurney, my head turned firmly in the opposite direction of the woman sticking the needle in my arm to start the blood draw.

After the tube was secured to my arm, I was free to daydream, scroll through my phone, or take a short nap (although the classic rock booming through the speakers pretty much precluded any shut-eye). For 10 or so minutes I lay there, listening to Credence Clearwater Revival opine about a bad moon rising. It wasn’t a painful experience (unless you hate classic rock) and it always goes faster than I think it will.

Soon the Red Cross woman was back, swiftly removing the tube and affixing a band-aid to my inner elbow. “All done!” she said cheerfully. “Take it easy the rest of the day, stay hydrated, and please help yourself to a snack and some swag before you leave.”

I moseyed over to the snack/swag table and chose a smartly designed t-shirt and Rice Krispy Treat.

And that’s it! The entire experience took around 40 minutes including waiting time. If you can bear to listen to classic rock for this long, I highly recommend giving blood.

What does this have to do with our mission? Gun violence has become a primary contributor to our country’s growing blood shortage. Patients with gunshot wounds are five times more likely to require a blood transfusion and receive ten times more blood product component than patients with non-gun-related trauma. Help victims of gun violence by going to redcrossblood.org to sign up for a blood drive near you.

--Marissa, VFC board member