#78

What they say is true, I guess...the 3rd time was a charm for me!

My husband is amazing - he gives blood every chance he gets. Red Cross calls and says "you're eligible to give blood again" and he runs out and gets hooked up to a bag as soon as he can. The exception is around Thanksgiving. He will skip his regularly scheduled "eligibility" to go on Thanksgiving Day. Free t-shirt, catered snackins', fun stress-free atmosphere, why not wait!?!?

Two years ago, he encouraged me to go with him and give blood. I should probably share some history with you here...

In high school, we had a blood drive. I was ready to open my arms up to the nearest person with needle and bag to give what I had to offer - only I didn't weigh enough. I ran into a friend as he was headed for In-N-Out for lunch that day. I asked him to bring me back two double-doubles, and two fries - thinking I could gain the two pounds needed before last period so I, too, could donate.

It didn't work.

I was turned away without any puncture would. I also lost my courage.

Thirteen years later, I was in NEED of blood. Two pints of ABnegative later, I realized how appreciative I was (am) of folks who willingly open their arms to help others.

Two years ago, I reluctantly accepted Brian's invitation to join him at the Red Cross, to get punctured. Besides being nervous, I was an emotional wreck. I cried the ENTIRE time I was on the chair-bed-thingy. Tears rolling down my face like water on a windshield that had collected on the roof of the car, falling slowly, picking up momentum with the collection of other droplets already on the window. Brian was right across from me - FREAKING OUT because he could see I was crying and he was tethered to a bag with a needle in his own arm and he couldn't come to comfort me.

As I lay there, it was really REAL to me what someone had gone through to help save my life. Someone spent at least an hour, answering questions about their past, getting a finger prick, hooking up to a collection bag via needle in their arm, draining live from themselves, to pass it on to someone else. WOW.

I can't remember being so grateful on a Thanksgiving morning - or any day for that matter. I wasn't sure if I could handle the emotions again...but the next year, I went again.

I have to put a side note here: my veins KNOW when a needle is lurking and they scramble to get out of the way and they hide. I think they go way up into my brain because my head gets warm and me feet FREEZE! Finding a vein that is acceptable is challenging for every one who has tried - even for a blood test at the doctor, they just seemingly disappear!

So, as I lay there with my arm hanging out and tears building up, my poker-lady had a hard time finding a vein. She finally did and it seemed an eternity that I was squeezing the ball - and nothing was happening. I tried for OVER AN HOUR to fill the bag. Not only was I unable to fill the bag, after she painfully thrust a needle into my arm, she announced to her co-worker that I was taking too long and the boold they did collect from me was useless.

NOT the words I wanted to hear. "Useless." Ouch. I was furious! My blood was useless and I had a bruise the size of a cantaloupe on my arm for TWO WEEKS!

When Brian asked this year if I wanted to try again, he inserted "I'll understand if you don't want to." It seemed the pressure was on, although lovingly. =)

It wasn't only Thanksgiving this year, it was also my birthday. I was still an emotional wreck - but my "poker" was Jasmine - one of the women who know Brian well - and remembers that he's a skydiver. She set Brian and I up directly across from each other so we could talk without yelling across the room. Each time I got emotional, jasmine would start in on her hilarious stories of childhood. or she would move on to the topic of Brian's skydiving. She REALLY got excited when we showed her my debit card from our bank - with a photo of Brian's proposal on it.

I managed to drain in 10 minutes...with only a few tears and a hurting gut from the laughing - but it was good. And the best part, my blood was USEFUL!