I was going to do it the week of my 17th birthday - it’s something I can do to drastically improve the quality of someone’s life (maybe even save it), so I can’t come up with a rational reason not to. In fact, I want to do it, and I don’t want to wait until the November blood drive at school.
But I keep going to register on the Red Cross website…and then closing the window. The idea is great, but I’m terrified to make it a reality. I have a serious phobia of not needles, but anything medical-ish. At my last doctors appointment, my resting pulse was somewhere in the low triple-digits. It’s normally in the 60’s.
But I want to do this: I know at least 4 people who have greatly benefited from blood transfusions before. It just seems like the right thing to do.
Encouragement, please? Tell me about how painless and stress free it was and how good you felt afterwards? And that I won’t get all woozy or something after I do it? And tell me its the right thing to do?
The procedure is extremely safe, and virtually painless. The needle isn’t very large, and the pain from inserting it is minimal. Back when I used to donate blood, I scarcely felt it being inserted. (I did stop donating, but only because I contracted hepatitis from some contaminated food.)
Well, it’s not particularly painful, but if med stuff stresses you out I can see your concern. For one thing, if your pulse was that high, they might not let you donate.
My suggestion is to call your local Red Cross and volunteer at a blood drive for a few hours. They have you serve cookies and juice or help walk folks from the donation area to the refreshments. That way you can contribute without the stress and get used to the environment, so that next time you’ll be comforatable enough to give yourself.
It’s really not a big deal once you get used to the idea and it’s worthwhile. Which reminds me, I’m overdue to give myself.
I personally have no problem with needles, but I wasn’t looking forward to the sitting-in-a-room-full-of-people-with-rubber-tubes-in-my-arms-thus-immobilizing-me, when I donated blood. However, it was really, really simple.
I walked in, registered, and waited my turn to go sit on a cot. They asked me which arm is dominant, and I explained that I’m right-handed but medical personnel get better results using my left arm for veins, and they complied. I was advised to look away while they stuck me, and then they gave me a rubber thing to squeeze intermittently, which apparently helps the blood flow. It didn’t hurt at all; the only bad thing about it was the squeezy thing, which was rather annoying and tiring after a while. After we were done, they put a bandaid and some colorful bandage around my elbow, gave me a sticker and a free t-shirt (this was a college blood drive, and I guess they figured they’d get more people if they gave out stickers and t-shirts), and went out to the hall, where I got to pick my favorite kind of cookie out of a box, and pick between apple and orange juice, and sit down watching soaps for a few minutes in case I felt woozy. (I didn’t.)
The last 3 times I’ve had injections it hasn’t hurt a bit. It literally felt like the nurse (then the doctor) was sliding the needle along the outisde of my skin – no pain whatsoever.
Anyway, kudos for your initiative. When you set up your appointment, explain your concerns and ask if you could have an experienced phlebotomist. A good technician can have the needle in your arm with almost no pain.
Donating blood is one of the easiest ways to directly help another human being. But to answer your pleas directly…
“Tell me about how painless and stress free it was and how good you felt afterwards?”
The worst part is when they prick your finger to test your iron level. Everything is downhill from there. I’ve never been woozy or even tired after coming out of a donation (though I’m a big guy and have plenty of blood to spare).
“And that I won’t get all woozy or something after I do it?”
Honestly, you might get woozy, you might not. It would be wrong of me to tell you that you definately won’t suffer any side-effects.
“And tell me its the right thing to do?”
You could end up saving someone’s life. Your blood might be used in an organ transplant, or for a burn victim, or someone who has been in a terrible car crash. Donating blood is a mitzvah in every sense of the word.
At least you can donate blood. I’d love to, but am not allowed. Apparently, because I lived in England between 1992 and 1996 there’s a chance that I have dormant mad cows disease in my brain tissue. If I donate blood, I could pass it on. At least that’s was Red Cross told me. Maybe I should go back to England and donate there.
It’s easy and painless! I would not suggest donating in the middle of a work day - as others have noted, it drains a bit of energy, so do it in the late afternoon and go home (I once made the mistake of going shopping in a mall after giving blood, and came very close to passing out.)
Check with your doctor - and if you can donate, please do so. Donations save lives.
I’ve donated nine times so far and not one time has it been painful:) It takes about 10 minutes from the time they start taking my blood to the time they’re finished. As for feeling dizzy, that’s pretty unlikely too. To make sure you keep your energy the Red Cross volunteers give you cookies and coke or juice. I enjoy that part of it;) Plus the feeling that you may have saved a life is much more gratifying than the fear of the procedure. It honestly sounds worse than it really is. I used to be a medical phobic, but I’ll give blood at the drop of a hat:) Give and I’m sure you’ll be surprised at how easy it is!
