Today, my school hosted a blood drive, and I gave for the first time in awhile.
I thought perhaps there are some folks out there interested in donating blood who haven't before and might be excellent candidates. Here's the breakdown:
DO...
- Call ahead for an appointment at a local donation center.
- Drink plenty of water the day before and eat a healthy, hearty breakfast.
- Bring a book just in case you have time to kill.
- Answer all the questions honestly on the questionnaire, and ask for clarification if necessary.
- Munch on cookies and juice afterward.
- Celebrate yourself afterward--in a healthy way. You just saved some lives!
DON'T...
- Exercise or participate in strenuous activity after your donation (for the rest of the day).
- Be afraid! Feel free to tell your technician/nurse if you get nervous, but my experiences have always been extremely positive. I do always look away when they stick the needle in, though!
- Feel bad if something goes wrong or you get turned away. It happens! Just be sure to follow up with a doctor if the tests suggest you might be anemic.
Giving blood always makes me feel fantastic, even on the days I get a little woozy after. I really hope you'll consider donating!
And because I gave blood today, I needed to eat plenty to keep my strength up!
Breakfast: a strawberry-banana-milk-peanut butter smoothie with a slice of banana bread, plus tea
After my donation, I ate two cookies, which weren't great but did a terrific job of keeping me on my feet!
Lunch: tuna on brown rice cakes
Afternoon snack: an apple
Happy hour with coworkers (and Terry joined, too!): a Stella, some calamari, and two slices of bruschetta
Dinner: a small serving of minestrone soup, plus a slice of bread
Dessert: 1/2 cupcake (I was full!)
Plus TONS of water! Hydration is key when donating blood, so I chugged the stuff throughout the day.
That's all folks! Happy Thursday to you!
Have you ever donated blood? What was your experience?
i've given blood many times! when i was in college, i did it regularly - every 56 days - but when i started grad school, i got out of the habit. i donated again on valentine's day through a drive at work, and it was ROUGH! i almost passed out while donating and again afterward. i plan to get back into the habit of donating and hopefully it gets better than last time! :)
ReplyDeletere: the food - i want to get back to making smoothies for breakfast! yours looks delicious.