I gave blood.
I surprised myself with how quickly I signed up for the blood drive after seeing a post from the YWCA about their wellness fair, and blood drive. But I was excited about the opportunity to give back, and help out my community. I'll admit, I was a bit of a scaredy gato, and was afraid about the pain of the needle. So, I You Tubed a few videos and found comfort in knowing that even though previous donors said that it hurt a little, they all felt the whole purpose of giving back outweighed the pain.
The process of donating was fairly simple, I was able to make an appointment time through their website, which was very convenient. The actual donation process started off with answering a few questions to make sure you are a good candidate to donate. There is a lot of things that can disqualify you from donating blood, so I recommend calling, or going to the website and checking out the FAQ section at United Blood Services. It didn't take a lot of time to donate blood, and the staff was very well trained. I only felt a little bit a pain, but it was all worth it, and I was happy to contribute. Everyone was very grateful for the donation, and the free cookies and juice afterward didn't hurt.
So readers, what have you done to help out, or give back to your community? I feel like I have found a whole new inspiration to get involved again, and the feeling is great!
So tell me, what inspires you to give a little bit??
I shared the Love
Yay for you! We give transfusions in the ICU all the time... and know how much they can help save someone! So....yay for being you and sharing the love!
ReplyDeleteThere's a blood & platelet donation center conveniently located in our student union. Lately, I try and give blood whenever I'm feeling healthy and enough time has passed since my last donation. My uncle passed away in July. Prior to that, he was ill for about a year and received several blood transfusions. I give blood 'cause I can and I know it's needed. (Actually have a post on this in the drafts folder.)
ReplyDeleteThat said, last time I gave blood a few weeks ago messed me up for a couple of days and had me off my running schedule.
Thanks for your comments chicas! I never really paid attention to the importance of donating blood, and how many people it helps. I know I was late on hoping on the bus, but I am so glad I did.
ReplyDelete@Cindy If I was running, which I'm not, I would probably wait 48 hours till I tried. From what I read it really takes a lot out of you, and takes about 48 hours for everything to get back to normal. Gahh, I miss running!
I've read other thing, like it takes up to 6 weeks to feel back to your fitness level before. I've definitely had tougher short and long runs lately. I know next time I donate, it'll be off training season.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, I can see how that can be true. I do feel weak sometimes, and if I stand up to fast I get a bit dizzy. So, I can see how that six weeks would come into play. Definitely a good word of advice to not donate while you're training for any sort of running event.
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