fun with blood and other November thoughts

[hiyacynth]

Tonight at the blood bank (technically, a year-long Monday night blood drive at a local church, but 20 miles less driving than my regular blood center) a girl at the apres-bloodletting table passed out while eating her animal crackers and bled all over the place. Or maybe she started bleeding all over the place and then passed out. I'm not sure

Comments

[writerj]

One of my cousins had laser-eye surgery. He had -700 nearsightedness so he decided to have it done. I'm thinking about it, even though I'm not quite that bad and my contacts do me fine. Would be nice to go swimming without everything being a blur though, I can't see the sharks till they're already grinning.

[hiyacynth]

I have a pretty strong astigmatism and I'm not sure laser surgery can help that. Plus, in general, I don't mind wearing glasses. I just don't like them when they hurt.

Thanks for the ongoing shark imagery.

[writerj]

I aim to please.

[cunien]

Know how you feel - it's so very very cold in our house. not sure why, as the heaters seem to be on all day..
x.

[hiyacynth]

You! How are you? Feeling any better?

I always have a hard time the first couple weeks of coldish weather--takes me much longer than average to get used to it. *lifts blanket on couch-nest and invites you in, applies warm cats to knees*

And then *uses warm icon*

[baylorsr]

You are a good, good person for donating blood. Especially with people passing out and spurting all over the place.

I keep thinking that electric blankets would be nice for us, but I am convinced that they will set the beds on fire.

[hiyacynth]

I figure, if it's so not a big deal to me, then I really need to do it regularly so that the people who get sick and stuff can take a break from it. 'Cause you gotta know that girl is never coming back.

The electric mattress pad is a very nice option: You can turn it on high ten minutes before you go to bed and then turn it off when you get in bed, and then a) your bed won't burn you to death in your sleep and b) your bed is all warm and toasty when you get in.

*again with a warm icon*

[abyssinia4077]

Wow. I'd guess she bled first and then passed out, given the normal order of things. But eek!

Also, go frames that don't numb your face!

We're still being stubborn about not yet turning our heater on (which may be partly my fault).

How you doing?

[hiyacynth]

I felt really bad for her. Poor thing. I used to be jealous of blood-donation drama queens who fainted and stuff, but these days I'm please to be an in-and-out, no fuss, no muss kinda bleeder.

This morning I managed to make the radiator in my living room go. The effect was very nice. I figure as long as I'm paying for the whole building's heat with my assessment, I might as well be comfy.

Doing good, thanks. :-)

[timfromcali]

Any activity where you "bleed all over the place" is a bad thing, if this happens, you have made a grievous error. Yes, giving blood can help save some of the masses.... um, i'm sure they are nice... the masses, sorry to see them go. Needles bad.

[hiyacynth]

*hands you a paper bag to breathe into*

Well, I didn't bleed all over the place, which was my main concern. Also, I'm very strict about where my blood goes. Only to the Smart and Useful Masses. Not to the Senseless, Stupid, Annoying Masses.

Plus, blood collections centers have a really slick system in place. From an operations management standpoint, it's fascinating and very efficient. This is the first time in 15-odd years of giving blood that I've ever seen anything go wrong to the extent that there was blood on the floor. You get the occasional fainter (funnier when they're boys), but otherwise smoooooth, baby.

And now I will stop talking about my apparent fixation on blood banks because I'm starting to creep myself out as well as all my friends.