Yesterday, I was at Quezon City General Hospital to donate blood. Here’s a shot of my arm during the “bleeding”:

(Click on the image to enlarge)

My aunt is due for an operation, and as per hospital policy, she needs to present blood donors to replace the blood units that will be used in her operation. So I was tagged together with my cousin-in-law. The cousin-in-law was rejected as a suitable donor because he went to Mindoro last month (Mindoro is – I think unfairly – tagged as malaria country, together with Palawan).

I was actually hesitant to donate blood; it would be my first time, if ever, and I have an aversion to hospitals in general and to syringes and needles in particular. When I was tagged as a donor, I was hoping for a lot of things so that I would be rejected as a blood donor – high blood pressure, high blood sugar, etc. (If you don’t like to donate blood, have a tattoo, or have your ears pierced).

So, yesterday morning, after filling up a form, my weight, blood pressure, and pulse were recorded (aside from being overweight at 75 kilos, my blood pressure was normal at 120/80). Then I was asked to buy several things: surgical gloves, syringe, medical slides. I was up for blood testing. Uh-oh. I passed the first screening.

After buying those things, I went to the doctor. He tied a rubber band on my left arm, looked for a suitable blood vessel, inserted a needle (ouch!), and took some blood. Placing a cotton ball wet with alcohol on the inserted needle, he pulled it out, and it was over. I was asked to wait outside the “bleeding” room.

A few minutes later, I was asked by the nurse the last time I ate, and I told her six am. She replied back that I refrain from eating until the donation is over. Uh-oh. I passed the second screening.

Then the moment of truth. I was asked to go inside, went to the sink, and washed my right arm with water and liquid soap. After that, to the bed. The doctor passed to the technician a blood bag, which has a two-inch long needle. She (the technician) tied a rubber band on my right arm, wet it with Betadine and alcohol, looked for a large blood vessel, and poked me with the two-incher (super ouch!).

It was surreal. I thought I would feel something (aside from the pain coming from the poke), like getting dizzy or feeling tired. But I felt nothing, really, except from numbness in the right arm due to the rubber band and from the open-close movement of my hand.

I thought I would faint when I saw blood flowing out from me. No such thing, though. I even took a picture. It lasted for 15 minutes or so, in the process watching At Home Ka Dito. I was asked to rest, and I thought I would finish It Started With A Kiss. When the doctor was about to lock the door, I asked if I could go out already. So I went home (alone), with limited movement in my right arm.

I am not sure if I can do it again, but I still have three months to go before I can give blood again. Cross the bridge when I get there.

LOGGINS TRIVIA:

My blood type is O.