Monday, January 11, 2010

Needles and bruises...


I look a bit like a junkie at the moment.

But don't worry, it has been substances taken out, rather than substances put in.

Last Friday I donated blood, it was my seventh donation. It makes me feel wanted. I have a very rare blood type, only 0.7% of the population share O Negative, and what makes it special is that O- can be used for all other blood types. So I get a lot of phone calls asking me to come in again. Like I said it makes me feels special.

The first time I tried to give blood, I fainted and they had to stop. I found out I was anemic. It was at university and my roommate Kate had convinced me to donate. The second time I finished the donation, but then went so white I wasn't allowed to move for half an hour. I was ok for the other times.

Mum has had two hip replacements and a knee replacement and has needed a blood transfusion for each (two for the second hip) plus some more from previous accidents so I reckon our family's coming out about even just now.

After donating blood midday Friday, I biked into town and back, then I went for a 1.5km sea swim. Saturday morning I went for a 2.7km pool swim, then biked into town. It was about 45 minutes into a yoga session that afternoon, when I started to feel very faint, that I questioned whether I might have over done it. Apparently that's what causes the bruising- exercise.

It will be my last donation for a while. I'm about to go to countries with cacophonies of catchable diseases, so Ill cope with the bruises, they are fun to scare flatmates with.

6 comments:

  1. "Mum has had two hip replacements "
    In the 70s we'd say things like,
    "That's a hip joint!"
    when we were talking about a good band venue.
    Which meaning of 'hip' did you intend in your story?

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  2. I actually meant:
    hip (also rose hip)
    noun
    the fruit of a rose, esp. a wild kind.
    ORIGIN Old English hēope, hīope; related to Dutch joop and German Hiefe.

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  3. No you didn't, you're just trying to be clever.

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  4. I don't have to try Richard, I just am.

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  5. My mum has the same blood type as you - which sounds amazing since there are so few of you. Because my mum is a negative and all her babies were positives she had to have injections after she had each baby so that her body wouldn't kill the next baby thinking it was some kind of invader (or something like that) She also gives blood a lot - you are a special bunch.

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  6. "you are a special bunch."
    As are bananas.

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