In unrelated news: I'ma....DIE.
Really slow day today; was a surgery day, but we only had two surgeries, and I wasn't the student on either. I watched one, but wasn't very interested in the other. Went down to get some water, and saw the sign-ups for the blood drive that was going on at the hospital today. I'd totally forgotten about it; didn't figure I'd participate.
Buuuut...I peeked in....and got roped into trying to donate. It was also a marrow drive, but I didn't qualify for that anyway.
BACKGROUND: In my freshman year of undergrad, I decided to participate in a blood drive. They stuck my left arm...dug around for a while...couldn't find a vessel. Stuck the right arm...same deal. Stuck the left again, and finally went back to the right. It took a good half hour before they even got the vessel, a whole lot of soft tissue trauma, and several nurses. About six years later, I still have the scars on both arms from that attempt. *ahem* Anyway, back to the present...
I got through all the prelim stuff...they stuck the left arm...and she couldn't get it.
gonk Dug around a bit, and then got another nurse over to see if he could salvage the attempt. For naught. Moved on to the right arm. Third nurse, and she got it right in. Started the machine pumping the blood along, and I thought I was golden. But no...after about 1/4 of the necessary blood was in, the machine starts beeping.
"It looks like it's swelling up. Does that hurt?"
"No, not really."
...So she pokes my arm. It
hurts. Either the needle went straight through the vessel and out the other side, or else it backed out. Blew a nice hematoma.
So....no blood from me.
gonk Before she had surgery, my mother donated her blood every year without problem.
crying All my childhood, I couldn't wait until I was old enough to donate blood. And...I can't.
crying I am a horrible, horrible donor.
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