i did it!

an hour before lunch, aren went around the office asking "hindi kayo mag-do-donate ng dugo?" showing us the band-aid on her arm. i said i wanted to but i needed someone to go through it with me. when she said that bert, euge, alice and aileen were already there, i immediately prodded her downstairs before i had a chance to change my mind.

once there, i was given a form i had to answer, then the nurse took my weight (which i am definitely not telling) and a blood sample. then the doctor took my blood pressure (that is the one that's normal) and gave me a go signal. and they gave me a red cross pin. one of the volunteers then told me to lie on the cot while another volunteer prepped me for the blood donation. i was starting to get nervous but i was keeping it all in check... that is, until i saw the needle. A GIGANTIC NEEDLE! i am not kidding. it was really huge! i wanted to run back to the office and never come back! but all i did was ask "masakit po ba yan?". the nurse told me that it really depended on my pain tolerance --- if it was low, then it would probably be more painful. now that didn't appease me at all. i couldn't look and i had to bite my lip to keep from screaming when the needle pierced my skin.

OOOOWWWWWW!!!!

around five to ten minutes, i was lying on the cot and my blood was flowing to the bag. continuously. now i know you really can bleed to death. "keep on squeezing", the nurse would say. there was a dull pain in my arm when i squeezed but i did it anyway. when it was time to take the needle out, i had to look away again. surprisingly though, i didn't feel a thing this time. i stayed on the cot for a few more minutes just to "recuperate" from the blood loss. after i drank some juice and a band-aid was placed on my arm, i was given the green light to go back to the office.

i must say, that eventhough my arm was hurting, it was worth it. one, i did a good deed and two, i overcame my fear to do something worthwhile. i am so proud of myself!