january: national blood donor month

Yesterday I went to donate blood for the first time in my life. I have wanted to for a very long time but wasn't ready to learn if I had Hepatitis C.

My mother died of Hep C almost seven years ago. She contracted it decades earlier before science had identified the strain and before they standardized on disposable needles. She was one of the first people to be diagnosed with it and one of the first to be cured of it. But for her the cure came too late, the damage to her liver was too much.

She had been on and off the transplant list which means our entire family went through a transplant class at the hospital. During the class they walked us through the entire operation, the medicines she would have to take for the rest of her life and her recovery. I walked away from that class overwhelmed by how complicated and primitive the operation seemed.

My mother's blood type was the universal donor which meant she had one of the slimmest chances for a receiving a liver, plus patients with Hep C are matched with healthy livers from people with the same disease so it made it even more of a difficult match. Even though my mother swore she would never allow it and didn't speak to me for an entire week, I went to get tested to see if I could be a living donor. No match.

Since I wasn't a match for my mom and I was convinced that death would be better than a transplant or the treatment I never went to get tested for Hep C myself. That is until I saw my mom die a horrible painful death. 

So a couple of years ago I went to get tested. I didn't tell anyone because I didn't want the added pressure of people asking me about it or being concerned. My chance of having it was slim. Last time I checked being born by an infected mother meant you had a 5% risk and then a couple more percentage points for living with someone who was infected. Even though the risk was low it still felt huge to me. To my relief my results came back negative.

Until I was ready to know if I had Hep C I avoided giving blood since they screen for it. It was hard for me to live with. After seeing how other people's donation saved my mother's life many times I felt guilty for not having the guts to get tested so I could donate. And then this summer, other people's donations saved my father's life when he had complications for surgery to remove his cancer.

So when I decided to focus on ways to give back to my community in other ways than cash donations at the top of my list was to donate blood. Hence, yesterday morning I went to donate blood for the first time in my life. I went through the medical questionnaire, had my blood pressure, my temperature and my iron level checked. All ok.

I was sent to a chair to give my donation. They spent over twenty minutes trying to find a good vein, with blood pressure cuff on, exercise ball in hand and hot compress on my arm they tried the best one. My veins are tiny and its always been difficult for medical staff to draw my blood even with a small needle and the needles they use for donation are larger than the ones they can use in Dr's offices. The nurse commented that I was the hardest case she has run into in her nine years experience.

In the end the needle ruptured my vein (sounds worse than it is) which means that I was going to get a good bruise but also that my body was going to try to heal itself more quickly by clotting. The line clotted before they could even get a third of their minimum donation. So I walked away with a bruise, an ice pack and very disappointed.

I am going to try again after my required 56 day wait before I give up completely. The experience was stress free, simple and even though I got a nice big bruise and welt, the pain was very minimal. 

If you have given blood before I would like to thank you for making such a huge difference so many other people's life, not just the recipient, but their family and friends too. If you have ever considered giving blood I would like to encourage you to do so. I am so grateful to the people who helped my family, they gave me years with both my parents that I wouldn't have otherwise.  The time and commitment to do so is so small and the reward for the recipient and their family is so huge.

Comments

[Beth R]

I am so so sorry to read about your mom. My mother is actually losing her battle with liver failure and it is doubtful that a transplant is an option. My heart goes out to you and your family. Your post was a great reminder that when I feel like there is so little that I can do, there is still something as simple as donating blood that can change someone's life.
Thank you!

[Lauren Elliott]

Thank you for sharing your story. I am so sorry to read about your mom but encouraged to give blood. I have not donated since college and hearing your story definitely motivates me to go out and donate. Thanks for the encouragement and putting a face on why blood donation is so important.

[Heather]

Can I ask that maybe you put this a step further and encourage people to get tested to be marrow donors as well? Its a simple blood test and if prior arrangements are arranged it can often be done while donating blood. I had familial incident where I had to learn about how important it is for donors to be added to the pool.

Donating and getting tested is one of those things that is so easy to do but so easily overlooked. I think it is wonderful that you have shared your story and your personal reasons for why this is so important. Thank you!!

PS This was a pretty heavy introduction but I am happy to have found your blog. Happy New Year

[Ashley]

January is the National Blood Donor Month. I am here to spread the word about blood donations and be a blood donor. I've been a blood donor 3 years already and it really makes me feel proud because I save lives. As we all know, blood banks shortages kills tons of people and every 2 seconds someone in the United states needs blood.

This is will be time to make a difference and help each other. You can visit http://bloodbanker.com they have all the information on how to be a blood donor and a directory of all the Blood Bank in the United States.

[PrettyPinkRat]

I just found your blog, and think this is a great post. My roommate is universal, and goes to give every time she is able. I have tried once before, but I faint when I see blood, especially my own :( As soon as they pricked my finger to test my iron I got lightheaded and queasy. I know its a great cause, and I really wish I could help. I think I'm going to try sometime in the future, when I get a little tougher.

[Corinne]

I had a similar experience the first time I gave blood and was to scared to try again for almost 10 years. The next time, someone told me to drink lots of fluids all day before donating, and it was EASY. Dehydration (even minor) can really make it harder than it has to be. Good luck next time.