I just gave blood, ask me anything

[zekeson]

So, I gave blood today. The ladies were really nice and efficient. There was a slight problem, though - my arm pretty much exploded when she stuck me with the needle. I got a new T-shirt out of the deal and an extra couple of chocolate chip cookies. Never had that problem before, but I like the shirt.

My blood pressure was 108 over 68, what does that mean? I'm in my forties, I should know about that stuff, shouldn't I?

[Superfly]

1. Was it red?

How warm was it? Were the people taking the blood vampires? After you gave the blood, did you want it back?

[zekeson]

4. Blue

Ya think I'm a Bush or sumthin? It was very warm, all over my shirt. No, they were mothers, with buttons of their football player sons on their tunics - at least I think they were their sons! Yikes. Nope, they can keep that yeechy old blood.

[Padraig18]

2. You're B/P is fine...

Systolic (the top #) should be 90 + your age, and dyastolic should be between 60-90, so 108/68 is n/p. :)

[zekeson]

5. thanks

one day I will make sense of all that
:think:

[Lisa]

13. and especially the dyastolic ...

My mom (a nurse) told me that if that if the lower number is larger than normal, that's an especially bad thing. Mine is 84, so getting close to the boundary suggested by Padraig ... mom's suggested that I get more exercise and avoid salty foods. Your BP is fine!

I gave my 30th donation last month ... had the blood-squirting thing happen just once.

[ott]

3. Business, pleasure, or charity?

n/t

[zekeson]

7. Pleasure?

nah, just doing the charity thing, I guess. High need time, try to give regularly.

[MissMillie]

6. Did they give you a cookie? (n/t)

.

[zekeson]

8. 3!!! a t-shirt and apple drink!

[prolesunited]

9. That's great!

What's your blood type? What was on the T-shirt?

[zekeson]

10. O+

and the shirt on front says Why Donate Blood? To Save Lives!. Wrapped around a figure that may be a question mark in abstract. On the back it sez, The answer is Black and White - as is the T-shirt.

[prolesunited]

11. What a coinkydink

I had to double-check my card, but I'm O+, too. The one I got last year was something patriotic with "American blood donor" on it. I haven't donated this year yet. Perhaps your post will inspire me to do so.

[zekeson]

12. Please do - I hadn't for awhile - then a week or two

ago someone on DU had a thread similar to this one and re-inspired me. Its nearly painless, takes about 1/2 hour the first time, you get some good health info, and are making a contribution that anyone in your family or social sphere could be a benificiary of at any time.
:thumbsup:

[prolesunited]

16. You don't have to convince me

I was the one organizing the blood drives in my workplace for the past two years. Just been busy lately. I'll definitely do it, though.

[underpants]

14. Are you the one who was stuffing cookies down you pants?

:bounce:

[zekeson]

15. Not me

I was wrapping them up in my bloody shirt!
:evilgrin: and they were goood!

[KDLarsen]

17. Eeeekk..

.. I think I belong the group that calls themselves selective Hypoconders. Just reading the first bit made my arm 6 veines feel funny.

It's not the first time though, a couple (as in: many) years ago, where I was about to undergo major surgery to have a faulty hearing corrected (the operation stopped as the problem they though I had wasn't the problem at all), and while the doctor explained my dad what was going to happen, I was just sitting in the background, laughing out loud. I just couldn't help it.