Blood Sucking Bastards

So I just gave blood. My first time ever doing this. I survived.

I want to get this out of the way... If you want to give blood, and don't know where to go...Go here: RedCross

I gave to the "Bloodmobile" that Mass General Hospital drives around to local businesses. Was pretty interesting. I don't have any real problem with needles, but who really looks forward to them. But I didn't pass out or faint...pretty much it went over without a hitch. Smoov as silk.

Some things to note:

• The needle felt worse when being pulled OUT then when being put in
• There was no feeling of your life force being sucked out of you body
• I wasn't dizzy or anything when done, but if I go for 15 or 20 minutes without drinking any fluids, my muscles start to feel like they are going to cramp up.
• No sick feeling.
• Took a VERY short period of time.
• They were very cool. And every worker that I saw on the bus said "Thank you".
• I replied to every "thank you" with a "thank you" right back at them, cause they handle shit that I can not fathom.

The machine-like process that has been created for donating blood is incredible. They gave a brief interview, during which they took my blood pressure (125/78), pricked my finger to get an iron level, got my heart rate (97..yeah, I smoke. fuck off.), and took my temperature by sliding something across my forehead. This was all completed while they asked me details of every possible clandestine behavior I could have been involved with over the past couple years of my life including man on man sex, IV drug use, and "contact with someone else's blood". They did all of this in a span of about four minutes.

They then sat my ass down in a (rather comfortable) recliner, and start looking for a good vein. In goes the needle, and I'm filling up a sac with Bostongraf Juice. There is this fantastic machine that measures exactly how much blood has been pushed through it, and give off an alarm when its been enough. The sac of blood sits on a tray that automagically rocks back and forth every couple of seconds. And, if you lean over you can literally watch your blood draining into this sac. Kinda freaky...

Once alarm goes off, the vein hunter comes over, ties off the tube, and tells you to get a fuckin cookie and a juice. Says that when I finish my juice I can leave as long as I don't feel sick. And gives me another thank you.

Alacazam! I just saved someone's life. Took about 15 minutes total. I'll probably do it again sometime.