Confused by the title? Thinking this is a review of blood donation, and therefore emphasis should be on the selfless act of giving and not of Staying away . Right? Well ur righ it should be about giving **but alas some things are NOT MEANT TO BE….let me explain.
The year was hah not going to tell you coz that will give away my age(like u cont find that out)! Just know it was the year I was going to turn 18…I was going to be an adult…enter the golden Age!
A week before my Birthday, the principal of my college strode into the classroom and announced that the local Medical college was organizing a blood drive…to be held an 4 days. That gave me a brilliant Idea! I will DONATE blood 2 days before I became an Adult, I would then proudly proclaim all my life that I gave blood since I was minor….muhahahaha
So came the fateful day. I still remember, I was wearing a dusk colored salwar and was standing in line to give my blood for a noble cause. A lot of my friends asked me over and over if I wanted to donate, coz according to them I was way to thin anyway to be even thinking of donating blood. This apart from the fact that I was always kinda anemic …lol
So anyway disregarding the sound advice I approached a nurse when she called me. She made me lie down on a table converted into a bed, and tried to make me as comfortable as possible. After tying the tourniquet around my left arm she was taping at my arm trying to locate a vein to insert a needle into. But apparently she could not find one, so she switched to my right arm, and then back again to my left arm and then again to my right arm.
She gave up and called the doctor, who atlast found a tiny little vein to insert the GIANT needle into. Oh did I mention that I was paranoid of NEEDLES? Oh ya I am, I faint whenever I see one approaching …hell I cant even see some one on TV getting a shot!.and then there is blood…I faint at the sight of lots of blood…good reason for me not to see gory movies. Infact once I went to visit someone who was involved in an accident…as soon as I saw him …I FAINTED and had to be admitted in the next room …Shame. So now dear MSians you might realize, what a brave soul I am, to have decided to donate blood.
That apart; so once the needle was in, things seem as bad, infact I had one of my friends stand near me(had to…I needed someone’s hand to crush, while they poked the needle into me!) and talk to me. Then the Trouble started. Around 150ml of the bag got filled and suddenly the blood stopped flowing. So the doctor rushed over and checked my BP which apparently had decided to go under….I think it was snorkeling! Well immediately they pulled out the needle, and offered me a pack of Frooti.
I got up and reached out for the Frooti, and next thing I know people were watching over me and taping me on my cheeks trying to get me up. Yeah I fainted….so anyway soon after they made me drink the frooti and were asking me to go and rest.they needed the so-called-bed .
So I swung my legs over, feeling quite well as of this point, and jumped off the bed to stand up. Next thing I know people were watching over me and taping me on my cheeks trying to get me up. Yeah I fainted.AGAIN.
So another Frooti later, I was determined to go to my class, back to studies. So I was supported on each side by to big guys, making sure I didn’t fall….almost like body gaurds….hehehehehe
I reached the classroom and no sooner that they let me go, and I went to put my head down on my desk.blackness… Next thing I know people were watching over me and taping me on my cheeks trying to get me up. Yeah I fainted.AGAIN.
If you are keeping count that was my third time in 15 mins J ….dont be disappointed; there were two more episodes of fainting.and that brought the total to 5 times in 20 mins….a loooooooooooooooong 20 mins …
By this time my Princi had decided enough was enough and asked the same doctors that were there to help me, . So I was in front of the WHOLE college carried on a stretcher into the bloody Ambulance that was on standby and rushed to the hospital.
Long story short, it turns out not only was I severely Anemic, but my BP was extremely low. So the doc at the hospital decided to give me a litre and a Half of Saline.and hurt me with a even bigger needle .Idiot!
When I came to the college the next day, everyone would not stop talking about the fiasco. Infact the place being a small college town, everyone knew.people would come up and ask me if I was the girl that fainted and had to given blood back…yeah for some people’s amusement the Saline became blood! Fools!
My Princi did not say anything to me at all. Infact she would not even look at me directly for the first few weeks. And then for a month all she did was give me a mocking smile. Well the next year around the same date/time she walked into out class and said “The day after we are having a blood donation camp…do participate’ and then she looked me directly in the eye and said ‘Shalini …PLEASE DONT PARTICIPATE…they have asked me to tell you to STAY AWAY’…NICE …thanks a ton stupid medical college!
So that ladies and gentlemen is my blood donation story….
As a matter of public service ….Here are a few pointers from me to you, while you donate blood…coming from a Master like me…you would be well advised to listen
Eat well before you donate blood, and sleep well the night before
Make sure you are healthy and eligible to donate blood(BP, Anemia etc .ill-advised)
Take a sugary snack with you, to eat right after donation
Wear comfortable clothing
And last but not the least….don’t be paranoid of needles and/or blood
And to conclude, my office is organizing a blood donation drive as of Monday…and I have decided, that if not possible on Indian soil.due to being publicly embarrassed, I will donate blood here…where no one yet knows about the debacle….unless the whole thing repeats…GOD that’ll be disaster!.ah well…better try for a noble cause…
So I am off….Keeping my Fingers crossed and my eyes tightly closed!