Giving Blood...Oh, I'm just fine......yeah right!

[dirtlooter]

Right after the wife and I got married, the subject of our blood types came up. she had no clue what hers was and as we found out, a test just to find out was expensive (for us.) So one day, we were going to the local Wally World and there was the blood drive bus camped out front. I mentioned that if she gave blood, they would be able to tell her later.

Now the wife has always been one of those go, go, go people. the bouncing off the walls kind that can't sit still. So she gives the blood and they try to give her some juice and a cookie and tell her that she needs to rest and take it easy for a bit. Does she? No on all of them. She says, "I am perfectly fine, feel great!" I tell her that she needs to but she says "Nope" and away we go. So, we are stopping at a thrift shop for a minute and go inside. I don't see anything that interests me and I go to the truck. She had a shirt that she was about to pay for and then she was ready to go.

I sit there for longer than it should have taken and go inside to check on her. There is a small crowd around someone on the floor right in front of the cash register. Yep, it's my wife. The lady said that she placed her shirt on the counter and then began sinking slowly downward to the floor. I help her up and explain what had happened. A small package of cookies appear and we are making our way out to the truck. It actually bothered her quite a bit for a while and really slowed her down the rest of the day. Blood type, A negative I believe. Will she give blood again? Nope

Juice? Cookie? Rest? I Don't need no stinking juice/cookie/rest! Yeah Right

 

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[releventchair]

Next time she wants to stop for a snack somewhere....... You can suggest a "free" one at a blood drive.

 

[Escape]

I think it's great that you and your wife donated blood. If anyone walks by a blood donation center, go in and donate. It's' just a good thing to do.

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Thank you for sharing!

 

[dirtdigginfool]

Im n always out of town working, but the wife, who is DEATHLY afraid of needles, donates regularly as the bus comes to her work every other month or so. She's been doing it for over ten years and loves helping out. Couple years ago, she falsely tested positive for Hep A...not only could she not donate that day, she can not donate for life! She was crushed. Even though the positive test came back negative later, still no donate. Bummer. Ddf.

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

My grandfather would come into town to donate blood as often as they would take it.
I think being a WWII vet may have had something to do with that. I’m not positive.
The hospital kept track of donation amounts. He held some sort of record there.

 

[RGINN]

I sympathize with your missus. I seen some of the most horrible things that can happen to people, blood and everything else everywhere and got right in there, never bothered me. Sight of my own blood, for some reason I get that fading away feeling. I had my blood typed in high school (O Positive) and a blood test when I first got married, and that's the only two times I gave blood voluntarily.

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

My grandfather would come into town to donate blood as often as they would take it.
I think being a WWII vet may have had something to do with that. I’m not positive.
The hospital kept track of donation amounts. He held some sort of record there.

Now that I think about it more, towards the end of my grandpa’s life, at the very same hospital he donated at all those years...his life was saved 3 or 4 times via blood transfusions.
He had a bleeding ulcer and they gave his as much as medically possible. The last transfusion stayed in him and he lived several more years.

 

[Peyton Manning]

I am a medical weenie and am not afraid to say so

 

[xcopperstax]

Dirtlooter I just want to say that I often appreciate your stories. Reminds me I gave blood on several occasions in the early 2000's. Then I ended up needing some when I had a surgery. I lost a lot of blood and had anemia from it. They tried to get me to walk after the surgery and I almost passed out. I was dizzy, nauseous and had this strong ringing in my ears. I was running on empty. Thanks to the people who donated I made a full recovery and can now say that I am a small percentage vampire. Might not find that on those DNA kits.

 

[BC1969]

I donate as often as I can.
Both plasma and blood.
I'm hoping if I ever need a transfusion that they'll have some of my blood stored. Lol
I'm ab negative.

 

[JoeVal]

Got started donating when I was in the service so I could get an afternoon off. I’m 68 now and me and the missus still donate whenever it fits in our schedules. They love her because she’s O-. They love me because I show up with her!

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

I'm O- as well.

108 donations before I "semi-retired". If there's a crisis I give - but the damn 90 minutes of filling out forms and waiting for 20 minutes of donating gets old.

They used to hold the drives where I worked so it was an excuse to get out of work. ;-)

 

[Megalodon]

I'm O- as well.

108 donations before I "semi-retired". If there's a crisis I give - but the damn 90 minutes of filling out forms and waiting for 20 minutes of donating gets old.

They used to hold the drives where I worked so it was an excuse to get out of work. ;-)

Good for you. Red Cross also visited my old office and I always donated. I've never calculated how much I've donated, but I remember the first time because I was asked by a girl in college in 1975 to donate blood with her. Recognizing this might be a test that I wanted to pass because I was crazy about this girl, I went along. My blood pressure was slightly too high and my body temperature was low - both of which were normal for me, but they took my blood with no issue. She couldn't give because she didn't weigh enough. I have donated regularly since that 1975 start with extra donations (double reds) around national emergencies, such as Oklahoma City, 9-11, etc. Now that I'm retired, I go to the hospital when the Red Cross does its blood drives about every 9-10 weeks. That girl from college? We've been married for 38 years and now enjoying our first grandchild - who my wife loves to care for during the day.