What To Expect When You Give Blood For the First Time

A couple of weeks ago, I gave blood for the first time. I always knew I wanted to do it, it always seemed such a small thing to do to save lives and one that if you can, you should do. However, I have a hatred of needles and this lead to me putting the idea off for a rather long time. Recently my Grandad was admitted to hospital and diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Although he didn’t need a blood transfusion or anything of the like, visiting hospital every day for a week was enough to remind me how blessed I am and how much I have and how much other people may be in need.

It made me realise that if there were people lying in hospital in desperate need of blood, or in desperate need of answers that can only be achieved through scientific research, then I could stomach a little time with a needle.

So, I started to do some research into giving blood and if you are considering it, I would recommend doing some research first. Obviously they are quite strict on who can and can’t give blood, but I also felt it helped a lot with the pre donation nerves by being as aware of the process as possible. The blood.co.uk http://www.blood.co.uk/index.aspx website has so much useful information and you can also book your appointments online which makes the process much simpler. I can also vouch for how easy it is to postpone as I had to do this twice due to illness.

I made sure I was well rested the night before my donation and that I’d eaten. They advise you to do this and give lot’s of helpful ideas for making sure you’re safe and well rested before the day. I took a bit of time to get some fresh air as well so I was as relaxed as I could be.

I was fairly nervous when I arrived at the donor centre but the receptionist who greeted me was lovely and really helped put me at ease. I had a form to fill out that is basically a health check regarding sexual history and travel history etc. I was also advised to have about a pint of water. The waiting area was fairly busy but it was still a nice calm environment with the BBC on tv and magazines around. I was waiting maybe 10 minutes before I was seen for a pre-donation screening.

Here, I was taken into a side room where the man went over my form and did a quick test to check my haemoglobin/iron levels. It was a quick pin prick and they drop your blood into solution to see whether it floats or sinks. Fortunately my blood was all healthy which meant I was ok to give blood. I was then taken to a waiting area outside of the main donation area where I was also able to hang my coat and bag up and get comfy. The ladies who handled the donation were really lovely and made me feel very comfortable and at ease.

There were about 8 chairs ready for donors that weren’t totally dissimilar to dentists chairs. As you sat in them, they lean you back a bit and clean up your arm with antiseptic wipes. The first thing they need to do is take a sample which they need to test that your blood is definitely safe to use. Then they take the donation (approximately a pint). The needle going in hurts a little bit but it’s not entirely uncomfortable when it’s in, in fact it’s quite easy to forget it’s there. You need to do exercises with clenching your fist to keep the blood moving. I was sat there for probably about ten minutes but the time went so quickly. I was really surprised by how little time it took.

Afterwards, there is a waiting area where you get free drinks and snacks. I’d also bought a chocolate bar to keep my blood sugar up (and hey, if doing a good deed isn’t enough motivation for a sugary treat, what is?). As I kicked back and watched some BBC, I noticed that I wasn’t the only one that seemed fairly relaxed post donation. I gave it about fifteen minutes before leaving and was pleasantly surprised to not feel light headed or anything. The only particular side effect I noticed was that I felt rather tired and drained but as I had set aside the rest of the day to take it easy, this wasn’t a huge problem.

I found the whole experience to be quick and relatively painless and knowing that it makes a real difference makes it all worth while. I really would suggest that if you’re able to, you give it ago. You could save someone’s life and you won’t lose more than an hour of your day. It even gives you a very good excuse to put your feet up!

To give blood in the UK, please visit: www.blood.co.uk