<p>Hey!
A while back, on the Class of 14 thread, there was a discussion about donating blood.
So, I'm going to be donating blood through my school to Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center next week, and I'm both excited and absolutely scared to death. It's going to be at 8:30 in the morning on a school day- I'll have a half hour to rest in the donating center afterward, but the rest of the day is a regular school day. (Juice and cookies provided :). )
Anyone BTDT and have any advice for me? How do you handle having a day of school afterwards? What was it like to donate blood for the first time? (I've only ever had smallish blood tests before, never so many tubes of blood.) Any funny/inspiring stories to make me forget how scared I am, at least for the moment?</p>
<p>If you’re finding it a bit scary, just think of all the good your blood will do for someone else :)</p>
<p>Well, that’s what got me doing it in the first place… otherwise I’d never have signed up at all. Now I’m just trying to have my sense of public-spiritedness and blah blah blah come out stronger than my sense of “ohmygoshsomeonesstickinganeedleinmeandistakingoutmybloodaaaaaargh.”</p>
<p>Hydrate beforehand.</p>