My first Blood Donation

NUH organized a blood donation drive at where I work today.

I walked into the "recreation room" a.k.a the "Blood donation venue". The door was wide open with a few "early bird" already giving blood.

On the right side of the room was a small desk where I took the "form". Kinda of like those where you sign out for the insurance agent. It package was a questionair. It asked plenty of stuff. Basically, if you had sex and have sex with who. Male or female. Come to think of it, 1 of the question was pretty biased against the gays. There wasn't one that question on lesbians.

Write write write. Wait wait wait. Finally the doctor saw me. He took my blood pressure and had a chit chat with me. He was a retired army doctor. "Working through lunch until 3pm is nothing as compared to working in the army", he said. He must be referring to the long, endless queue of recruit waiting to see the MO (Medical Officer). Ho Ho, over the borderline high blood pressure.

Passed. With a small hitch. I forgot to mention the taking of malaria pills of the PS course last year. Goodness, those pills have an impact of up to 6 months from what I overheard. If you had consume those pills within 6 months, you will have been barred from donating blood.

Ok. On the chair. I wanted to use my left arm. But as always the master hand had to be bigger. Even the vein looks bigger to the nurse. It is going to affect my squash tomorrow. Contrary to what everyone would have believe the needle poking in is almost painless. Thanks to its super sharp edge. (It gives me the creep if those things is poked into the wrong places) For the next 10 minutes, I watch my precious life give fluid flow out from my body. Until the pack was full. That will me 450ml. Or so I was told.

I feel great once the needle was out of my body......not. I felt normal for the first 5 minutes. However, the things starts to look a little brighter and brighter. I almost experience a white out. The retina does not have enough blood to control the pupils. The nurse rushed to my side elevating my legs and levelling my body. So the the blood can flow back to the brains.

5 mike later. I am fit to go. Getting hungry by the minute. Things to note next time. Have meals first.