i survived. and didn't pass out.

i don't remember if i blogged about giving blood before. if i did, sorry for the repeat story.

i don't even know the last time i gave blood. it was within the last year, but that's all i remember about the when.

my dad gives blood pretty much as often as he can. i used to go with him when i was younger. of course i wouldn't give blood, but i'd just sit and watch and talk to him.

once i got old enough, and got up the courage {i really hate needles. and just the thought of giving blood makes me queasy}, i would go to actually give. but the first couple times i went, my iron level was too low to give.

i'd be lying if i said i wasn't relieved that i couldn't give. but, alas, i went a couple times later and my iron level was high enough.

and i gave blood. and i survived.

if you know my dad, you know that he's goofy and likes to pick on me. i guess that comes with being an only child {which i'm not anymore, but i still get picked on.} i've learned his ways, and i pick on him just as much as he does me now. so when we give blood together, he always makes funny faces like it's hurting him or something. which makes me laugh, but i'm still a little uneasy about it.

the last time i went, i wouldn't say it went that great.

i wasn't very smart about it and hadn't had much of a dinner the night before. i had lunch right before we went, but that didn't really help.

i got really light headed and they had to put my legs up in the air. haha. i just wanted them to take the needle out and be done, but no. they kept going. i got through it but i laid there for a while after. i seriously felt like i was going to pass out. which has never happened to me before, but i was sure that was the day. when i finally got up, i wasn't feeling great but i didn't pass out. i ended up just lounging around at home the rest of the day.

today my dad and i went to give blood, and it wasn't as eventful as last time {which i consider to be a good thing}.

we got breakfast before we went, which definitely helped.

i was done by the time it was my dad's turn, so that was good. i did felt great during the whole thing, but right at the end when they were finishing up i started to get light headed. i asked to lay down, and i felt much better. i sat up again after a few minutes. and then i got really light headed and laid down a second time. i just waited until my dad was done, and i felt fine.

now i know that i'll probably get light headed no matter what, but that's ok. i survived. and i know i'm doing something good. even though i will always be nervous every time i go, i still want to continue to go. you never know when something may happen and you or someone you know will need blood.

oh, and i get to wear this cool thing on my arm. and make weird looking faces while taking pictures. awesome. the bandage even matches my chicago bulls shirt. score!!