Long Time Listener, First Time "Donor"!!

This week was the 7th Annual K-Frog Blood Drive for the Blood Banks of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. We did a live broadcast from a hospital in Upland. I decided to donate blood live on the air! Oh did I mention, this was my first time??? Yes, after all these years, i've never donated blood. Why? I don't know. I guess I just never gave it much thought... the cause is great don't get me wrong, but I never made the effort to actualy go to a donor location and give! I know there's many out there that were like me. It's really not a bad experience at all.

First of all you fill out an application, answer about 50 medical questions about yourself, just so they're sure you're a safe donor. Afterwards you take an Iron test, this is the part that freaked my out more than anything. They "prick" the tip of your middle finger (ouch!!!, but only for 2 seconds does it hurt!) they squeeze a little drop out and drop it in a liquid. If it sinks you're good to go....

Now you lay down on a bed, a nurse cleans your arm, puts a blood pressure cuff on you and now you're ready to donate! They insert a needle... no worries you don't feel anything but a slight pinch and before you know it, the pain is gone! After about a minute of hooking up the hoses... you're ready to pump!!! Pump??? Yes, they give you a soft ball-like toy to squeeze. The squeezing helps the blood flow out quicker. Now the average donor takes about 7 to 8 minutes to fill up a donor bag... me..... 4 minutes!!!!!

When your done the take the tube out and bandage you up, and tah dah!!! You're done!!! Now for the coolest part, for the next 10 minutes you sit at the recovery table that's loaded with every snack and cookies known to man!!! Chow Down!!! I felt soooo good afterwards knowing that someone will be using my blood to save a life!