Note to Self: When planning to give blood, write blog post BEFORE actually bleeding.
Last January I had a rather disastrous experience of giving blood. I had apparently not had enough to eat that morning and was suffering from what might have been a migraine (all I know for sure is that it was a headache, but people take your pain so much more seriously when you say migraine). I was so woozy I got two blog posts out of it. At that time I had signed up for a time to donate on June 1. That is today.
I had cleverly, so I thought, changed my appointment time to right after lunch. When Steven nicely packed my lunch, I asked him to make it a hearty one. Thus, a turkey sandwich and spaghetti salad. Also, some cheese, crackers, fruits and vegetables to eat at my morning break. I would be fine!
It was prior to my appointment time when I made my way to the blood drive place, but I had finished my lunch and the co-worker who is usually working the crossword puzzle at that time had taken the day off (lucky bastard). Of course it took longer than I would have liked waiting in line, but I finally got on the ancient gurney and got stuck. I stared at the ceiling and tried to see if I was feeling lightheaded.
Then I was sitting at the canteen, drinking apple juice and eating cookies. My head wasn’t feeling too great, but I knew it was an improvement from last time. I left there and got back to my machine before anybody could tell me I wasn’t looking so good.
The whole way back to my section, I repeated to myself, “I’m not woozy. I’m not woozy.” I had to admit to a little lightheadedness, but surely that was no problem. At least I wasn’t nauseous.
Until I had sat at my machine for a few minutes. I got a Gator Ade out of the machine and drank it. I would soon be as good as new. Any minute now, I would feel better. The Gator Ade was gone, as was my pocket change. I would soon feel better. I picked up my reusable bottle and headed slowly towards the drinking fountain. Water would be good. Water would make me feel better.
I confess, I was looking for one of my particular friends so I could say something like, “I don’t feel good!” and get some sympathy. I heard somebody behind me call my name. Two co-workers thought I didn’t look so good. One gave me the rest of her trail mix cookies she had gotten out of the machine. The other gave me a dollar and insisted I get a bag of his favorite trail mix, the one with bananas, raisins, nuts and other fruits. I took the goodies back to my machine and got some more water.
I have the nicest co-workers. I did feel better after I ate something. I worked slowly and somehow made it through the rest of the day. I did not, however, feel the least bit like writing anything down. I somehow managed to jot the title and opening paragraph during the 2 p.m. break. Everything else, I composed just now as I sat here typing and thinking, “Oh, I do feel better!”
It is Lame Post Friday. I am allowed to be lame. Before I wrote this, I went back and read the lame post I did on the last day I gave blood (before I wrote the two posts about being woozy). I think it was actually a little more amusing than this one. It was certainly shorter. Oh well, what the hell, as a wise woman once said (it was my mother). I can only try again tomorrow. Happy Friday, everyone!
Mohawk Valley Girl 