heads up - this is going to sound bitter....but it's more hyperbole than bitter. i'm not bitter...slightly disappointed....but not bitter.
so...i signed up a few weeks ago to give blood at the bloodrive at CCC today. i made an appointment. i lined up a babysitter. i drank plenty of water. i went ready to be poked and endure a little bit of pain (it hurts...some people say it doesn't hurt - and i believe them - but it hurts me). i went ready to get my cookies and juice for a job well done!! i got there on time. i read the information. i got a fun little sticker that says "i made a difference today." i did the intitial paperwork/interview/question answering. i had my finger pricked. i had my iron tested. it's low - an 11.5. the red cross requires it to be 12.5 or higher...but, being the sweet organization that they are, they allowed me to get a second opinion. so i had my finger pricked again (from a finger on the other hand). the iron from that finger was even lower than the iron from the first finger - 11.3. 2 fun band-aids, a wasted babysitter (not wasted on alcohol, thankfully), and one disappointed girl later i returned home. of all my times giving blood, this is the first time i've been rejected. wonder which is worse - the pain of the needle or the pain of rejection? JUST KIDDING.
if i was dramatic i would have ripped the sticker off and stomped out of there. just kidding. i do kind of feel like ripping off the sticker....not sure i've made much of a difference today (maybe i'll wait until AFTER i've given blood to put the sticker on!). giving blood is such an easy and tangible way to help others - not to mention that it costs you nothing AND you get yummy cookies and juice!! (commercial break is over now) i wonder if i'll be eligible to win the $3000 giftcard they're giving away....one might have to have actually given blood to be put in that drawing. oh well. maybe next time (i heard the trick is to load up on iron vitamins a few days before you go to donate....). i wasn't doing it for the giftcard anyway.
