Why I Donate Blood

I think donating blood is a beautiful thing to do. It's something you do just because you believe in it. To know that the blood in your vessels can save someone's precious life is kind of amazing, right?

I really only started donating recently when I found out my blood type was one of the rare ones (not THE most rare, but only 7% of Canadians have it - O negative). My daughter and husband are O negative too, and we O negs can only receive O neg blood, so I thought "hmmmmm I should add to the stockpile for people who also are O negs".  O negative blood, when in short supply, impacts emergencies, and also elective surgeries. They cancel them if they don't have enough O negative blood - because their O negative patients HAVE to have it, they can't receive other blood types.

O negative is also the universal donor type. Everybody can receive O negative blood, which is useful in a emergency situation! 

I thought I'd walk you through my blood donation, so you can see if maybe it's something you'd consider doing too. They call it the Gift of Life!

I also am a baby donor. My blood is CMV (cytomegalovirus) negative, which means I've never been exposed to the CMV virus. Only 20% of Canadians are like this. This means my blood goes straight to sick, premature babies. Seriously, I get choked up thinking about it. It also motivates me to keep donating, as often as I can (every 56 days you are eligible - it takes that long for your red blood cells to replace themselves).

here we are - at this point, I have spent the past 2 days drinking water like crazy, it really helps boost your blood volume and makes your donation go smoothly

First, they prick your finger to get a quick test of your blood iron levels - you have to have high enough levels to donate

Next, you fill out some paperwork - this is very important to assess your health and eligibility to donate - it protects everyone, it's a good thing :)

Then you head into a small room for a one on one chat with a nurse. You will get your temperature and blood pressure taken. They will also ask you some very personal questions, but again - it's important for the health of the recipients and protects everyone.

You are left alone to place a Yes or No sticker on your donation papers. This is because some people want an anonymous HIV test, and are not there to donate.

 At this point, I am all set to donate - here are all the bags and tubes - fun right? lol

Ok I am almost ready - here's a picture of the thingey that holds the blood bag (if I'm getting too technical on you, sorry - I am a medical professional type person, lol)

In this picture, I am hooked up and the blood is flowing into the bag and vials (they take a few vials for testing first). The only discomfort is the small pick when they put the needle in. The rest of the donation is painless and done in less than 15 minutes. Plus, you can watch TV!

Ta-da! Here I am! 

It's really not a big deal :) After you are done, you chill in your "spa" chair for 5 minutes, holding some gauze to the wound site (you're letting your platelets do their job of clotting - go go go platelets!). I tell you, we truly are fearfully and wonderfully made, thanks God! 

When you are done, you get food!!  Here I am having chicken noodle soup, and cookies. There were other options to choose from, and the volunteers who serve you are super nice and friendly!

here's a shot of a spa chair, lol!  looks comfy, right?

that's it, in a nutshell - think you're up for it?