There was a blood drive at the local mall today and I went to donate. It's always a well attended drive with about 10 - 12 donation seats that were filled pretty much the entire time. I have really hard veins to find and as usual, it took some time for a good vein to present itself. (they NEVER seem to take my word for it when I tell them exactly where to stick me. They always want to try to find a better one.) It took 3 people but finally one got things going.
All was well until the woman in the chair to my right got up after completing her donation. As she started to walk away she suddenly got really lightheaded and crumbled to the floor. The workers got her back in her chair and brought cold wet towels for her forehead and back of her neck. As this was going on I was ending up my donation and all of a sudden I started feeling lightheaded. I alerted the worker and they brought ME the cold wet towels. Then as I was sitting there feeling lightheaded and a bit nauseous, the woman in the chair to my left passed out. More cold wet towels were produced. I then looked up across the room and the big burly guy over there was getting his OWN cold wet towels. When I was feeling better the nurse told me it happens often that when one person goes down, others follow. The Red Cross version of mass hysteria.
This is the second time in a row that I've felt lightheaded after donating. I'm obviously not eating the proper food before going.
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I give blood quarterly and have to tell them beforehand that I get lightheaded easily. They let me lay on the bed longer and put the ice bag on the back of my head during the process.
I've been told to eat a really heavy meal before coming to give blood and then another heavy one after giving blood.
My husband always asks, "Will you be inspecting the carpet today?" when I go to give blood!
Chocolate!!!!
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