BLOODY TIME
I did my good deed for the year. I donated blood. This was for Tito's mom so it makes me feel all the more happy. I was supposed to go through the donation procedure last Wednesday but I was turned away and told to come back since I had a couple of drinks the night before.
Yesterday, all sobered up and a little groggy Tito picked me up to go to Asian hospital. I got through the initial screening and thought that it was going to be simple. Then the nurse told me to go to the next room where there was a Lazy-Boy. "Ah! This is where I'll be drained of blood." I told myself. So I sat down and got my iPod ready. When the nurse produced the needle, I was surprised to see how big it was. You could actually see the hole and the angle of the tip! Well the nurse told me to take a deep breath and inserted the needle.
For the most part I couldn't feel the needle inside me. It was only when they had to reposition the needle (they said I had a deep vein so it was hard to find it), with them moving it around me, did I feel the sting. Of course the initial stab was also painful. After about 20 minutes, which the nurse said was really long, she told me to take another deep breath as she withdrew the needle. I was handed Oreos and Zesto and told to relax. That was that.
Good thing I brought the iPod. It focused my mind away from the most excruciating part of the whole procedure. Someone else was also getting his blood drained and he arrived before me. Unfortunately he had the remote control of the TV there and set the channel to a Juday and Bobby Andrews movie. Man that was awful! With the iPod on I closed my eyes and just shut everything out.
The aftermath of this whole episode was funny (in retrospect). Being the hard headed ox that I am, I played badminton after. My logic was "If I could drive drunk, I could play badminton even if I was light headed and lacking a pint of blood". What a lesson that was. After the first game I was really winded. Thinking all I needed was a drink I continued to another game. After that game ended I wanted to collapse. I threw off my shoes and said that's it for me. I spent the rest of the court time crumpled up in one corner. I was even joking with Art saying I'd be fine to play again in about 30 minutes. He stood up and said he wouldn't play with me. Oh well. That's done with.
Yesterday, all sobered up and a little groggy Tito picked me up to go to Asian hospital. I got through the initial screening and thought that it was going to be simple. Then the nurse told me to go to the next room where there was a Lazy-Boy. "Ah! This is where I'll be drained of blood." I told myself. So I sat down and got my iPod ready. When the nurse produced the needle, I was surprised to see how big it was. You could actually see the hole and the angle of the tip! Well the nurse told me to take a deep breath and inserted the needle.
For the most part I couldn't feel the needle inside me. It was only when they had to reposition the needle (they said I had a deep vein so it was hard to find it), with them moving it around me, did I feel the sting. Of course the initial stab was also painful. After about 20 minutes, which the nurse said was really long, she told me to take another deep breath as she withdrew the needle. I was handed Oreos and Zesto and told to relax. That was that.
Good thing I brought the iPod. It focused my mind away from the most excruciating part of the whole procedure. Someone else was also getting his blood drained and he arrived before me. Unfortunately he had the remote control of the TV there and set the channel to a Juday and Bobby Andrews movie. Man that was awful! With the iPod on I closed my eyes and just shut everything out.
The aftermath of this whole episode was funny (in retrospect). Being the hard headed ox that I am, I played badminton after. My logic was "If I could drive drunk, I could play badminton even if I was light headed and lacking a pint of blood". What a lesson that was. After the first game I was really winded. Thinking all I needed was a drink I continued to another game. After that game ended I wanted to collapse. I threw off my shoes and said that's it for me. I spent the rest of the court time crumpled up in one corner. I was even joking with Art saying I'd be fine to play again in about 30 minutes. He stood up and said he wouldn't play with me. Oh well. That's done with.
This entry was posted by Frank, on
Friday, March 11, 2005.
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