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coalescentSo I just got back from giving blood. And I wouldn't ever want to put anyone off, but I found it to be one of the least pleasant things I've ever done. I hated every second of it. They stopped before taking the full amount - I didn't ask them, they just stopped because I looked uncomfortable. Or because something was up with my blood, it wasn't flowing properly. I'm not sure.
I'm not sure why I hated it so much, either. I mean, I don't have a phobia of needles, and I've given blood three or four times in the past year to various experiments, like Tom's platelet analysis. OK, so those were tiny amounts, but still, it didn't bother me at all, so I thought I'd be fine with 'proper' blood donation.
I think it comes down to the way it was run. Everything was in one big room, so whilst sitting waiting - for ninety minutes - you could see people lying on rows of couches having their blood drained. I had a copy of Asimov's with me, but it's kinda hard to concentrate on reading when nurses are walking past calling out names and numbers every two minutes, so you're listening with half an ear in case they call you up.
It probably didn't help that I had a bag of my mum's blood waved in my face by one of the male nurses just before it was my turn.
So now I feel kinda drained, because I've had half a pint or so of blood taken, and totally pathetic for not being able to go through with the whole thing, and a bit angry with myself for feeling absolutely zero desire to go and try again. And I don't even get to find out my blood group, apparently - because the amount they took is less than a transfusion's worth, it goes to research, and they don' t do blood tests.
Next time, apparently, I should ask for a local anasthetic and drink plenty of non-water fluids before I go. For some reason that I missed, drinking water isn't good enough. Probably something to do with keeping salt/sugar levels up; I wonder if lots of water plus lots of chocolate would do instead?
Phooey.
I'm not sure why I hated it so much, either. I mean, I don't have a phobia of needles, and I've given blood three or four times in the past year to various experiments, like Tom's platelet analysis. OK, so those were tiny amounts, but still, it didn't bother me at all, so I thought I'd be fine with 'proper' blood donation.
I think it comes down to the way it was run. Everything was in one big room, so whilst sitting waiting - for ninety minutes - you could see people lying on rows of couches having their blood drained. I had a copy of Asimov's with me, but it's kinda hard to concentrate on reading when nurses are walking past calling out names and numbers every two minutes, so you're listening with half an ear in case they call you up.
It probably didn't help that I had a bag of my mum's blood waved in my face by one of the male nurses just before it was my turn.
So now I feel kinda drained, because I've had half a pint or so of blood taken, and totally pathetic for not being able to go through with the whole thing, and a bit angry with myself for feeling absolutely zero desire to go and try again. And I don't even get to find out my blood group, apparently - because the amount they took is less than a transfusion's worth, it goes to research, and they don' t do blood tests.
Next time, apparently, I should ask for a local anasthetic and drink plenty of non-water fluids before I go. For some reason that I missed, drinking water isn't good enough. Probably something to do with keeping salt/sugar levels up; I wonder if lots of water plus lots of chocolate would do instead?
Phooey.
