Blood Donation Drag Racing
I mentioned in one of my previous posts that it was sort of an “unofficial” New Year’s Resolution for me to donate blood as many times as possible this year. I’m O-Negative… part of the 7% of the population (of the word, I guess) that has this blood type. We are the universal donors. It has become rather important to me to take my blood donation seriously this year. By showing up at the blood donor center once very two months and letting them take a pint of my blood I’m helping someone. I don’t know who, but I can be assured that they’re really sick and they need it. The Red Cross says that the most common recipients of O-Negative donor blood are car accident victims and babies. And the sad thing is that no matter how often I donate every time I check the Inova Blood Donor Services site, they always are showing that they are in critical need of O-Negative blood; they usually have less than 1 day’s supply.
So, I feel like it’s my civic duty to help out in whatever little way I can…
Gas to get to the blood donor center: $2.58/Gallon
“Winner’s” T-shirt to psyche out opponent: $20.00
Kleen Kanteen to keep hydrated: $17.95
Saving a life at Christmas-time: Priceless.
Blood Donor Drag Racing
You probably think that I’m utterly crazy to undertake such a thing. But really it’s not what you think… OK, maybe it is. It all started back last May when I asked everyone in my family to come with me and donate blood. My father and my DH, Steve, were able to participate (my mom doesn’t weight enough; don’t we all wish we had that problem?). When we got there it somehow became a competition to see who could finish first. We didn’t all go at the same time, so it was more like bragging rights. Every time after that there’s been this little “race” to the finish line.
Well, this time Dad insisted that we actually race. And by race, I mean he insisted that the needles go in at the same time and we’d see who finished their pint first. Loser had to forfeit their $10 gift card that we got for completing the O-Negative Donor screening and buy dinner at Red Lobster afterwards.
It looked like two NASCAR drivers suiting up with their pit crew surrounding them while we were all getting hooked up!! All the nurses were cheering us on and Mom and Steve came over into the donor area to witness who was going to cross the finish line first. I’d like to say that it was a close race, and that it came down to just one or two pumps of the stress ball, but that wasn’t the case. I left Dad behind in the dust. There was no way he’d catch up to how fast my blood was pouring out of my body! I finished in four minutes, and he went on to finish in something more like 8 or 9 minutes. He’d like to blame it on the fact that his nurse, Lovie (who he requests every time he goes in there), left the tourniquet on, but we know the real reason… the 10 cups of coffee that he drank that day!
Winner’s Celebration
I won, arm outstretched above my head (really more of a cautionary measure than a “I’m number 1″ gesture) and I of course had to sing We Are The Champions since that’s my winner’s song. I told Dad that I only won because I was sporting my NaNoWriMo Winner’s Tshirt from this year which gave me strength to pump my blood out fastest.
They told me that we’d have a little celebration before I left. I thought it was kind of funny that everyone totally got into our little drag racing. But before we all left all the people from the blood donor center came around and congratulated me…
Not for winning the drag race, but for crossing the 1 GALLON threshold! I was so surprised! I thought I was one whole pint behind so I wasn’t thinking anything of it. I actually got a little choked up when they presented me with my 1 gallon pin. I was thinking that I would miss the mark by one pint this year, and that 7 pints would have been a valiant effort for trying so hard. But I’m hoping that this last pint towards my gallon of blood donation will go to someone who really needs it this Christmas Season… and that maybe my blood will help someone get to see another New Year and another Christmas. All kidding aside, I think that we’ve done a good thing and that the blood that Dad and I donated last night might be the best gift that we could have ever given.
I have always been so impressed that you donate so much blood. Kudos to you!