I donated blood at the maximal allowed rate for years (and I -ahem- may have ‘accidentally’ exceeded Red Cross guidelines when I was a student rotating regularly between different hospitals). I have never heard anyone else mention this, but unlike what others have reported, I always got a modest but definite rush after – which I don’t think was related to the joy of doing the right thing or specially doped cookies. I assume this is uncommon, but maybe there’s a reason some of us are such devoted donors. I actually donated platelets for a while, because I could do it every two weeks, until I learned there was more local need for whole blood in my type.
There’s a chance you might actually enjoy it!
On a lesser note, there are actually some studies that suggest that donating blood may be good for many people. It is a lifetime therapy (shades of blood-letting!) in some iron-storage dieases, but even normal people may benefit. High iron can promote inflammation, and can be a factor in coronary artery disease. There is some evidence that the usual iron load for many or most Americans, especially men, may be ‘a little rich’ even when it’s in the normal range. Some studies found regular donors enjoy better helth and longer life, even after allowing for complicating factors (e.g. only fairly healthy people donate). The evidence wasn’t conclusive the last time I checked (a few years ago), but the thought that you may be helping yourself as well as others is a nice boost.
I have given over 3 gallons of blood over the years and I can tell you from experience that it is no big deal. I had to stop after they stopped accepting blood from people who had lived in England for more then six months. (I was there from 82-83).
Having said that, it is apparent that you have a fear that no amount of reason will be able to overcome. The only way, in my never to be humble opinion, to overcome that kind of illogical fear is either through brute force of will or desensitization. Since you apparently lack the will to do this through brute force (no offence intended but from your OP that is what it sounds like) then desensitization is the only way to overcome this fear.
The above is just a longwinded way of saying that you should work at a blood drive as that_darn_cat suggested. (whenever one of the kids asks me a question they always ask me for the “readers digest” version) That would be an good way to get desensitized and when you are ready you will be able to give blood.
Just for the record, giving blood is the easiest way I know to help your fellow man and that alone makes it worth the effort it will take to overcome this fear, so go for it.
As FDR said, the only thing you have to fear is fear itself.
Johnny Bravo gives good advice. I donate as often as possible, never had a bad experience.
The Red Cross asked me a few years ago if I’d agree to have a procedure I don’t understand done to my blood because I have a factor needed for premature babies. I agreed, of course, and now I’m called from time to time to donate for this purpose. Makes me feel very good.
The Red Cross is desperate for new donors. The measures they’ve instituted to prevent the spread of Mad Cow, West Nile, and AIDS has reduced the eligible population drastically. If you can find a way to work up the courage to do it, please do.
No one likes getting stuck, but the fear is far worse than the actual pain. I’d compare it to a burning sensation. I like to shorten the time I’m on the table as much as possible, and I’m convinced that drinking lots of water during the 24 hours prior to donating makes it go really fast. I think my record was about 6 minutes. I usually do it in the evening, and I feel fatigue - particularly going up stairs, but the next day I’m fine.
My area is opening a new donor center on Monday, and I have an appointment on Thursday. I’m kind of excited
Some day I hope to be brave enough to donate platelets. Those folks are the real heroes.
All right. I completed step one - I registered at the website, thus enabling me to schedule an appointment. For me, that’s a big step.
When (not if, when) I do this, do any of you folks know if I would be allowed to bring a friend with me - meaning, have someone to sit by me through the entire process? I plan on calling on Monday with a list of questions like this to ask, but any of you know if that sort of thing is strictly not allowed? Also, is the staying for free cookies and juice mandatory? I understand the importance of rehydrating and keeping your blood sugar up, etc, but will they go nazi on me if I put that off until I get home (I’m not going to be getting a ride to/from the center, FWIW). But medical-type places really do tend to make me wig out, the less time I can spend there, the better for me.
I do it in memory of an Uncle that died at age 26. In 1971, a lot of the technology that is available today didn’t exist. It took him 20 months to waste away. I hope I am helping someone else’s Uncle Billy.
For what it’s worth, if I give on an empty stomach, I’ll pass out. I eat my lunch, I give blood, no big deal.
I would love to donate. Every time I’ve tried, my blood has been too low in iron. Not anemic, just too low to donate. Now that I’ve had my surgery, I’m under doctor’s orders to never donate blood for the rest of my life, because my body absorbs iron much more slowly now so it would be hard for me to replace it.
This makes me sad, but it is added incentive for me to push my annual beginning-of-the-year online blood drive. If I can’t donate myself, I can at least try to get as many other folks to donate as possible, no?
