My right arm is currently strapped with a bandage. I lost a fair bit of blood this afternoon.
Together with a few colleagues from 98.5 Sonshine FM, I took a trip into the city straight after my morning programme to give an armful of blood to the Australian Red Cross Blood Service. We were picked up and dropped back later in a Red Cross, 8 seater, VW van.
After filling in the forms and going through the quick interview with a Red Cross staff member I was guided towards a very comfortable reclining seat where it took me around 10 minutes to produce 470 mm of blood. Well, perhaps a little more because they took a few test tubes full for testing.
I’m not keen on needles but considering that I was once very close to someone who required donated blood on a regular basis, I reckon a couple of seconds of discomfort every few months is worth the effort. If you’ve never given blood before due to a fear of needles can I recommend that you go ahead and try it anyway? Your fear really can’t compare to the kind of anguish people face when donated blood isn’t available to save their lives.
Unfortunately I’ve let it go for far too long. It’s been a couple of years since my last donation. The good thing is that we’ll now arrange to give blood together every three months and hopefully a few more staff members will join us each time.
The Australian Red Cross Blood Service is currently running a campaign to encourage donors to take a friend to donate. They say that every donation of blood can save three lives. If you take a friend you can save six lives between you. There were four of us from 98.5 Sonshine FM who donated today (it would have been more but one person was ineligible and another couple weren’t fully well) which means that we have the potential of saving 12 lives between us. Not bad for an hour away from work.
After they’d extracted the necessary blood we were ushered to the recovery area where we were served sausage rolls, coffee, cheese & biscuits and even a mini Mars Bar. Mmmm.
Do you donate blood? I know that there are reasons preventing some from giving blood but can I encourage you to consider donating if you don’t already? It feels good to know that someone may be able to live a fuller life, recover from illness or even have their life saved becuase you’ve taken the time to do the right thing.
Posted by Rodney Olsen
Technorati Tags: Blood – Red Cross – Saving Lives
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It certainly is a valuable way of contributing to the community. I’m not allowed – I lived in England for a year when all the cows had gone mad, so I can’t be trusted. But I did work for the Blood Service for a while, and they never get to a stage of being out of danger of running out – they need donors all the time. Good on you for plugging this!
Wow, we must have just missed one another. I was in there today at about 12:30, also to give blood which I do regularly. The only difference was that I had a mini Cherry Ripe. Yum!
Amazing. I would have been there then. We left Morley just around midday. We would have arrived around 12:10 and left about 1:15.
I do give blood regularly and once I even needed some. The part that hurts most in the whole process is when they prick a needle in the finger for blood-testing, I think.
Difference in Germany is you cannot sit but have to lie down for donating.
Way to go, Rodney! I’ve given blood in the past, but only once or twice successfully. They’d prefer you don’t pass out and I’m someone who sometimes does. They’re very quick to raise your legs, pull out the tubes and rush over with fans, let me tell you! 🙂 I think if I’m feeling more robust someday soon I’ll give it another go. I agree with Iris – that prick in the finger to check for iron levels (and stuff?) is the youchiest bit!
i’m one of those people who have been putting it off. i’ve been meaning to for almost a year now. i tend to pass out (usually in smoky bars but i’m sure a large loss of blood would do the same) so i’ve gotta do it on a day when i can have most of the day to take it easy (and i’d have to take the tram into the blood bank in the city instead of ride– wouldn’t want to pass out on the way home). during my 6 weeks off over summer i’ll have to make a point of getting down there.
Yes, I’ve done it. Last time I tried I couldn’t because I’d had a tattoo within a year. But I plan to give next year. They have a truck come around – kind of a mobile medical office. Good for you for giving today.
Oh my gosh, are you trying to kill me?! I nearly fainted at the picture. I don’t do blood. At all. But kudos to you for donating. You’re a better man than I!