Blogging While Bleeding

I'm giving platelets. Right now. And you should, too!

I do it for many reasons. One, I'm a softie with an inability to say "no." The American Red Cross calls me every couple of weeks and plays the "we're critically low and there are kids in the cancer ward with your blood type card," and I just melt. But you know why they do that? Because they're critically low and kids are in the cancer ward. The ARC supplies platelets to hospitals for all of middle Tennessee and parts of Kentucky. They need 50 units per day, all of which are provided on a strictly voluntary basis.

Secondly, I donate because it's no big deal. I'm lucky enough to be employed in a job where I can take an extra hour off during lunch or at the end of the day to do this. The folks who work here are consummate professionals. They only put the best technicians in the apheresis unit which means the best sticks. Never worse than a little pinch. We all have fun back here, cutting up, watching tv and dvds, cruising the web (and blogging) from the high-tech comfortable beds and helping to save lives.

Which brings me to the third, and most selfish reason why I donate platelets every couple of weeks. Nothing makes me feel more self-righteously good about myself than doing this. Of all the reasons to feel smug, I think this has to be about the most positive I can imagine. And we could all use a reason to up our self esteem every once in a while.

So go ahead and try it! They'll hold your hand and give you Little Debbies and a juice box after it's over.

http://www.nashvilleredcross.org/
2201 Charlotte Avenue
1-800-Give-Life