Okay, there aren't any vampires in this story. But there IS blood. Now that I have your attention......
I donated blood yesterday. It wasn't any different from the numerous times I had done it in the past. But it was significant in one sense. It marked my 120th donation in the state of Minnesota. With that, I picked up my "15-Gallon Club" pin with Memorial Blood Centers. I had gotten a call last week from MBC. I knew it was them because in my contacts list I have them listed as "Dr. Acula". (Not original with me- I lifted it from an episode of "Scrubs").
I say Minnesota donations because I actually donated one gallon during my time as a resident of the state of Florida. But like a few, not all mind you, things that I did in the Sunshine State, I look into my rear view mirror only when necessary or when it brings back pleasant memories. So, physically, I have had sixteen gallons drained from my veins in my lifetime.
For those of you who are regulars at the donation process, I thank you on behalf of those who have been helped by your time investment and willingness to do so. For those of you who have never donated I would like to take this moment to berate you for not having done so......but I won't. I realize that some of you may be limited in your own physical ability to do so. For those of you who fall into that category, you get a pass. Otherwise, your excuses are not worth all that much.
I know that some of you may be needle-phobic. I admit that even I can't watch the needle go into my arm during the process. Heck, the finger prick is not enjoyable to me either. When I first started donating they would bring out this little rubber band-powered contraption which would act like a miniature machete and you would take your chances that you didn't draw back a nub before you got back in your car for the drive home. That system is far more advanced today to the point now where even though I don't enjoy it, I no longer fear the existence of my middle fingertip on my left hand.
The process, which takes approximately one hour, is pretty smooth. I often go in on a walk-in basis, but they are always glad to see me nonetheless. I walk in, sign the register and have a seat. They hand me the customary reading materials, which don't change very often. They basically ask if you've been to certain countries over the last ten years or so, and they update the materials as necessary. The newest update has to do with the covid-19. Then you see the technician who takes your blood pressure, pulse and temperature. You answer a battery of questions about your current and former health status, about 40 questions, and then you head out to lay on one of the contoured chair/recliners for the actual donation. These questions can also be answered online prior to your arrival at the blood center.
Next, another technician continues the donation by asking you to state your full name once again. It's kinda odd when you are not used to stating it on a regular basis. I will sometimes ask, when I sense that my tech has a glimmer of a sense of humor, "What did you do with the last pint I gave you? Lose it in a card game?"
At some point in our lives all of us or someone we care about will need blood for one reason or another. I have been lucky enough to have not needed any under those circumstances, but I have family and loved ones who have needed some. My mother nearly bled to death in her late 40s because of a sesame seed puncturing her intestine. The donated blood that was on-hand at the hospital was the only thing that kept me from losing my mother while I was in high school. It was then that I realized how important blood was in an emergency situation. My late wife Bryn on occasion would need blood for her different operations. Science and technology have yet to produce a replacement fluid and probably never will.
It is an amazing feeling to walk out of the MBC with a sense that in the near future what you just did is going to allow someone you will never meet to possibly do more in their life. Hold a loved one, go to a ballgame, cuddle with their dogs, visit grandma, catch the latest episode of Big Brother, who knows? (I don't watch that program, but I just wonder who this Vito person is, why does he have the power that everyone wants yet I've never seen him? What's up with that?) But just knowing that I may have helped make that possible in some small way is a very cool feeling. Bryn was always very proud of me for donating as often as I do. She felt badly that she couldn't participate herself given her health issues, but she always told me that she felt it was a great way to give back. Even though she has passed I know that she encourages me to continue the donations as often as I am allowed to do so.
I have also been enrolled in the Sickle Cell program for about 20 years now. Sickle Cell disease is a blood disorder that effects about 1 of every 500 African Americans. I was actually matched up with a set of twins brothers back in the late 90s so I only donated when I was called in. It meant that my blood would be used for their frequent blood transfusions. I stopped getting calls after about two years, so I hope that it was because the boys no longer needed my blood and that they were getting along just fine without it.
The minimum time between whole blood donations is about every 56 days or so.
So this blog isn't so much about MY accomplishment as it is to let you know that YOU TOO have the ability to accomplish a similar thing and get the same feeling that I do every couple of months.
There are plenty of mobile donation vehicles which can be found throughout your city. I implore you to check it out and be a part of something that you make you feel better on the inside. Given the times that we are currently going through, the need for blood is higher than it has ever been. I've also started donating platelets which are also in high demand during the pandemic. So even if YOU or some close to you hasn’t had the need for this precious fluid, someone you know just might need some in the near future. If we've all learned anything through all of this is that we’re all now familiar with how incredibly uncertain life can be.
One of my mother's favorite quotes to me was, "Leave more behind than you take in life".
This is just one of the ways I try to do that. Why else are we HERE, anyway?
.....I'm just sayin'
