I've been hearing about the next blood drive at my school, and honestly I've been a little disheartened and even slightly irritated by it. I donated blood for the first time during Thanksgiving break last November 2013. But before that I tried to donate twice and those attempts were unsuccessful. The first time went from being fearless to fearful. It felt like I was being stabbed in the arm and I started crying uncontrollably. Let's just say it was not a "pinch and a burn." and the pain I felt did not feel like I was being stuck with a needle in my vein. I'm pretty sure it was my nerve. It traumatized me, but I decided to try again in September of last year. My iron was too low then, so I luckily didn't have to experience a terrible stabbing. The first successful donation, however, was barely painful and felt amazing. Amazing to have donated, not amazing pain because that does not exist for me.
When I tell part of my testimony, and how my arm started to go numb last April leading to me being in the hospital and having a crazy vision, I've felt a little angered. Angered that this was all from me trying to help people, and the person who tried to help me ended up hurting me. Partially because after talking with nurses, my acupuncturist and chiropractor, we've come to the conclusion that this problem with my arm stiffening stemmed from donating blood, and that's why I probably have a pinched nerve.
However, when I just read an email about donating blood, my heart released a lot of empathy. Even though I went through a lot of pain, I helped three people. In fact, I saved three lives. We tend to overlook that part, partially because it's said so often. A newborn baby, someone battling cancer, or someone who was in a car accident. Not just a random, ordinary, walking down the street smiling and drinking Starbucks kind of life, a quickly vanishing one.
I think that compared to the pain that those people were going through, mine was and is miniscule. Even though I had to and who knows how long I might have to go through this arm pain, it happened for a reason. I don't know what that reason is in it's entirety, but I do know that the pain I felt is just a glimpse of the amount of pain experienced when you lose someone. Especially when you know they could have been helped. I would love to somehow meet the people who my blood went to. I know that's probably naive because it's done anonymously, but I will know one day because there's more to this life than earth. I never thought directly about that, but now that I think about it it's really cool to imagine who they are and what they look like. Their story. If there was any way to find that out or see how far they've come, that would be incredible.
Now I don't openly encourage people like I once did to donate blood, but I do stop and think that I may need to reconsider that. I don't know if I'll necessarily be donating anytime soon, but I don't want my story to stop people from wanting to donate. People who are healthy and in the weight regimen to donate choose not to because they are afraid or don't trust people. Or, the saddest part, they just don't care. For some odd reason their life is more important than the lives that are being lost. I guess that makes sense, since we live in a society that tends to focused on your own life and is consumed with fulfilling wants and needs. But that doesn't mean it's right.
People tend to forget what it feels like to be in desperate need for something, partially because they've never been in that situation before. You might say you're afraid of needles. I get it. But the pain and fear combination of sitting for maybe ten minutes is incomparable to the longevity you can give to a person by giving away something you freely have flowing through you. They have less time then you, and they are desperate. Ten minutes of your time is adding on a
continuation instead of an
elimination of life. So as a hypothetical math equation, 10 min = 1,000 or more minutes of life. That's amazing. Life is a gift, and it's been given so freely. So if you are able, you are more than capable to face fear and donate a pint of blood to someone who might be facing the worst challenge of their life. What you do does make a difference. Please donate!
People tend to forget what it feels like to be in desperate need for something, partially because they've never been in that situation before. You might say you're afraid of needles. I get it. But the pain and fear combination of sitting for maybe ten minutes is incomparable to the longevity you can give to a person by giving away something you freely have flowing through you. They have less time then you, and they are desperate. Ten minutes of your time is adding on a
continuation instead of an
elimination of life. So as a hypothetical math equation, 10 min = 1,000 or more minutes of life. That's amazing. Life is a gift, and it's been given so freely. So if you are able, you are more than capable to face fear and donate a pint of blood to someone who might be facing the worst challenge of their life. What you do does make a difference. Please donate!
