Gave Blood Today
By Lex, on Sun – July 31, 2005
They had blood drive all set up at the church parish hall, after services today. How could I say no, given the sacrifice I had recently celebrated in?
Couldn’t, as it turned out. Which I suppose was the point.
Clever people, these Red Cross types.
It was easy to dodge out for the last 20-odd years or so: Aviators are proscribed from blood donation within a week of flying. Deleterious effects of diminished blood capacity on metabolic rates vs altitude and air density. Absorptivity, I believe. Resting g-tolerance. And so on. Harrumph.
Since every pilot always hopes to fly sometime in the next week or so, you never end up giving any blood away. Even if you wanted to.
So today was my first time since I was a mid. Things have changed a bit, since then. For one thing, you are asked some Very Personal Questions. And even after that, you have the option to peel and stick one of two bar code pasties on the form accompanying your blood. One apparently translates in machine code as “Use my blood,” while the other translates as “Do NOT use my blood.” And all of this is before she sticks the needle in, which rather begs the question a bit, doesn’t it? It’s not that the needle is all that painful, but it’s not nothing either, and it seems to me more than passing strange that someone would go through all the trouble of giving blood only to tell the Red Cross not to use any of it.
But, did it, managed to feel smug and self-satisfied for quite a bit. Parlayed it into an afternoon nap, as well. No heavy lifting?
Ah, well.