Rants of a Rebecca

I hate needles!

Hi Cassingles lovers, and others of differing media mediums, Well Thursdays is becoming my ouch day. Well not every Thursday, but every second Thursday at least. You see Thursday is the day I donate blood, or more precisely plasma (not the kind foundin televisions). The other thing that has happened on Thursdays now is an injection I have to get at my doctors every fortnight. THis injection also includes a blood test at least every two months. So today it was off to my doctors, for my injection, at which time I find out it is also blood test day too. So a quick injection in the top of my left buttock, and a blood sample from my right arm, pin cushion count so far 2. After that it was off to the blood bank, for donation number 150! I have been going there for about 13 years now. It first started as a way to help me get over my fear of needles, it hasn't worked. What has worked though is the guilt trip you get if you don't go in. After all, only three percent of us donate, so I have to do my bit. The free milkshake and party pies after it has nothing to do with donating, really. So into the predonation area I go, to get my finger pricked to test my iron levels, finger pricked, no blood, umm, well it happens sometimes, so onto another finger. With finger pricked, again we fail to see blood. Oh well, third time lucky, eureka, we strike red gold. Pin cushion count so far 5. Then it was on to donate my plasma, which for those of you who have not seen it, looks a bit like urine. To get it out of you, they draw out whole blood, put it into a fast spinning thing (note use of technical terms) and the plasma stays in the middle and gets sucked out. So they put the needle in my arm, and off we go, spinning away nicely, plasma on the march. In all my time I have donated about 100 litres of the stuff, not bad going for a 30 year old. They should be able to get upto about 500+ litres out of me, before I am not allowed to donate due to age restictions, not bad going hey? Anyway as I am donating away, something that occasionally happens, happens. The machine breaks down half way through it all. So a swap of the arms is needed, with a new needle going in to complete the transaction. Pin cushion count 7. All in all, a very hurtful day, but alas I will be back in two weeks to do it all again, and no, this is not some kind of kinky thing. Blog out, HooRoo Bec

posted by Rebecca @ 3/03/2005 06:41:00 pm