Readers who have been following my blog the past 2 months, might remember I decided to be a 'Yes man' since late December. I started to do new things, hang out with new people, and try out new stuff. My latest recorded 'Yes man' adventure was perhaps the Thaipusam cultural experience, and just a few days back, I took on another challenge.
A challenge to donate blood. It was a self-dare actually. Something that was the last thing on my mind i.e. having myself willingly poked with needles. And I'm actually volunteering for it. Gee! It all started from a flyer I received in school. It was handed out while I was making my way to the canteen for lunch, and *poof!, the idea just popped up. How can I say no when I'm a 'Yes man'? It isn't something bad, and doing so can actually save lives!
I registered the next day, online. I didn't think much about it, and just go with the flow. A key step to doing something you're really afraid of, is to not even think about what will happen. On the actual day, they made me put on this sticker on my shirt with these words boldy in red, "Be nice to me, this is my first donation." lolx. Believe me, that wasn't my first time as I had willingly donated blood so many times to the mosquitos in the jungles. They're like commando mosquitos, preferring the blood from your thighs and butt. eew..
The first thing I had to do was to fill up a questionnaire asking all sorts of stuff. Where I had travelled to the past 3 years, whether I had multiple sex partners, whether I'm aware that if I have AIDS, I could pass it to someone else with my blood, whether I had sex with other men etc etc. Thereafter, they weighed me, took my blood pressure and a blood test for iron deficiency. They'd prick your finger with a needle thingy, get a glob of blood, and put it in this blue solution. If it floats, you lack iron. If it sinks, you're good to go. It was fast, furious and no nonsense. Wished I had the time to compose myself before the needles showed up though.
There wasn't a queue and I breezed through all the stations. Even the donating itself. The moment I sat down and stuck out my arm, the lady was already prepping the needles and tubes. First thing she did was inject local anesthaetic to my right arm. It hurt a bit, but there was more to come. She took out this massive needle, the diameter of a nail, and poke it just under the skin. In my mind, I was like "Are you out of your mind? Is this the correct needle?" But I just smiled and took it in my stride. The process took about 10mins tops.
The moment the needle was plugged into my vein, I could feel the warmth flowing through the tubes. It rushed out like an open tap, and you could feel the difference in temperature from the cold room, to the contrast of fresh blood. Eerie feeling, but I liked it. It tells me that I'm alive and well... And it is this blood, that keeps my body chugging along fine.
While the lady was taping the tubes to my arm, she asked me, "Why are you smiling and grinning away?"
Gee...
Funny thing was, there was this lady in the seat next to me. She was plugged in before I arrived, and was still in the chair when I left! And when I looked at her blood bag, it wasn't even half full! Oh my... I hope that's normal for her. Or perhaps, I was the abnormal one. hahahaha! 10 mins to fill a bag. Fast fast.
And to all my readers, please go and donate blood! You could drop by the HSA building at SGH to do your donations...
A challenge to donate blood. It was a self-dare actually. Something that was the last thing on my mind i.e. having myself willingly poked with needles. And I'm actually volunteering for it. Gee! It all started from a flyer I received in school. It was handed out while I was making my way to the canteen for lunch, and *poof!, the idea just popped up. How can I say no when I'm a 'Yes man'? It isn't something bad, and doing so can actually save lives!
I registered the next day, online. I didn't think much about it, and just go with the flow. A key step to doing something you're really afraid of, is to not even think about what will happen. On the actual day, they made me put on this sticker on my shirt with these words boldy in red, "Be nice to me, this is my first donation." lolx. Believe me, that wasn't my first time as I had willingly donated blood so many times to the mosquitos in the jungles. They're like commando mosquitos, preferring the blood from your thighs and butt. eew..
The first thing I had to do was to fill up a questionnaire asking all sorts of stuff. Where I had travelled to the past 3 years, whether I had multiple sex partners, whether I'm aware that if I have AIDS, I could pass it to someone else with my blood, whether I had sex with other men etc etc. Thereafter, they weighed me, took my blood pressure and a blood test for iron deficiency. They'd prick your finger with a needle thingy, get a glob of blood, and put it in this blue solution. If it floats, you lack iron. If it sinks, you're good to go. It was fast, furious and no nonsense. Wished I had the time to compose myself before the needles showed up though.
There wasn't a queue and I breezed through all the stations. Even the donating itself. The moment I sat down and stuck out my arm, the lady was already prepping the needles and tubes. First thing she did was inject local anesthaetic to my right arm. It hurt a bit, but there was more to come. She took out this massive needle, the diameter of a nail, and poke it just under the skin. In my mind, I was like "Are you out of your mind? Is this the correct needle?" But I just smiled and took it in my stride. The process took about 10mins tops.
The moment the needle was plugged into my vein, I could feel the warmth flowing through the tubes. It rushed out like an open tap, and you could feel the difference in temperature from the cold room, to the contrast of fresh blood. Eerie feeling, but I liked it. It tells me that I'm alive and well... And it is this blood, that keeps my body chugging along fine.
While the lady was taping the tubes to my arm, she asked me, "Why are you smiling and grinning away?"
Gee...
Funny thing was, there was this lady in the seat next to me. She was plugged in before I arrived, and was still in the chair when I left! And when I looked at her blood bag, it wasn't even half full! Oh my... I hope that's normal for her. Or perhaps, I was the abnormal one. hahahaha! 10 mins to fill a bag. Fast fast.
And to all my readers, please go and donate blood! You could drop by the HSA building at SGH to do your donations...
2 comments:
When I donated blood, I never looked at the needle. If I do, I won't donate anymore. Lol..
I watched both needles as it went in! HahaHaHahaa... I am so sick as to not be affected by it.
I'm definitely doing it again! Donating blood is cool!
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