Blood donation drive @ my office

As I walked out from the men’s, I decided to drop by firm’s blood donation drive. I was planning to check the place out and thereafter get back to work immediately.
However, upon stepping in to the room, I was swarmed by some colleagues and they started persuading me donate blood.
I was quite hesitant to do it as I’ve never done it before and the purpose of my visit was not to GIVE BLOOD at all!
In the end, I gave up and screamed, “YES YOU ALL CAN POKE ME!!!”
Before donating blood, I had to fill up some documents basically declaring that I am fit to donate blood. Then I had to go through a blood test to determine my blood type. I was pricked with a small device which caused a small wound. My blood was then mixed with some sort of chemical to determine my blood type.
Ayam type A!

I was also given a small red book listing out my personal details and also the times that I’ve donated blood. At one section, there have a list of benefits for blood donor. On my first time, I will be given free outpatient medical treatment and surgery for class 2 ward for a period of 4 months. But if did it more than 50 times, I get free outpatient treatment and first class ward for 10 years!



I was told that if I’m either blood type A+ or A- (not sure which is the correct one), I fall within a 0.06% category of people. I will be given a special card!
Donating blood for the first time is definitely a scary experience. Although I have numerous piercing on my ear and I’ve bled severely before, the thought of having a needle sucking blood out from me is scary.
As I sat on the bench to wait for my blood to be drawn, Madonna’s Like a Virgin song played on my head.
“Like a virgin, hey! Touched for the very first time!”
GG
The lady nurse wrapped a tourniquet around my arm, tightened it to find my veins. It took some time for the lady nurse to find the appropriate vein and upon finding it, she jabbed a small needle on the vein drawing some blood out before removing it. I thought they are going to use that sort of needle to draw blood from me, but I was wrong, the nurse returned with a 1mm sized cannula (small tube) and shoved it into the hole. At the time, I looked away and tried to recall some long lost fond memories to distract myself.
However, it didn’t hurt at all. In fact, it hurts more when they pricked my finger during the blood test!
They drew out 450ml worth of blood from me. I felt quite dizzy and complained to one of the nurses. The nurses immediately pulled the cannula out from me. But they had problems pulling out the cannula and I had to witness the nurses pushing and moving the cannula inside my vein O____O
I was given some food and a certificate after resting for around 10 minutes.
At last! I’ve done it!
Unfortunately, my wound took some time to heal. I was bleeding throughout the day. Fortunately, by night time, the wound closed.


Other than knowing that my blood will be used for the purpose of helping others,. I felt extremely satisfied when I actually had the courage to donate blood.

Certificate!

Few days later…bruised..