First time of my life, I donated some blood today. In fact, it's quite a pleasant experience, so to speak. It all began with a call from the Stanford blood center. I was told that there had been a shortage of blood in their blood bank and an idiot could have imagined that the main purpose of the call was to see if I would be willling to give up some of my blood.
This's actually my second attempt to donate blood. I got rejected the first time as I didn't meet the criteria of hemoglobin count in my blood. Luckily, everything went smoothly this time. Except the poke of needle into my vein, the overall experience was very relaxing. There wasn't any pain or discomfort at all. It took me only about 5 minutes to pump 450cc (1/10 of the total volume in my body) of blood into the collection bag. In order to make sure I wouldn't faint after losing a certain amount of blood, I was grounded in the blood center for 20 mintues before they would let me go. I was actually amazed on the number of beverage choices and snacks provided. Guess what, it cost me $2.95 to get a glass of fresh brewed orange juice from Stacks with no refills. And at the blood center, I got it for free with unlimited refills.
Other than the fact that I'm attracted by this unlimited refills of freshly brewed orange juice, I feel it's a blessing that I'm given the ability to help others. You never know, I just don't think I would be too happy if there would be a day that I got admitted into a hospital and died only because there wasn't enough blood to do a blood transfusion for me.
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2 comments:
Honey Bee,
I believe U're a Chinese bee, aren't you? (as U blessing every reader by the beginning of Chinese New Year, the Dog Year, am I smart?). I do admire you offering your first blood- donation by the festival of Chinese New Year, as seemed to be a contradictory behaviour in chinese tradition, "seeing blood" during such happy evant. What a such kindhearted Chinese Honey Bee !! May good blessings follow you in future thousand years. To my understanding,in Chinese New Year period, the red cross of Hong Kong not only provides every blood-donor with those beverage & slacks'choices as you experienced, she also gives her/him a whole set of a hot-favourite Japanese/Korean comedy series (like tai-cheung-kam).HB, Why not now fly to Hongkong having your second blood-donation, if you get permission of leave from your queen-bee, & recovery from fatigue after recent blood-donation. Besides, do you know whether US Red Cross accept foreign visitors'blood donation? If yes, I may try to do it in my next USA visit few months later. Anyway, good deed, good beeee !!
Yeah, I'm a Hong Kong, bee ... haahaa
I don't see why a foreigner can't donate blood in the US, but it depends where you're from and which other parts of the world you have traveled within the past few years.
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