Blood Drive Short Story
GOT BLOOD?
The roaring room quieted just in time to hear the last few words of the morning announcements “give blood and save a life”. I didn’t know it yet, but those words were going to change my life. Over the next couple of days the school worked hard to promote the upcoming blood drive by putting up many posters and constantly reminding us over the loudspeaker every possible chance they had. I hadn’t given the blood drive much thought initially, but about a week prior to the designated date chosen for the blood drive, I was approached during lunch in the school cafeteria and was asked if I would like to sign up to give blood. I let out a casual “yeah” and before I knew it I was putting my name on a half-full sign up sheet. I was then handed …show more content…
At 9:15 in the morning, I was excused from first period to go to room 508 to check myself in for the blood drive. I was told to wait until a nurse became available. A nurse called my name and I went behind a curtain to have the mandatory test done to determine if I could give blood. She drew a sample of blood from my finger to check my iron count and also took everything from my heart rate to my blood pressure. Everything had passed with flying colors. After the results on the blood test came back, the nurse told me that my iron count was good enough to give a double red blood cell donation. I was expecting to donate the common pint of blood like all of the other participants in the donation, so once again I was faced with another on-the-spot decision on whether to give the common pint of blood or the double red blood cell donation. After hearing the nurse's recommendation, I decided to go ahead and do the double red blood cell donation because she said it was more in need at the moment. Not knowing what I had just done, the nurse hooked me up to a machine that would as she explained “take the regular pint of blood out but then put back the white blood cells, platelets, and the plasma into your body”. There was no turning back now, I sat in the blue reclining chair watching and feeling as my blood left me and then returned without the red blood cells. After my donation, I had some refreshments and returned to class. Throughout the day I felt pleased with my decision to donate and enjoyed wearing the donation sticker I received. But the true joy came about a month after the
The roaring room quieted just in time to hear the last few words of the morning announcements “give blood and save a life”. I didn’t know it yet, but those words were going to change my life. Over the next couple of days the school worked hard to promote the upcoming blood drive by putting up many posters and constantly reminding us over the loudspeaker every possible chance they had. I hadn’t given the blood drive much thought initially, but about a week prior to the designated date chosen for the blood drive, I was approached during lunch in the school cafeteria and was asked if I would like to sign up to give blood. I let out a casual “yeah” and before I knew it I was putting my name on a half-full sign up sheet. I was then handed …show more content…
At 9:15 in the morning, I was excused from first period to go to room 508 to check myself in for the blood drive. I was told to wait until a nurse became available. A nurse called my name and I went behind a curtain to have the mandatory test done to determine if I could give blood. She drew a sample of blood from my finger to check my iron count and also took everything from my heart rate to my blood pressure. Everything had passed with flying colors. After the results on the blood test came back, the nurse told me that my iron count was good enough to give a double red blood cell donation. I was expecting to donate the common pint of blood like all of the other participants in the donation, so once again I was faced with another on-the-spot decision on whether to give the common pint of blood or the double red blood cell donation. After hearing the nurse's recommendation, I decided to go ahead and do the double red blood cell donation because she said it was more in need at the moment. Not knowing what I had just done, the nurse hooked me up to a machine that would as she explained “take the regular pint of blood out but then put back the white blood cells, platelets, and the plasma into your body”. There was no turning back now, I sat in the blue reclining chair watching and feeling as my blood left me and then returned without the red blood cells. After my donation, I had some refreshments and returned to class. Throughout the day I felt pleased with my decision to donate and enjoyed wearing the donation sticker I received. But the true joy came about a month after the