The first time I donated blood, I was 17 and petrified of needles. But, I figured I had to be brave because I was there out of choice. It went smoothly, I didn’t squirm or faint and since then, I’ve donated as and when I can.
I’ve never managed to keep track of how many times I’ve donated - assuming it was around seven - so when I walked into the Memorial Hall in Usk on Friday, I was pleasantly surprised to find out it was my tenth donation.
It was all going well. I haven’t visited a high-risk country in the last 12 months and my iron levels were okay - although I should probably make an effort to eat more leafy greens next week - so with a clean bill of health, I was sent to the other side of the hall to finish my obligatory pint of water.
Before long, they called my name and after a brief conversation with the man who would be taking my blood, who also told me to put blood donor on my CV, he quickly found a vein and we were away.
Or so I thought. As the needle went in, I squealed. It really, really hurt but I persevered and concentrated on squeezing the wound-up bandage in my palm. He called over his colleagues who gathered round me, willing my blood to flow, before they called it a day. They’d only managed to get 1ml (1/5 of a teaspoon).
As I sat at the table afterwards, drinking a cup of tea and eating an orange club bar (also obligatory), I couldn’t help but feel like I’d failed. It was not how I expected my tenth donation to go and I felt guilty for wasting everybody’s time.
But once the cup of tea and orange, chocolatey goodness had hit the spot, I realised showing up is what really counts and not everything goes to plan all of the time. That’s okay, that’s life and there’s always a next time.
Wins
There is absolutely nothing better than boogieing in a field with your best pal. It’s so good for the soul.
And Just Like That Season 3 premiered on Thursday evening which means I didn’t have to wait very long for my next hit. It’s as ridiculous as the last series and I’m already looking forward to episode two.
I discovered the Ballad for Sauvignon Blanc this week and I can’t stop singing: “I think and thunk that if she’s my sister, I’m her brother”.
Wicks
This week has been relatively wick-free. Perhaps the weather has something to do with it …