The other day, I gave blood for the first time; I’m proud of myself for that small feat and I now urge everyone else to do the same. I have to admit, I first signed up to do it was I was 18 but pulled out due to a combination of a) being chicken and b) wanting to be able to go and drink that night. Very selfish I know, that’s why I’ve always owed it not only to myself, but society as a whole, to finally go through with it; now I have I’ll be a regular blood donor.
We’ve all seen the adverts saying ‘Do something amazing today, save a life‘ etc… and I would imagine it crosses everyone’s mind to do it, but I doubt many go through with it. Here’s what you may be thinking (because I certainly was)
Reasons why I don’t want to give blood:
- I’m quite busy, I can’t really spare the time.
- I don’t want to be all withered and white afterwards
- I don’t want to faint
- It will hurt!
- I don’t want a load of blood sucking vampires attacking my precious blood
- What if they find out I’m diseased?
- It’s a waste of an evening as I’ll be useless afterwards
- What help can my small amount of blood do anyway?
- Needles!!!!
Reasons why you should give blood and why I’ll be going back:
- I was there for less than an hour in total, I was given lovely crisps and biscuits whilst I was there and a lovely old volunteer made me a coffee, in all, I’d rather do that than sit around watching trashy television.
- Apart from a bit of a bruise (I bruise easily…), I had no physical side effects or loss of colour and I didn’t look like this.
- I can only speak for me, but at no point did I feel light headed, ill or like I would faint.
- I didn’t feel the injection and I didn’t feel any blood coming out of me, no physical pain at all.
- The nurses where amazing. I’m quite a social person so I ended up just having a chat and a laugh with them. They were very pleasant, explained what was happening and why and when I left, they all said I’d made their day. They’re doing a good deed too, have fun with them!
- Isn’t that a good thing, rather than leaving it un-found?
- After giving blood (and my lovely free coffee), I walked home and then drove to a restaurant where I enjoyed a meal with friends. The blood donation didn’t affect any of this.
- The blood is divided into three different groups, helping whoever needs it (for instance white blood cells for leukaemia patients. One pint can save 3 lives.
- OK, so some people fear needles. I don’t fear needles so wasn’t bothered, all I will say is that I didn’t really feel anything. If you looked away, I’d doubt you’d notice. Anyway, we all do things for charity like walking/running/sky dives etc… I’m sure 1 little needle is worth saving 3 lives.
I spoke to a woman there donating her 62nd pint of blood. She’s saved around 180 lives. She won’t be given an award or be in the paper, but she knows what she’s done. It’s an amazing feeling, join her!