My Experience as a First Time Blood Donor

"Captain of the Enterprise" (justanotherdayinparadise)
06/12/2016 at 10:22 • Filed to: Blood Donor

I donated blood for the first time yesterday. I recently did an at home test to see what blood type I am and it inspired me to donate blood. Then I saw Sam Stoners post and I went out and did it yesterday.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Blood Types Explained

There are two main components of blood type

1. Red Blood Cell Type

2. Antigens

Positive (+)

Negative (-)

What does this mean?

Certain blood types can only accept certain other blood types as transfusions. The following charts do a good job at explaining it.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

My test read O- which is a double edged sword. On the negative side I can only accept blood from other O- types but on the positive I’m whats known as a universal donor. So I can donate blood to anyone. For this reason O- is used often in emergency rooms and situations when you don’t have time to determine the patient’s blood type. So it is important that I donate blood to help ER patients and for anyone else who is O- because it’s the only type we can receive and it is already in short supply.

Donating

I saw Sam’s post and upon his recommendation I looked up the Red Cross website and found a drive that was currently in process and I went for it.

I showed up to the Red Cross location and went inside and was greeted by an older gentleman, I explained this was my first time and learned that I didn’t have an appointment so I would have to wait on stand by. I did and had to learn about the eligibility requirements !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

I was eligible so I continued a little while later into a room with a nurse and we went over the requirements as well as my wight, height, current medications and blood pressure. She also took a blood sample with a finger prick.

Next I was ushered into the back room where the actual donation process would begin. I sat down in a bed and was prepped and swabbed before getting the needle inserted and my blood drawn.

The process took about 10 minutes but felt faster to me and at the end I felt a little funny but was starting to feel pretty good about donating because of the fact that my blood could save up to 3 lives.

After bandaging my arm I went out to the lobby to have some juice and cookies to recover. I felt a little lightheaded and when a nurse checked on me and I said that I felt this way they immediately went into a panic mode and got me into the back room on a cot and had me lie down and put my knees up and breath into a paper bag and put cold towels on my forehead and neck. I think it was an overreaction to my condition but its always better to err on the side of caution. After another 10 minutes or so I felt fine again and was allowed to leave.

I was really apprehensive about going, I thought it would be fine but was also worried I would be in a lot of pain for the whole time which wasn’t true in my case. When the needle is inserted there is pain for a few seconds and then it goes away. I was also worried about fainting after which I can minimize for the next donation by being better hydrated and eating breakfast and lunch first.

Overall, I’m glad I went and donated. I think next time I will make sure to not skip breakfast and to drink more water to minimize the lightheadedness. I always think it’s worthwhile to help people and I’m glad that I could. I would highly recommend and encourage people to go donate as it is vital to others survival for people to donate. Plus you get to feel pretty good about yourself afterwords and know that you may have just made the difference in someone else’s life.

To find this post and others like it I would encourage you to check out my personal blog at !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

DISCUSSION (23)

E92M3 > Captain of the Enterprise
06/12/2016 at 10:48

Maybe I should give it another try. First time I gave blood the tech must of been new. It took her 3 tries to set the needle right, resulting in leakage. I had a huge bruise looking thing on my forearm for about a week.

Captain of the Enterprise > E92M3
06/12/2016 at 10:56

Yeah mine got it on the first try so it might have been the tech

Jack Does Cars > Captain of the Enterprise
06/12/2016 at 10:58

I’m scared to death of needles, which makes my mother happy as I will never do heroin, but I honestly feel that donating blood is absolutely necessary. With the shooting at the Florida night-club last night, I only want to do it more.

Captain of the Enterprise > E92M3
06/12/2016 at 10:59

Also if you drink a lot of water the day before it makes it easier to find your vein

Flyboy is FAA certified insane > Captain of the Enterprise
06/12/2016 at 11:18

Sounds like you had a better experience than I did. I got the Noob nurse Lol. *Prick* nope *prick* nope *prick*

TooLazyToNotBurner > Captain of the Enterprise
06/12/2016 at 11:32

In the dozens of times I’ve donated (anything for free cookies), I think I’ve only ever had one poor lancing. They are usually extremely good at it. Mind you my veins are pretty pronounced and visible which certainly works in my favor.
Good job donating! I hope you keep it up.

