Donating Blood . . . Revisited

Ok, as some of you may remember, I donated blood for the first time a few months ago. (If you didn't see the thread, here you go: http://www.queenzone.com/queenzone/forumnew/forum_topic_view.aspx?Q=477362 )

Well, I did it for the second time yesterday.

Initially, the experience itself was just as good. You get this overwhelming feeling of optimism and self respect. Also, there are many other people in the room, and as you realize that everyone there is sacrificing a bit of their time and personal comfort (especially the nurses), there is a powerful sense of respect amongst each other. Not the kind of default respect that most human beings naturally give to, and expect from, each other, but a kind of respect that is earned, and therefore valued so much more.

But then I went to work later on that day, and all of the newfound faith that I had just renewed in the whole of humanity was smashed into pieces. I mentioned the experience to a few of my work friends, and was appalled at their reactions. All 3 of them unanimously agreed that they would never give blood.

Don't get me wrong, if you're afraid of needles, or if you've never really thought of doing it before, or if you have religious reasons against it, or even if you're admittedly too lazy, then I can accept that. I might not agree with you, but I will hardly think any less of you for it. The thing that really shocked me here was that none of them seemed to have a legitimate reason not to do it. They only seemed able to provide excuses:

"What if my blood gland doesn't work, and I don't get the blood back?" (obviously unrealistic, I didn't even have to ask him to know that he is well aware that such a thing isn't really a concern. Not to mention there's not such thing as a fucking blood gland.)

"Blood's not in you to give. It's in you to live." (A spoof on the Canadian blood donor ads: "Blood. It's in you to give.")

"Pssshhht no! My blood is holy."

The thing that really bothers me is not that they won't give blood. I'm not idealistic or naive enough to stress out over something like that, and I know I'm making a mountain out of a molehill as it is. What really bothered me was that it seemed they were making excuses, but for what purpose? Why would you make excuses not to do something, if you can't even find a reason not to do it in the first place?

I know this is very over-dramatic, but contrasting their pointless, selfish, and adamant refusal to do good with the wonderful mindset I'd shared with complete strangers earlier that day affected me more than I'd ever imagined it would. Again, I'm exagerrating, but it suddenly hit me that the horrors in this world do not only reside in distant strangers and politicians; they are overwhelmingly dominant in the lives of the very people I know, care about, and trust.

Maybe I'm being unfair to them, and to myself, but it's a very isolating experience, seeing your friends this way. I don't know how you guys all feel about this, but I'd really appreciate it if someone could help me understand this way of seeing things. It's not that I'm a really good person myself . . . there are tons of ways that I could help improve others' lives, and I don't. But at least I readily acknowledge that I should be, and I don't have blatant aversions to it.

I don't like seeing my friends in this light, and if anyone here could offer me some insight as to how this could be considered acceptable, and not completely repulsive, I'd really like that.

Thanks very much!

Ignorance is rampant, and it always will be.

All I can say is:

Focus on the positive people and positive things of this world, as there will always be the negatives that can potentially bring you down. Being aware of negatives can make you into a more aware and stronger person, so let that be the direction you take. It's horrible to say, but sometimes the purpose of some other people is to make you feel better about the direction you are taking your life into.

You're a good person, so keep being exactly who you are.

I would like to give blood someday (I think you have to be 16), but I do NOT like needles. My fear is probably just as bad as when I was very little, even though I don't scream and hide under chairs anymore.

Haha, well, that's understandable. I hope, for your sake and for the sake of others, that you can get over your fear someday soon. It's worth it, trust me. If not, though, don't worry about it. There are other ways to help out if you really want to.

Sir GH<br><h6>ah yeah</h6> wrote:

Ignorance is rampant, and it always will be.

All I can say is:

Focus on the positive people and positive things of this world, as there will always be the negatives that can potentially bring you down. Being aware of negatives can make you into a more aware and stronger person, so let that be the direction you take. It's horrible to say, but sometimes the purpose of some other people is to make you feel better about the direction you are taking your life into.

You're a good person, so keep being exactly who you are.

