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[kestrelct]

OK folks, that time again. It's been two months, and I am once again eligible to donate blood. I'm heading to the Red Cross in North Portland on Saturday morning, probably tennish, and anybody who wants to come along and give blood is welcome to our pimpin ride. It will make you really cool, I promise. And there are cookies. If it makes a

Comments

[questaree]

Good for you. I'm almost sorry I live so far away. Oh well, it wouldn't make a difference anyway; I'm legally barred from giving blood. I do like that others are willing and able to donate their blood. I wish I was.

[kestrelct]

Yeah, every so often I'm not able to donate (usually iron levels) and it makes me cranky. Despite what the website says, I was able to donate after getting my piercings, which was nice.

My mother has a blood disease that results in iron buildup, which is treated by her having a -- perfectly healthy -- pint taken every few months, but for some reason or another they refuse to use this blood, which I find tragic. Sometimes I am saddened by some of the restrictions they place, but I guess tehy're just trying to protect themselves.

[questaree]

I'm not allowed to donate because I lived in England for a while in the early 80's. They're afraid that people from England might have mad cow disease or something.

[kestrelct]

What a bummer. You'd think they'd just have deferrals on that, like everything else. Mad cow would have shown up by now...silly people.

For a while, we had to go through a whole song and dance about my trip to South America, pretty much all of which except the parts I visited is a malaria risk. They'd have to look things up in a binder, and ask me again where I had been, and finally come to the conclusion that I was fine (only for my iron to rule me out, half the time). That's finally passed out of the last three years, though, and my recent travel hasn't been to anywhere they think is interesting enough to warrant cross-examination.

[leahseraph]

I'll come with you. But I'm a wimp and have never given blood before.

score, convert points!

[kestrelct]

Hooray, blood! I got a special extra sticker the first time I gave blood, hopefully they do that at this Red Cross too. Drink lots of extra water Friday, and maybe eat some delicious cow iron-rich foods. I tend to be fine because they tell me what they're doing and I can look away when they poke me, and if you let them know it's your first time I'm sure they'll be gentle. You can show up tennish, I guess, or we could swing by and pick you up. If you want to go to lunch or brunch afterwards, let me know, maybe we could get some tasty pancakes or something.

Also, you left your shiny Apple ID badge at the helpdesk.

Re: score, convert points!

[leahseraph]

I'm going camping Friday night into Saturday, and likely won't be back in time to come. So I guess some other time...

Re: score, convert points!

[kestrelct]

'sfine. This way we can fit everybody in the car.

[kestrelct]

Score! I mean, bad skin is not score, but blood is.

I have clay masks and tea tree oil and brown sugar to exfoliate, if any of that helps your skin.

They've actually given me cookies before for showing up and having low iron. I felt guilty, and the little "I tried!" sticker is downright sad.

It's going to be a blood party! Yaaay!

[kestrelct]

Iron, you mean? If you want to swing by my house/the ETC when I'm working, I can give you some iron supplements. Fortified cereal, prune juice, and meat is also good, especially at the same time as vitamin c and two hours away from calcium.

[nietzscheansmut]

I'll come, but I need a ride like you mentioned on ReedLJ. I've also never donated before. Still, I think it'll be okay; I get a little queasy when I get blood drawn, but it's not a big deal. I've also looked over the eligibility requirements, and see no reason why I wouldn't be.

[kestrelct]

Yup, the Tim is driving the posse. No trouble.

Though if all the everybody who's responded comes, I'll have to sit facing backward in the station wagon...yaaaaay blood party!