join the club

Today was a milestone. I did it. I finally...finally, donated blood. I joined the many people that save lives.

It was scary.

I will do it again, but I'm happy that you can't even donate for 8 weeks. Good news.

It actually wasn't that bad. I have pre-needle-sticking-anxiousness...and that wasn't even that bad this time. The bad part was that for some reason it hurt. A lot. The girl that put the needle in said I had good veins and that it was just close to a nerve and that's why it hurt. But it quit hurting and I just slowly pumped my fist so as to expedite the life-saving. Well...when I was almost done it sure started to hurt again and it quit bleeding into the tube and this one guy technician, bless his heart, came to help. He did a good job, but it still wouldn't bleed more and so he would move it and always seem to move it into the place that hurt---bad. So I guess that was the only way my body decided it would give blood, was if the needle was in the most painful position. Needless to say, when it was all said and done, and 3 1/2 hours later, the pain has subsided and I can bend my arm again.

All in all. It was a success. I helped save a life and I can now relieve my guilty conscience that has been pestering me ever since Mrs. Jolley's American Government class my senior year in high school when she stressed how important it is to give blood. 7 years later, I am at peace.