Thankyou. I mean it.

You're right, completely. And I do always try to focus on the positive, usually with enormous success. I'm not the type of person to let things get to me on such a deep level usually. It's very rare that I get mad at people over petty matters; if I EVER do, it will be because I feel they've seriously disrespected me, but most things are so substantial that I am quite content to just let them slide. I'm a very happy person, honestly, and it's rare that anything really brings me down.

But you're right on the target when you say that I need to be more aware of the negatives. I mean, I conciously recognize that there are infinite atrocities going on in the world, and I have no problem attributing most of them to the lifestyle and mentality of the Western world, including myself. It's just that I'm aware of them on such a logical, mental level, that I don't really connect with those everyday terrors in any kind of emotional way, which is why it came as such a shock when it was shoved in my face like that, from people who do affect my emotions.

And as much as I know that you're right, part of me still wants to dismiss what you're saying. I wouldn't say that ignorance is bliss, because I think you need a lot more than just ignorance in order to achieve true bliss, but ignorance is certainly comfortable. It would, clearly, be so much nicer and easier for me if I could just fully ignore this negative side of the people that fill my personal and professional life, and I don't like believing that the perspectives of these people are unacceptable. On the one hand, I should be using their faults to guide me in the right direction, but on the other hand, I don't want to distance myself from them even further.

I suppose there's just some sort of balance that we all have to find, between doing what's right for others, and doing what's right for ourselves. I like to think that they usually go hand in hand, but unfortunately, I guess there are exceptions.

I'm going to give blood on my 17th birthday which is about a month and a few days away!

I used to donate blood often, till I got a few tattoos then they didnt want me any more, lol

This question has always lingered in my mind, and I feel I have to ask... Does it hurt to donate blood? I´m afraid of needles, and I want to donate blood when I get older, so I really want to know.

No it doesn't.

I'm not old enough to give blood, so it's not a factor yet, but the biggest obstacle for me will be that for most of my life I have been deathly afraid of sharp objects designed to pierce the skin. Once - true story - in a mall, I had to sit down and put my head between my knees because I walked too close to a body piercing shop. It's none of my beeswax if anyone wants to get one, but I become nauseous at the sight of certain types of piercing.

But I hope to overcome, at least once. I can't imagine why a healthy person with no needlephobia would object so - perhaps your coworkers have other reasons, or perhaps I'm just naive.

you know, this is something that you can do to totally give of yourself to your fellow man.
i used to give all the time, knowing that the gift im giving will someday be the gift of life to someone else.
sadly, i , myself am blackballed from donating anymore, due to the places ive been and the medication, shots i recieved in my life..
it dosent hurt, and its a rewarding feeling you recieve once you do it, and in a way, its a way for your legecy to continue, in the body of a man, women or child,whos name might be unknown to you,but who internally, thank you for the possible life extention that the donor graciously gave.
i , myself, salute those who wish to do it, or help in anyway (donor, organs ect)...or assist in promoting or whatever...it a gift that keeps giving, and its someones family member or friend that it benifited by this gracious act.

I think I'll have to give it. Why not? It comes back..although my blood gland might not be working well, heh.

Bob The Shrek wrote:

No it doesn't.

kinda depends on the strength of the individual's 'needle phobia' - my own experience is this:-

i went because people from work went with me....i have two phobias heights and needles.....which makes dentists, hospitals and giving blood a serious concern.

i went and gave blood 25 times in a 12-year period...but stopped because each time i left the place the phobia made me worse until i was finally physically sick and couldn't stand.

i know it sounds odd to some - but i'm okay until i see the needle in my skin...so long as i could look away i was okay....but invariably it had a 'pull' about it that made me (morbidly) look....now i no longer go....

I gave 10 pints of pure O+ before I was turned away - initially for having a couple of tattoos done but now I have high blood pressure. I could give a pint in about 5 seconds ;-)

If you have a needle phobia then it's going to be a nightmare but I still maintain it doesn't actually physically hurt to give blood.

meh....they wont let me give blood