Given that I am a B+ and they have a lot of that one stocked up, I thought why not give blood and it shouldn’t matter that my blood type is in full stock. There are some other blood types like O- and O+ that are low and it depends on if you can give blood that’s the thing. Sometimes they would have to send you away if you have a cold sore, a cold, etc or just plainly not well. So sometimes when you get told you can’t can be a downer on some people who generally want to help others and there is other ways to help people. 

Well when I went in today to donate for the third time, the nurses were really nice. Though some were not interested in any type of talking much to the people who come in to give blood. One was nice to say “come in next time and show me that tattoo you want,” as I was talking about a tattoo I would like to get one day. But if I get a tattoo I would have to wait a year before I can give blood again. After she tested my blood and said I was good to go, she then told me to give the form she wrote on and hand it to the nurses that were at the bottom of the gym in which the session was held. After I done that it didn’t take long before I was on one of the beds being asked questions, they had asked about the wound on my lip and ruled out cold sores, they asked me if it was tingly which it wasn’t and then got another nurse who was wearing a darker blue uniform to rule cold sores out. You see you can’t give blood if you have cold sores, so they had to rule it out and don’t feel bad if you have a cold sore and got rejected for it, it’s just they have to think about the blood that will be given to patients who need it. Once I was in the clear, the nurse put a blood pressure type cuff around my arm and put air in to allow my vein to pop out slightly, they also disinfected the area for a bit with a brush/sponge like object that makes the arm feel a little weird. Once that’s done they insert the needle in to the vein, now they don’t insert the full needle, only a small amount but not too small for it to come loose easily, they then use sticky tape to ensure it doesn’t move. Now this is where my job came in, see it’s not all fine and dandy just to lay there will your blood gets drained out of you in to a little sealed bag, not much blood would come out for that matter anyway and make you be there for hours to get the right amount to fill most the bag they use. You have to wriggle your fingers or move your fingers to the point the blood flows into the needle and in down the tube to the bag. Now where I live and where I go for giving blood, you hear a beeping noise which sounds very familiar to mario when he collects a coin. 

When the (strangely familiar Mario tune) beep comes, it means I am done and they quickly put a plaster around the needle and the entry point and then remove the needle, it’s better to do it this way to ensure blood doesn’t escape. Now, the nurse then got this fabric that’s almost like a bandage but a lot more thicker and small, she asked me to hold it on to the plaster and keep it there, after I was ready to get off the bed she used tape to create more of a reinforcement for the plaster, since the plasters do tend to come loose after a while and a bit more padding too. Another nice nurse asked me what I would like, a cup of coffee, tea, juice, I asked for an orange juice and had a nice caramel biscuit. Now not all of us are there for the free juice and biscuit, it’s more the helping others when they really need it. I’m not just a blood donor but also an organ donor. When I leave, I feel some what satisfied and proud of myself, just like anyone should for doing something selfless. 

Giving blood is not for everyone, there is other ways you can help people. If that is what you are interested in.