Captain of the Enterprise > TooLazyToNotBurner
06/12/2016 at 12:16

Thanks I can go again in August and am planning on doing it

sonicgabe > Captain of the Enterprise
06/12/2016 at 12:29

After the tragedy in Orlando last night, we are giving this afternoon. A friend of a very good friend was shot at that club, and someone else I know was on the way there, just a few blocks away, when the police rushed by.

If you are in Florida, or anywhere, but especially Florida, give blood today if you can. Please.

Captain of the Enterprise > sonicgabe
06/12/2016 at 12:43

I hope your friend is okay and best wishes to everyone that has been affected. I’m glad I gave yesterday, I’m in Michigan but hopefully it helps

Funktheduck > TooLazyToNotBurner
06/12/2016 at 13:08

My first time hurt a bunch and I have super easy to find veins. It made me hesitant to donate again but all subsequent donations have been basically painless.

TooLazyToNotBurner > Funktheduck
06/12/2016 at 13:12

I always figured it hurt me less than the recipient no matter how I squirm. I'm glad you persevered.

Klaus Schmoll > Captain of the Enterprise
06/12/2016 at 13:16

I fucking hate needles, but I’ve donated like a dozen times or so over the years, most of the time taking a couple friends with me. Besides the usual cookies, they also haveother incentives.

The red cross always gives a “lunch box” with every donation (chocolate, Haribo bears, a can of meatball soup, sausages,....)

When I studied in Heidelberg I often went to the University hospital because they gave you €20, which really does help a poor student at the end of the month. That, and they had a fridge full of sandwiches, yoghurt, fruit, and so on, and pretty much forced you to stuff yourself before leaving.

Funktheduck > TooLazyToNotBurner
06/12/2016 at 13:18

Yeah. Never thought of it that way but that makes sense. I think the girl was new or just bad.

My friend had worse experiences. She had someone collapse veins in both her arms once and in one arm another time.

Watched one girl walk to the table with her cookies and juice and pass out mid step. Her face hit the corner of the table. Luckily just a bruise. Another girl did something and managed to have the needle rip out of her arm as she was donating. They put up little barriers but because she was in the seat next to me I could see the blood pooling on the ground from it leaking out of the bag.

Rico > Captain of the Enterprise
06/12/2016 at 13:19

I donated blood back when I was in HS but they never had to do the finger prick first. I have an irrational dislike of finger pricking since I was a kid and that’s how they drew blood back when I was a toddler. Still remember that shit.

Big ups to you! where did you get an at home test? I completely forgot what my type is.

Sam > Captain of the Enterprise
06/12/2016 at 14:00

Man, now I feel like I really did something! Great post man!

Captain of the Enterprise > Rico
06/12/2016 at 14:00

Thank you!

I used Amazon eldoncard blood test kit

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00JFT…

The red cross checks it anyway since I’m new so I'll find out how accurate it is. I think the prick was for iron levels

Captain of the Enterprise > Sam
06/12/2016 at 14:01

You did! I googled it right after reading your post and found one going on and went, you inspired me to go yesterday. Thanks for the compliment too.

Sam > Klaus Schmoll
06/12/2016 at 14:02

I got a $10 gift card to a local store when I went in yesterday. Didn’t even know that there were actually rewards, I just did it because it’s a good cause!

Sam > Rico
06/12/2016 at 14:03

If the same organisation that you donated to last time is the one you go to now, they likely still have your type on file. I donated 4 years ago and they still had me in the system.

Sam > Captain of the Enterprise
06/12/2016 at 14:05

Iron levels and also hemoglobin count.

Klaus Schmoll > Sam
06/12/2016 at 14:30

That was the biggest part of my motivation as well, but I think it helps to give a little something to motivate people to actually get their asses off the couch. Everybody says that it’s a good cause and that they should do it, but with a lot of people that’s it.

Ferdinand Adlersflügel > Captain of the Enterprise
06/12/2016 at 20:54

Thank you for going in and donating. As someone who isn’t eligible to give blood, it makes me even happier to see when other people do.

Captain of the Enterprise > Ferdinand Adlersflügel
06/12/2016 at 21:15

Thanks for the validation