No Foolin'--I Gave Blood!

No, it's not an April Fools joke! Every other Tuesday, my father-in-law goes to volunteer at the Puget Sound Blood Center in Bellevue. It is one of several ways that he volunteers his service to the community. I had not ever given blood, in fact, the word, blood gives my stomach a funny feeling. But the other day, he suggested, out of the blue, that I should stop by and donate. I said that they did not need type ab blood, after all, that makes me a universal recipient, capable of transfusion of any blood type, but he told me that they do need ab blood. I said "why not" sometimes, you can't resist a challenge. The Puget Sound Center needs donations, which is one reason that for posting this. I entered that center Tuesday evening. I began by filling out a long questionnaire. I was then taken by a nurse into an office, where I was asked even more questions. She took my blood pressure and a small sample from my finger. After the screening process, I was lead to a chair, I was given a glass of juice and then was given a rubber ball to squeeze. They put the needle in my arm. There was no pain involved, but a feeling of exhaustion. If you plan to give blood, make sure that you drink plenty of fluids during the day and a good meal. I was feeling run down for most of the next day, but happy that I could contribute to something worthwhile. The best part was the free cookies and orange juice that they gave me when it was over.