...but I can never get past the pin-prick test – my haemoglobin levels always let me down! My blood always seems to be heading towards anaemic even though I eat a pretty healthy diet and take an iron supplement. Coupled with the fact that I naturally have low blood pressure (as do a lot of petite women) it means that the blood bank do not want to take any of my blood :(
My own doctor told me (years ago when I actually used to go to the doctor) that my blood pressure and haemoglobin levels are OK (for me and for a vegetarian) and nothing to worry about, but still nobody else wants it. I don’t feel any adverse effects from my levels so it’s very frustrating as I would like to help and the rest of my family give blood regularly. I’m going to research this further and see if there is anything I can do about it but I might have to change this goal into giving something else – I definitely don’t want to end up like my friend who gave blood and felt perfectly fine until she collapsed in the middle of the Post Office an hour later!
