3/14/2005 02:03:00 PM|W|P|RAJESH SEGU|W|P|It was the time when I was doing my Engineering Final Year. For the first time RedCross has come to our campus to organize a Blood Donation Camp. Since my young age I have this "Injection"ophobia, fear for injections, so I stayed away from the idea of donating blood. Forcefully I needed to give my name for the RedCross to maintain my image in between friends and to not reveal my phobia. Somehow, the camp rejected me as there was more people with "B+" group.[Just like my attitude] A few months after I joined my First Job at AdventNet, Chennai, I was motivated by the fact that many of my colleagues donate blood. Moved so much that I got registered on some blood donation site. I waited for a month but did not get a call. Then I totally forgot about it. One fine day, I got a call from Karodia Blood Bank, Vadapalani, Chennai. They introduced themselves and conveyed that they needed "8units of B+ blood to serve an open heart surgery at APOLLO hopital". I was at the starting hesitant, and said that I can come within 2days. As a libra, I was in a dilamma about donating blood. Next day I was again called, this time I thought it would be better I had some company as this was my first time. So I asked on my colleague "Chnendrashekar" and he agreet to even donate blood. After work on that day we went in search for the bloodbank as we both were new to that area. Atlast we found spot on. When we entered, they received us with great hospitality. Then their incharge doctor came to us and confirmed that we were really willing to donate blood and I said him "YES" in front with a small negative nod at the back of my mind. Then he took us into a room which again branched into 3more rooms with beds, injections, blood bags, etc. Then I said him that it was my first time, he said "Donating Blood really helps U than him", I didnt understand the actual meaning of this phrase but took it for granted. Then he gave us forms to fill up, it was totally comprising of all our personal details, allergies, medication and voluntree signature. It was really tiresome to fill that form with nearly 50colmns, but god's grase there was nothing much to fill but a lot to strike away. Then he took my weight and BP and said I was really healthy. Then he took me and my colleague individually for blood test. The test results came after 10min which said that I had 14.6 of himoglobin and good amount of iron, it really sounded healthy for me. After a pause, he called me in, for the actual purpose we stepped in. He asked me to sleep on the bed and declared that its a rule to take blood from the left hand. Then I asked him, if there would be any problems and he just said be calm and cool. Then I asked him about the sanity and he said that the needle set they use was imported from JAPAN, which was ultra sharp[the fact turned me into a child] and said it would be painless. Then he came with a long japan needle, and he said my nerves were very thin for the needle, then he somehow managed to get hold of one vein and pierced the needle into the vein. To my surprise I didnt even feel like an ant bite. Then he gave me a ball, I initially didnt understand why but he explained that it would increase the blood flow. AAAAAAAAAH, he took 300ml in almost 20min. He removed the needle and replaced with a piece of cotton, then I could see my nerve bulge a bit. I asked him and he said that while removing the needle might have sliped from the nerve. He said that would settle in one or two days and nothing to worry sticking a plaster. Then they gave me 4biscuites and fruit juice. He asked me whethe I felt very giddy and I said he no. I suddenly recalled the doctors phrase, and asked why it was good to give blood. He starting by saying that, when u give blood the bone marrow would reproduce that within a few hours. The new blood produced would have far more immunity power when compared to the old blood. Then I thought I can give for every 2months and then he corrected me that it would be healthy to give blood once in 3/4months. He gave me a blooddonation planner, where we can write the date on which we have donated blood, which would be really useful for our future reference. Then we returned back and continued our life as usual. My lesson was "Blood Donation for every 3/4months would make us really healthy apart from the fact that it saves the life of our fellow humans"|W|P|111078954435649430|W|P|Blood Donation!|W|P|rajesh.segu@gmail.com