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| First Time Blood Donation --- Sean K., Partners for Life Team |
I recently joined the Answering TTP Foundation's Partners for Life Team with Canadian Blood Services. This is a tale of my very first time donating blood.
I must tell you that I am not a fan of needles, but my
worries were put to rest as soon as I arrived at the donation site. The staff was most welcoming and upon learning I was a
first-timer, the staff took extra care to make me feel as comfortable as
possible. At the first of the four stations, a nurse took a small sample from
my finger to test my iron levels, then it was onto station two. This is where I
filled out a questionnaire, which took about two minutes.
Now it was onto the third station, the donation station.
After putting the needle in my arm, it only took about fifteen minutes to fill the bag up with
my plasma. I was expecting to feel different somehow after giving my blood, but
was pleasantly surprised to find that I felt absolutely normal.
Finally it was on to station four, my favorite as it turned
out. This is where you get have delicious cookies and juice for a quick refuel
before heading home.
I figure that it’s more than a fair trade for such a small
amount of my time to make a big difference.
Sean K.
