From me to you... with blood

Yeah, I know, it sounds strange. Specially having just passed Halloween. But it's about donating blood. Ahhhhh! I hear you say.

As many people, I always wanted to do it but I always found an excuse not to: lack of time, fear of needles, not reaching the minimum weight....

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I was too "bloody" thin to give blood. Growing up I wondered why all diets were aimed to loose weight, when I actually wanted to put on some.  Thin my nature and nervous by disposition, I never seemed to manage to stomach bigger portions than the ones I eat.

When I moved countries, changed diet, grew older (and calmer?), I managed to put some weight on. And I reached the minimum amount required (it's 50 kg, by the way - just over 7 st and 12 lb). Then I went back to the original excuses: lack of time, fear of needles... you name it, until I lost the weight again.

To silence my guilty conscience I even became an organ donor. That did the trick for a while.

www.ichh.org

Moved countries once more and started to settle in my life and  recently, fate make me come across the Canarian Institute for donating blood, the ICHH and their campaing "From me to you" (hence the title of this post). So determined not to be deterred this time, I built up enough courage to go and find their nearest mobile unit.

Nerves were relatively under control as I approached the queue standing outside the mini bus type of vehicle. A member of staff approached me with a questionaire.
- Are you here to donate?
- Yes, I am.
- Have you donated blood before?
- No, I haven't.

Then she looked up from her board & our eyes met. I saw her face change. Ever so slightly.
-Would you mind stepping onto these scales?
-Not at all.

I couldn't refuse, I wasn't there to cause  trouble, was I? While I was doing the whole "do-I-need-to-take-my-shoes-off? what-do-I-do-with-my-handbag?" routine, I could feel the eyes of the other donors in the queue drilling the back of my neck. I held my breath while the electronic scales did their job.

-I'm sorry, lady, you don't reach the minimum weight.

Thump!

No, I didn't faint. But I felt like I was punched in the face, or my heart being was reaped out of my chest or a bit of both. I should be relieved, I thought, I wasn't really looking to having a needle stuck to my arm. Instead, I felt disappointed.

I was so embarrassed I forgot to ask if there were any other requirements that I potentially didn't meet. Some nervous jokes were make on both sides. "You 'bloody' lucky cow" I almost did hear someone think. Anything but. Sadly.

I walked away looking for the closest bakery place where to drown my sorrows with a coffee and a pastry. Then I though, no, this is not the way. I kept walking in a bit of a haze. Then I started to think how I could gain those few little pounds that separated me from both overcoming one of my fears and fulfilling a dream.

So I have a new goal: how to put on weight healthyly to be able to donate blood.

So keep tuned, I'll tell you how I'm getting on.

In the meantime, I "liked" their facebook page, which is promoting blood donations: www.facebook.com/ichhcanarias (sorry, it's in Spanish!). It's all I'm allowed to do for the time being. So why not?

Why don't you look up your own local donation agency?

Thank you!

Related blog: Thought for food... or not - my easy to follow recepies for non-cooks.