Blood Drive

There are blood drives on campus every month or so, and I tried to donate blood back in September. I got there and went to do the screening, but I was slightly anemic (the minimum iron number is 12.5, and I was a 12.4!). Anyways, they had another blood drive today, and I went again, hoping to make it past the screening :) I was 14.0 today, so I was in the clear! The hooked me up, and pumped out my blood. My blood came out really quickly and filled up the bag in no time compared to some of the other people who were hooked up before I started, and after I finished! The guy said being really hydrated helps, so that was good. While my blood was being pumped out, I was trying to take a picture, and the guy looked at me weird and asked if everything was okay. I laughed, and said, "Yes! I was just taking a picture!" But hey, now you can enjoy some crappy cell phone pictures of my first blood donation!

The set up in the center of the blood drive.

My arm hooked up--the needle is covered by that gauze sheet, but the red tube is my blood :)

That package at the bottom is my blood... it rocked back and forth to get any air bubbles out the whole time.

All wrapped up for the night!

It was a neat experience, and I'll definitely do it again! Hopefully the blood I donated can help somebody else and improves somebody else's health! I am definitely so thankful for my health and all of the blessings I am able to enjoy because of it!