Yesterday I gave blood for the first time in a while and I’m glad I did. I used to give as often as I could, about every 56 days, 1) because after the first time, it wasn’t too scary and 2) I realized it was kind of a special thing to be able to do. Not everyone can handle the needle, or the blood draw, or any of it, and many people just aren’t able to donate, so I thought, why not?

So, today, I thought I’d give a detailed description of the process, for anyone who has considered giving blood, but has yet to do it. Maybe this will give you some peace of mind and the confidence to try it. This pertains to donating whole blood.

If you work at a company that does Red Cross blood drives, where they actually come to your office, that’s a good way to start. That was actually how my first donation happened, through a blood drive at Vanderbilt. Since then, I’ve donated at my local Red Cross. To find yours, and even sign up for an appointment online, go to www.givelife.org. Its the official Red Cross blood donation website and has tons of information about giving blood and how to sign up. You can also call 1-800-Give-Life to reach the Red Cross donation center near you.

On the day you plan to donate, make sure to eat all your meals, preferably balanced ones, and if you can try to eat some leafy greens the day before. My usual problem is a low iron count and that has stopped me from donating a few times. Its a good idea to drink plenty of water too, but not required to donate.

When you arrive at the donation location, you will have to read through a booklet of information about who can donate and who cannot. There is a list of medications that if you are currently taking or have ever taken, you must notify the staff. That doesn’t necessarily mean you cannot donate, but usually if you are on any antibiotics or just got any vaccines, you won’t be able to donate. There are many things that can keep you from being able to donate, like getting a tattoo or piercing in the past 12 months, being on certain medications, having certain kinds of sex (there are a lot of questions about that) and traveling to or living in foriegn countries. If you think something might pertain to you and you want to know before you go to donate, just call that 800 number and they can tell you if you’ll be eligible.

After you read through the booklet, you’ll sign in and wait to be called back by one of the “blood techs” (I’m sure that’s not what they’re called, but that’s what I call them). When you are called back, you will be asked to verify who you are by presenting ID and verifying address and phone number information (if its your first time, they will have to collect this information). They will ask your weight (you must be over a certain weight to donate) and then perform a few tests.

The first is the finger prick to check your iron level. In my opinion, this hurts more than the actual blood draw. They use a little disposable needle that pricks one of your finger tips, then they squeeze a small amount of blood into a little tube that then goes into a machine that spins the tube to separate the parts of the blood. Then they measure it to make sure you have enough iron. They will also take your temperature, pulse and blood pressure. You’ll also go through an online questionnaire to answer questions about your history, mostly questions that were addressed in the booklet you read before donating. This is where you will tell them if you’ve travelled outside of the US or if you take or did take any of the medications on the list. I took Accutane like 10+ years ago, but I still need to tell them. It doesn’t affect my ability to donate though.

When all that is done and you “pass” all the requirements, they will take you out into the main donation area and sit ya down to donate. You can choose which arm you want to donate with, so if they sit you on the wrong side, just tell them and they can switch the chair around.

They will then verify your identity again and have you read off some numbers from your collection bags. You’ll be asked if you are allergic to iodine or betadine, because they use both to cleanse the area. I’m not sure what happens if you are allergic to one of those…I’ve never asked. They will place a blood pressure cuff on your arm to help with the blood flow and prepare the donation bags and tubes on your arm. After cleansing the area, they will get the needle ready and they will say “You’re going to feel a stick and a sting” (cause a little of the betadine/iodine WILL go in with the needle, and it WILL sting a little bit at first). This is when you should LOOK AWAY if you are at all squeemish about needles. I do not watch them put it in and I wait till they put a little gauze bandage over the needle before I look back. They will give you something to squeeze off and on during the process to keep the blood flowing and you should squeeze it every 5-10 seconds.

Unless you have tricky veins, you should be all good to go for the rest of the donation process. Sometimes it is hard to find the vein and some people have a harder time getting it started. You probably know if you are one of those people and whether or not you can tolerate the process. Basically, if you can see your vein in the crook of your elbow (and feel it), you’re probably in good shape. I tried to take a picture of my arm to show how you can see my vein, but it didn’t come out very well.

Anyway, the donation process can take anywhere from 8-20 minutes, although I’d say most people finish in under 15 minutes. Mine goes a little slower when my body is cold (like in the winter months). Once your pint is collected, the machine will beep and they will tell you to stop squeezing your hand. They still need to collect some more blood in a few vials in order to test your blood to make sure everything is kosher before it can be transfused to someone else. After they do that, they will remove the needle (which feels weird but doesn’t hurt) and ask you to keep pressure on the spot while raising your arm straight up in the air. Then they will clean off the iodine/betadine and fix you up with a gauze and stretchy bandage thing that’s pretty comfortable. Much better than the tape they used a long time ago.

After you have made sure you feel okay, you’ll make your way to the lobby and partake in some sugary goodness. I prefer the oatmeal cream sandwiches and a diet coke (yes, I realize the “diet” kinda defeats the purpose, but I’m eating an oatmeal cream sandwich, for goodness sake). Then you’re all set!

Depending on how busy they are, the entire process could take anywhere from 30-50 minutes, so make sure you don’t need to rush off somewhere right away. Also, you should not do any strenuous activity that day, which includes intense exercise, lifting heavy objects, sex (okay, they don’t say that, but its strenuous, right?), etc. You should also drink lots of water and don’t skip any meals. Basically, be smart about it. You just gave away a pint of blood and your body needs time to adjust.

Some people experience bruising, but I just get a little red spot on my arm for a few days. For example, this from my donation yesterday:

Not bad. And its not sore anymore either. Dexter stepped on it last night and, I won’t lie, that DID hurt.

Anyway, the process isn’t really that bad, so if you are able and willing, go give it a try. Its pretty easy to do and there’s nothing like donating a part of yourself that you know will help save someone else’s life! And you can do it every 8 weeks. Pretty awesome!

My chiropractor gave me this document, saying “This is totally you, by the way”. I guess he does know me pretty well. Its a table of a bunch of fruits and vegetables and the affects they have on your body/immune system. Most of them are good, although peanuts do aggrevate diverticulitis. Anyway, its kinda interesting if you’re into that type of thing. Check it out.