“No heavy lifting or exercise today, okay? Now, drink lots of water and have a snack before you go,” the woman told me as she bandaged my arm.
This is probably the only scenario where medical professionals encourage you to eat junk food, so I had a Pop-Tart and a bottle of water before I left the American Red Cross blood donation center.
After I turned 16, I donated blood every few months, right up until the end of my senior year of high school. I had been feeling tired, cold, and breathless a lot, and at my annual check-up, my doctor told me I had a case of iron-deficiency anemia. Since iron is the vehicle that carries oxygen through the blood, she instructed me to take supplements, eat foods high in iron, and not give blood again until my levels were back up.
This was the first time I’ve gone back since then. I figured that if my iron was low, they would send me away, but at least I would have tried. Needless to say, I was in good shape to donate! I filled out the paperwork, sat back in the chair, and closed my eyes when they went for the needle. A few minutes later, I was done, down a pint of blood, but feeling fine.
Afterward, I was talking to someone about it, and they asked, “So, do you like giving blood?” The question surprised me, since it’s not like having your blood drained is a fun thing to do, and a free Pop Tart isn’t earth-shattering. I guess that if I can do without this pint of blood and someone else can’t, why not share? My blood is Type O, which is the “universal donor” type, and if all I have to do is stay healthy to produce more, there’s no reason not to donate.
It’s for the same reason that I decided to be an organ donor when I die. If I’m ever in an accident or something and some of my organs can be spared for donation, that’s where they’ll go. I know different people have different beliefs, but I don’t think I’ll need my earthly organs in the afterlife. Instead, I would rather they go to give someone else another chance at this life.
The heart symbol on my license signifies my choice to be an organ donor.
So, I won’t exercise today, I won’t worry about carbohydrates today, and I won’t go thirsty today. Tomorrow I’ll be back to normal, and maybe, tomorrow, my donation can save someone’s life.
xo,
Cecilia
