My arm and my sticker
Basket of goodies for after a donation (or before, if like me, you need to eat)I've been negligent lately in my blood donations. I was due to donate in October but, due to extreme laziness I did not go until today. While my mom was alive I was great at going every 56 days. I knew that the blood others donated was keeping her alive and I wanted to do my part to do the same for others. I vow to try to get back to my 56 day schedule.
I started donating blood in my early teaching years. I worked right across the street for a blood center and my math teacher friends and I made it an annual event. The problem was that I did not weigh the minimum 110 pound required to donate. Not wanting to be left out, I wore a shirt with big pockets loaded down with heavy books. I managed to make the weight limit every time doing this.
Cheating on my weight was not the smartest thing I ever did. My friends would all donate and be up and out in twenty minutes. I would get dizzy and have to hang around for quite a while. My friend L had the same problem. He weighed 120 pounds but at 6 feet tall, that was not enough. To this day, everyone still laughs at us.
I now weigh enough but sometimes I still get dizzy. It takes me a while to be up and out. I hate the needle going into my arm and I hate the feeling as the blood is coming out of me. I love knowing that I am doing a good deed. The good feelings outweigh the bad by so much that not giving is not an option for me.
So, if you are reading this and you are in good health--GO DONATE BLOOD. It doesn't hurt all that much. Save a life! It feels good.
