This is worth reading... it is one of my most emberassing moments ever...

I donated blood (and saved someone’s life, I hope). But the story behind it is really the best part. And by best, I mean most embarrassing/awkward/I can't believe this happened to me kind of thing...

So Sunday morning between the 9:00 service and the 11:30 service Jaime noticed that there was a blood drive going on, and he decided that he was going to go give blood. I had never given blood before and after listening to him lecture me about how it is my duty as a healthy human being to donate, I decided (after thinking about it for maybe 2 seconds) that I was going to give blood too!

So, we talk into the room and we get all the paper work to fill out and I'm getting more and more excited thinking about how I could help someone and maybe save their life. Then they call my name and I start to get butterflies, because then I remember how much I don't like needles-AT ALL. So I'm sitting in this little guarded off section with this nurse who pokes my finger with this little thing so they can check to see if I have enough iron in my blood. And, I start to get even more freaked out about what I am about to do. Jaime was pep talking me though all of this and I keep telling myself that I am super brave. (I had to keep repeating that in my head over and over).

My test results for the iron in my blood came back, and I move into this room where they have giant stretchers and people lying down while they are getting blood taken. I lie down on the stretcher feeling pretty confident that I am going to be a total stud and not even be affected by the pint of blood that they were going to take out of me.... UNTIL I LOOK UP AND SEE THIS.
Now, I am normally a pretty calm person, but because this was my first time giving blood, and because I didn't know what to expect and because it looked like someone’s vein had exploded on the ceiling right above me I start to freak out. I started to get up like, "YEAH freakin' right I am going to have my blood taken! It looks like the last nurse who drew this person's blood put the needle in totally wrong and their arm exploded-AND they must have been lying exactly where I was! I'M OUT!" But then the nurse came over and I felt like a chicken, so I stayed. BUT SERIOUSLY, how legit is this picture?? It totally looks like blood right?

To make this story even better, since I had only drunk some coffee and eaten half a muffin earlier that day it took me a long time to get a whole pint of blood. The nurse kept coming over and saying, "Ok honey, just a couple more minutes". After the third time of her saying that to me I said, "Really? Just a few more minutes? You have been saying that for the past 10 minutes... is everything ok?" She said that I hadn't had a lot of fluids so it was taking longer, but that everything was fine. So she FINALLY took the needle out of my arm. While she was doing this, I of course turned the other way because there is no way that I wanted to see what was going on. In turning my head I see another doctor who is just about to bite into his sandwich. He looked at me weird (I figure that he thinks I am eyeing his sandwich) so I say, "Oh sorry, I'm not eying your sandwich like I'm going to grab it when she's done, I'm just looking at you because I don't want to look at her right now". (Apparently I slurred my words while saying this, and was turning pale). He asked me if I’m feeling ok, to which I respond "OH I FEEL GREAT!” He kept looking at me and said, "Really? Are you sure?” and I say, "YUP! I'm totally fine".

2 seconds later...

I turn and look at the doctor and say, "Actually I lied. I'm feeling a little sick and lightheaded... is that ok?" He looked at me and shook his head like I'm a total idiot and says, "NO THATS NOT OK!" and 2 seconds later he is fanning me with this folder that he was holding, someone else is holding my legs in the air, and someone is putting nice behind my neck. I close my eyes because it was making me feel better, but someone grabbed my eye lids and said, "DO NOT CLOSE YOUR EYES!” While all of this is going on Jaime is up and walking around, he saw what was going on so he said, "OH MY GOSH! I'M GOING TO FIND A CAMERA..."

Needless to say that despite their efforts to help me not pass out I still passed out… and I also threw up. I guess I'm not as tough as I thought I was.

They took my blood pressure again and then made me stay an extra 15 minutes longer than everyone else because they didn't believe me when I said that I feel fine (because I said that right before I passed out).

I will still give blood in the future, but holy cow... what a crazy first experience...