I'm doing 18 things
I have been to Red Cross 4 times, but have only been able to donate once. Once there was a machine malfunction and the other 2 times my blood didn’t have enough iron.
The folks in Pheresis where they draw the platelets couldn’t be nicer. I am told that I have a very high platelet count in my blood, so I will continue to go and attempt to give every month or so.
At the donation center I go to, they use both arms, so you are feeling a bit strapped down, but it only took about 45 minutes for my donation (not including the paperwork or prep time – it’s about an hour and a half to 2 hours from walking in to walking out). I too had cold hands and tingling in my mouth, but a few Tums helped the tingling and they gave me a heat pack to hold, so that was fine.
Yes, it’s a bit uncomfortable. Yes, it’s a little time consuming. Yes, it does make you feel like you’re really doing something good for someone. And that makes it worth it for me.
