Well everything was going fine. Skimmed through the boring pamphlet that you're supposed to read. Answered the questions that are always the same. I'm up on the table and she puts the needle in. Which I watch because I think it's cool. Then it hits me, this time it really freaking hurts!!!! Seriously the pain isn't going away. So I try to talk to myself and tell me to buck it up, I'm being a wimp. It's just because I'm tired from working till 2am or 4am shifts and that's why it hurts. In my pain I feel like my hand is loosing feeling and it's getting harder and harder to squeeze the ball. So I get a little panicky because this has never happened. My hand starts to go cold too.
I finally mention something to the phlebotomist who is cleaning up the other table from working on another person. She can't do anything because she didn't put the needle in my arm. I've been drinking water through out this whole thing and I've gone through about 1/2 a liter. So when my lady is done helping her other donor she comes over to me.
My tourniquet is too tight and every time my heart beat it moves the needle to hit the wall of my vein. I think there was more going on. So she fixes it and it's a little better just slightly. I don't have to squeeze the ball because I think the blood is pouring out of my vein too quickly too. Well then she starts filling the tubes and my fingers start looking yellow from having no blood go to them. It just hits me like running into a wall because every time she attaches one of the vials it hurts majorly, again. We are talking about labor pain, pains. The kind that make you spew crazy things. So I go stark white and feel nausea from it. They lay me down and give me a cool compress. I only wanted a piece of gum so I can get the sour taste out of my mouth. Plus I know when I feel sick, I need to eat. It's how I am. Well they won't let me do any of that until the color comes back to my face. Which it does and by that time she is finally done with my arm! Which I'm sure means that now I'm going to have a massive bruise from this experience. She was really nice but I think she goofed up because she got really quiet when she realized filling the tubes was causing me super pain.
I do not know if I'm going to do it again. I've given 2x's before and it didn't hurt this bad. Even the woman who marked my arm with and x before she put the needle in didn't hurt at all. She worried me the most! So I hope everyone has a better weekend than my Friday has been! Hey at least I'm $50 richer, which is going to groceries for my daughter's party.
Anyone know if you donate blood for money if they are more compassionate? I don't know if I can go through that again!
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2 comments:
Ugh! Okay, you have just confirmed for me that my never giving blood is not such a bad thing after all! I can barely cope with getting my blood taken for a physical and put it off as long as possible. ON the other hand, I am in awe of your bravery. This was your third time? YOu are a better woman than me!
After it happened I talked to one of the girls I work with who is studying to be a nurse. She told me, I should have gotten a smaller needle. Which I thought this one was larger than the two other times! She sets up blood drives at her school, so I'm going there next time! Don't feel bad. My husband can't donate either. He seriously faints everytime!
I'm just worried because I've lost muscle control in my hand. I can't grab things and hold on to them. I'm just hoping it's the trauma to my arm and I will recover.
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