My first blood donation

Written by Gerard on Thursday 18 June 2009

Every time I visit my father in the hospital, I pass the Blood Transfusion Service. It's been weeks now, and with each passing day I've been questioning why I don't give blood.

This last week though, I've been trying to push myself towards making a donation. I've had to accept that I'm slightly nervous about blood - I once had a white-out at a First Aid course when they started talking about the different types of bleeding! However, that slight fear finally spurred me on today. The other motivating factor was the amount of time I've spent in hospitals lately and the fact that donating was a quick and efficient way to make a difference.

During my visit to the hospital, I decided to put on my "man of action" head and just do the donation. I'd had lunch at the hospital, thus satisfying the requirement not to make the donation on an empty stomach. I had Dan with me, but left him with my mother for an hour while I walked over to the transfusion place.

In case you're thinking of donating, the procedure is quite simple - you go in, give them your details and fill in a questionairre about your medical history (and laugh at the idea you've ever been paid for sex - unless you've been a prostitute at some point). They do a little pin prick test on your finger, and then another medical type comes in and goes through your medical history questions again.

After that, you're led to the very airy donation area, your right arm swabbed and disinfected. At that point, though, I felt compelled to look away as the needle went in. This nipped a little bit, and continued to sting a little throughout. The nurse chatted away to me throughout (I suspect I'm quite a chatty donor) and after a few minutes, it was done. A cold drink and a snack later, and I was headed back to the hospital to pick up Dan.

There was a tiny bit of light-headedness, which stayed with me for a while, but I was pleased to receive the little pin confirming my donation. Later on today, my father received a blood transfusion to help him out. Clearly it wasn't my donation, but there's a warm buzz knowing that perhaps someone else's relation will benefit from what I've donated today. And despite the mild discomfort, I think I'll be happy to do it again.

Have any of you guys donated blood in the past? Share your experiences here!