Have a Pint on Me

I did it. I gave blood last week. I had said I would do it before Valentine’s Day, and I did. It wasn’t so bad, and I didn’t pass out afterwards, so it was a good thing.

I didn’t think it would happen. Last night, Mr. Insomnia paid me a visit until 2 a.m. Once he left, my stomach decided at 3 am that it needed to expel whatever undesirable element I had placed in it. I finally got to bed and sleep until 5 a.m., when my cat decided to claw the outside screen, wanting to be let in the window. But once I got up, he changed his mind.

When I woke up a few hours later, my husband found out that his two-month-old new windshield had a huge crack in it, which meant I would return to the place of purchase to discuss getting a new one. In the interim, I got an email from my daughter saying she was having significant boyfriend issues. Somehow in the midst of all of this, I forgot about my macrobiotic brown rice, and remembered it just in time to notice its inedible rock-like texture. With a night/morning like this, I seriously considered canceling the blood appointment.

But I thought a little harder and decided that I really didn’t feel that bad, I really wanted to do this, and there was really no reason I shouldn’t. So I did.

As I sat there, squeezing the rubber squeezy thing and watching the blood flow from my vein, it was kind of neat. I imagined where my pint of blood would go. Would it be a child, or a car accident victim, or a middle-age lady getting her gall bladder removed?

In the end, it really didn’t matter. I did something for the first time, something that could have a real effect on someone else. Something that didn’t cost me anything, that my body would replenish, and that could save someone’s life. How often can I do that while sitting on a stretcher watching TV? For me, hopefully every few months!

What’s keeping you from donating?

About the Author:

Luanne Davidson is the proud mother of three adult children and wonders what might have been if she had done a thing or two differently. Her first book is now available. This post originally appeared on her blog.