I was just thinking this weekend about how I'm nearly eighteen years of age. I began pondering all of the legalities that go along with turning eighteen including tobacco purchase, ability to sign for tattoos and peircings, taxes, marriage, lottery tickets, alcohol in canada, buy a monkey... the list goes on. As I was thinking about all of these foreign ideas, I realized that there was somethings that I could do under eighteen that I hadn't yet done. For example, I was able to get my liscense at fifteen... and I did so. I could go see pg 13 movies at thirteen, that was exciting. I could no longer use my fingers to properly convey how old I was once I turned eleven. With seventeen came rated R movies and blood donation. Blood donation? I had yet to perform this, and decided I'd better get a move on before my eighteenth birthday. So, after school on Monday Patille and I headed to the blood bank. The interview was easy enough, just had to convince them I didn't have AIDS. I don't. Needles don't bother me so I wasn't afraid of that, and I'm not one for blood and guts but it never has gotten to me too bad. What worried me was that when I got my blood drawn a few years ago I passed out. This experience was a parallel. I was doing fine through about half a pint, then I went pale and couldn't squeeze the ball they'd told me to squeeze to make the blood pump out. Fortunately, they finished the pint. I was ready to go. But when they put my chair up so I could get out of it, I quickly experienced tunnel vision and excessive warmth all around my body. I was quickly put in the Trendelenburg position (head down, feet up), covered in ice-packs, and swarmed with blood bank employees. The entire blood-donating event took my two hours... that's too long. Nevertheless, I felt like a hero. They gave me a T-shirt that states I'm a hero. I didn't get a picture of the T-shirt but my arm is still pretty bruised from the IV catheter. It was only a 16 G needle but I guess whoever poked me rubbed my vein the wrong way or something. The subsequent picture shows a picture of my arm today, a few days after the heroic act. That line isn't a shadow, I'm not sure it's really a bruis either. It's most definately my swollen vein. Battle wound. I'm going to go re-hydrate myself now. 
3 comments:
Did they say anything about your trip to Africa?
I haven't yet given blood, but I am excited.
Anthony - Yes, I could give it after being back for a year. Had I been there for three months or more, I would have to wait longer. It was interesting... the countries I went to were in the "Red Zone" on their map. Yikes.
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