Ich bin ein Blütspender!
I don’t really know how it started but when I was a little guy, I remember my dad coming home sometimes with this bandage on his arm. The reason: he had been at the Red Cross giving blood. I remember asking him how much he’d given and he said some amount of galleons; then promptly told me that it wasn’t all at once but only a pint at a time. I was thinking I would someday give blood as it seemed really cool.
My first time giving was in high school. To be honest, I had a friend who was in the health care professions club at school which was sponsoring the drive and told me I should give. She was cute and said she would hold my hand while I gave and so of course I gave. It was fun talking with the people in the room and the excitement of pulling this magical liquid out of one’s body knowing that it would help improve or save the lives of up to 9 people was incredible.
I continued to give when I could easily get in to a blood drive. I especially liked to give around my birthday as a reminder of the life that was given to me and share the gift of life with others. At one job there was an almost continuous blood drive going (there were thousands in the company) and they did a really good of reminding you when you were next eligible to give blood. It was here that I was able to work into the "galleons" amount in my total giving.
Things got more and more complicated for me to give (although I was never denied eligibility) but as I travelled outside of the US, I had to keep track of every place I went and when and report it to them. They would then have to look up each place and verifiy that I was ok to give blood. Then there’s the questions about being intimate with a person who was born or lived in Africa (Krista is a missionary kid, born in Ethiopia). That always gets interesting. I also found out that after 3 years of culminated time outside of the US over a period of time, I would become ineligable to give blood.
So that’s how we got to yesterday. They had a blood drive here in our little German town and so I mustered up the courage to try and get through the whole medical history. Let me just share some highlights and observations:
- When you give in another country, you are still labeled a "First Time Donor" no matter how much you’ve given some place else. Also, you must obey the "extra" rules that a first time donor is required like staying in the observation area longer than everyone else.
- PDA German-English translators don’t have many medical terms in them. Especially those terms that are in the medical questionnaire form given by the Rotes Kruez (German Red Cross).
- Nobody seemed to want to speak English (I knew they could though) except for one lady who only want to say that when she was in the US, she too was asking everyone to speak slowly (the request I had just made) and then proceeded to speed up her German (I have a feeling that was what happened to her in the US). So yes, I did the whole thing in German.
- The German man who was doing my medical history exam and warning me of the possible complications with giving blood, spoke German with a very think accent. He sounded a little bit like a German Nascar announcer.
- German blood donation is very similar to how it is done in the US except that they have a lot more volunteers working who keep things moving and when you get up after giving, they have a person hold your arm up for you and walk you to your observation area. In the US, the do rush to you if you fall over but I’ve never had someone hold my arm up for me.
- When Germans are done giving, its in excuse for something good to eat. In the US, they give you little cups of soft drinks or juice with some Lance crackers and cookies (Lance Crackers are in incentive for me to give – love’em). In Germany, there was a buffet with grilled chicken, salads, vegetables, and bread. I know, most of you are thinking that there was probably beer on the table but there wasn’t – just juices and waters.
Well, I would love to encourage you if you haven’t given blood lately or ever, contact your local Red Cross or Red Cresent and make an appointment to give. Its an awesome experience no matter where you are and you never know whose life will be affected by your actions there.
Courtney, thank you and the millions of others who give. My husband, Chad, gives as often as he can and we just got a call that he is up again this month. The lady who called said to tell him that he has given much more than many others. I explained to her that I had a platelet problem several years ago as a reaction to some medication. My life was saved because there were platelets available. I cannot give because my veins are so small.
Chad, too, also has had to wait because we had travelled to countries “on the list.” I look forward to reading your posts.
BTY, I am Patrick Hatcher’s mom. We just had a good time with them visiting in WV and VA.
You all take care.
Meant to say, “by the way.”