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Every month I get an email at the Chronicle from the American Red Cross releasing information about area blood drives. Each email almost always comes with a plea to donate blood, especially now during the summer months when blood donation slows down due to vacations and other summer activities.
This month's email came with a pretty big plea for blood donation as our country has an extremely low summer blood supply. In fact, blood donations have fallen short of hospital needs for the past few months, resulting in about 39,000 fewer donations than what is needed.
Every two seconds a patient in the U.S. needs blood, whether it be an accident victim, a burn victim, someone having heart surgery or an organ transplant. In my case, I donate because of my grandpa, who received blood transfusions as part of his treatment for cancer. Unfortunately he passed away a few years ago, but I still make an effort to donate blood in his memory, and in hopes that I can make a difference by doing so.
So I scheduled my appointment at the Mineral Point Rescue Squad Building to donate blood Friday afternoon. I'm always quite nervous before the donation, but the smiling faces of two ladies who greeted me at door instantly calmed me.
I quickly read through my reading materials and it didn't take long until it was my turn to be evaluated by the Red Cross nurse, a young man from Stoughton. He verified my name, my address, etc. and pricked my finger to make sure I had a sufficient iron level for donation. He checked my blood pressure, my temperature and my pulse to make sure I was well enough to donate that day. I answered a handful of questions and I was ready to donate.
I glanced around the room to see if I recognized anyone who was also donating blood. And also if I recognized any of the Red Cross nurses, as I've come to know a few of them through donating.
A couple ladies from Mineral Point Dentistry were there; I could tell that's where they worked because they were wearing matching shirts! A young woman, Tori, was also donating. And a father with two young sons, tagging along with their dad to the blood drive. They watched contently as Dad donated (and they were rewarded with cookies at the end too!)
I was surprised that the donation went so smooth, and I felt like I was done in record time! Sometimes I donate blood slowly - not sure why - probably my body dragging out the process on those days when I'm nervous about the whole thing.
It is encouraged that after donating, you hang out in the "canteen" for 10-15 minutes and eat and drink something. It was where I caught up with Tori and two of the Mineral Point Dentistry ladies, enjoying sandwiches, cookies and chocolate milk.
It was Tori's "first" time donating blood, she explained. The first time she tried to donate she was turned away because her pulse was too low - something I had never heard of or considered! One of the ladies from the dentist office shared she couldn't give doubles (a collection of two units of red blood cells) that day because of her height - she was just barely too short!
I'm sure, like me, everyone there had their own reasons for donating blood. And regardless of those reasons, I was pleased to see all the people there donating. And to the ladies in charge of food and beverages at the canteen, you did a great job keeping us fed and feeling good after the donation.
I strongly encourage residents of Iowa County to see where and when blood drives are in your communities. Donating blood, to me, is one of the easiest ways to help someone - and they say one donation can help up to three people!