the dreaded day has come.
beads of sweat started to form at the sides of my temple.
i was like "damn, what have i gotten myself into?"
the medtech prepared everything before me while the other was busy typing my details on the outdated computer.
it took awhile for me to sit at the extraction couch which was comfy by the way and it does not lessen how i feel as of the moment. O_O
left to right: cotton ball, band-aid, sterile gauze, postal I.D, chart, replacement whole blood bag
as i looked closely, i needed to bleed out 450ml as if i didn't know that O_O
why am i doing this again?? O_o
what is NAT? (nucleic acid technology) is a screening test for human immunodeficiency virus Type 1, hepatitis C virus and hepatitis B virus in blood donations these days.
medtech: maam, gamay lang ha?
me: pila pa dani gauge ana?
medtech: 16
me: thought so.
medtech: motusok nako ha?
me: di lang ko mutan-aw
~prick~
she taped it.
~sting~
taped again.
~sting~
tape.
~sting~
all i ever did was breathe in and out the whole time.
~happy thoughts~
~more happy thoughts~
then i saw my blood on that bag and was i somewhat proud of myself. i endured the pain from that horrendous needle and saw life from where i was seated at. i just found out that getting a blood from this hospital is worth Php5000 that doesn't include the blood screening which is a whopping Php4900+ ! blood is expensive, to think that vampires drink it from a bottle of True Blood when in fact the reality is there are tons of people dying around the world because there isn't enough blood to transfuse. i may not have all the money that i could give to a charitable institution but i am pretty sure that this simple act of donating blood is by far the cheapest i had done yet reaps more than what you can imagine: the life you just saved by the blood you bled out for. the blood you donate helps an unknown brother/sister.
i have always had this mindset that i would eventually donate but i never really got the chance and the time to do so. i had tons to consider. weight was one. you needed to be at least 110lbs. i was way behind that 3 months ago and now, you don't want to know how much i gained!! :) weight checked and all the other requirements and im good to go.
i bled out 450ml of B+ blood and is on the blood bank as we speak. it is an achievement for me. i know i have saved a life if not yet i know i will. i don't need a medal or a reward for this noble act nor get recognized. all i wanted to point out is that life is meaningful and is indeed short. your blood could help a child live up to her prom night, a dad could still hold her daughter's hand on her wedding day or add a few more years to someone's grandmother.
we can be heroes. we don't need superpowers to make a difference in this world. we don't need to be in a national political position to start change. the thought that life is worth living for and the idea that life is worth sharing with the people the we love is what urged me to do this. i think life is beautiful and yes we barely make it. knowing that there are others willing to spare you 20 minutes to donate their blood to some random person that needs it badly. in this cruel cruel world that we live in, there is still hope.
i spared my 20 minutes today in the hopes of saving a life.
what's stopping you?
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