And I fainted twice!

I fucking chicken shit when it comes to needles. I went last month to watch a friend give blood and see if I was going to be ok. Surprisingly, I was ok.

I pass the intro test n shit and I get put on the cot...and I got cross eyed, dizzy, and the tech had to tip my cot down and put a cold cloth on my head. I felt AWESOME after that....but the panic made me clot and I didn't fill the bag

Then my dumb ass, just feeling good that I'm conquering the fear gets up way too quick after it and faints again. I came to on the floor.

I'm a fucking weenie. I am so damn fricking scared of having blood taken out of my body and I am trying SO HARD to get over it.

Now...I feel like crap...my arm hurts and I didn't even fill the fucking bag. What's gonna happen when I have kids?

At least you tried, and your heart was in the right place. I've given blood several times, and they can never find a big enough vein to stick the needle in. Then it takes forever for the bag to fill up.

I frickin fainted...TWICE!!!

Shit, I almost filled that bag in 5 minutes!

i don't know if my people are allowed to donate blood, but if i am allowed, i would pass out at LEAST twice. me and needles are like indiana jones and snakes. not two tastes that taste great together.

I can take the needles what I cant stand to see is blood, makes me want to throw up
I've only given blood once and havent gone back because of this




.
[Edited 6/11/08 19:29pm]

KatSkrizzle said:

Having kids is different my friend! When that time comes..you will be surprised in what you can handle!

i am ashamed that i haven't done this
i'll work on my spinach intake and maybe bike on down to the office

blood

Anxiety said:

If you're a guy who has had sex with another guy -- even once -- since 1977, the FDA won't allow you to give blood.

But even if gay men were allowed, I don't think I could do it either. For me, it's not a needle issue. (Though I'm not fond of those.) I just CANNOT deal with volumes of real blood. I could see Jason Voorhees chop heads off for decades, but having to witness the filling of a bag with real blood -- let alone my own -- would send me to Dreamland.

I commend you, KatSkrizzle. I could never do what you've done.
[Edited 6/11/08 21:06pm]

Lammastide said:

i'm that way with blood, too. fake blood is fine, bring it on. but when i see it in real life, i'm on the floor. there have been times when people i know are telling STORIES about bleeding profusely and i've passed out. i understand all too well.

KatSkrizzle said:

Fainting is not fun.

I used to give every 8 weeks. I used to have more energy after donating. I never fainted but the last time my veins collapsed twice and I told her to just give up.

Anxiety said:

I've gotten literally weak at the knees at stories, but I've never completely passed out.

Lammastide said:

I was like that too. I could not see it, watch a needle enter someone's flesh...hell I went to see Interview With A Vampire in the theatre and literally had to go to the bathroom and put my head between my legs.

Right now, I work for the Red Cross (yeah, my nurse sister teases me about it too) and it had become easier and easier for me to deal with blood (I work in the call center, not around blood). Now the Red Cross division I work for is having drives twice a month, so I have been sitting back in the make shift center watching people donate and I've become oblivious to it.

So after prodding a coaxing from other people I set a date (way in advance) and went in. They had no problem finding my blood vessel and I was pumping that blood OUT! But the needles...well I'm not over that, obviously.

My boss came and hugged me after the ordeal and just told me thanks for trying to save lives. I am seriously thinking about doing it again.

Maybe this is why I work there. It's a means to an end until I find something, perhaps conquering this fear what I need to do right now. I keep telling myself that to not get all down anyway...I'm getting a fricking MBA and I work in a call center.....

It's why I'm there, to conquer a fear. I'm gonna do it again...in September ha ha!! I will just be those big baby donors. The techs told me yesterday they have seen people faint before they even get to the testing part (iron count, blood pressure, questionare) so I didn't feel so bad.

Well I wrote a book!!

Kat, you're a hero in my book.

Giving blood is one of the most important resources we can offer as individuals.

RenHoek said:

Thanks! I felt like a WEENIE! Yesterday I was like, never again! But today, I think I can do it again.

It is the best thing we can do as individuals. If we can't give money or other things, at least give the gift of life. I have really learned a lot and how much it is needed. A lot of cancer patients get it and sickel cell patients. They'd die without it.

You're not to blame. I can stand needles and seeing blood but when it come to syringe manipulation... Try to imagine what it takes to be a nurse!!!

Unfortunately I can't give blood myself due to a massive lack of iron

I am not allowed to do that as their is a weight limit. I a not sure if I would do it otherwise or if I would be too afraid to do it as I could avoid it .

Anxiety said:

you naughty boy. you can't give blood.

I'll take the blood du jour


[Edited 6/12/08 14:37pm]

Serious said:

The first couple times I tried to donate blood back in the day, I did not weigh enough. I have not had that problem in years.

Lammastide said:

it's all in the description, and i think also all in who is doing the describing. if it's someone really close to me and they're telling me about some gory experience they had, i tend to go really woozy.

shanti0608 said:

You're taller than me,that's why . And don't forget that people don't even want to stand next to you on pictures because you make them look fat .

I'd like to be able to give blood, but I can't because I got my plasma replaced by the Red Cross every day for 3 months when I was 17. So I encourage everyone who can to give, because it's a really important and helpful thing to do. It saved my life.

Thank you to everyone who has given.

Xcalibre said:

hmmmmm.... being that I work there, I think you may be eligible again. It may be a few years after you get a tranfusion. Any organ, bone, or blood you get in your body you are deffered for a year after that. You may want to call your local chapter...you MAY be eligible...but don't get me to lying. But some
rules and regulations change all the time, just like any medical field.

I'm going to try to give again just for you and for that reason.

KatSkrizzle said:

Well, at the time they told me never, but I guess I should look into it.

Lammastide said:

We were talking about that at work. There are a lot of hetero males that are just as risky and covert as a promiscuous gay man, but we can't take gay men's blood. Kind of doesn't make sense to me.

Xcalibre said:

I would see...maybe plasma is different. I'm not a nurse so I wouldn't know. But the rules change all the time. If you are well above 17, then you might. Maybe they said you could not donate because of a permanent condition.

In any case, call the chapter.

The last time for me was a while ago....my daughter was having
major surgery, so they took blood from her before hand, as well
as from me (same blood type)...luckily they never had to use it,
but it was there just in case.

Hopefully they were able to use our blood for someone else...
we never found out. I believe it was 10 pints total.