I have a friend. He is usually called Sam. A few days ago he buzzed me up and asked for my Blood Group. I immediately knew that Blood was required somewhere. In IIT Kanpur half the mails on All mailing list are about blood required somewhere. It’s hard to believe that we still have blood left after four years at the place. It hasn’t been bad, I just liked the statement as I wrote it (seems like it’s fashionable to be a cynic).
Anyway the point is that for a moment, I hesitated answering. I don’t know why but I just did. And just after that I typed in my blood type (B+). The type required was A+. Donating blood is harmless if needles are sterilized and the amount taken is controlled. But there’s so much stigma attached to it that I hesitated. I found out later that the blood was required for the wife of a person whose help I used seek almost every day during my tenure. She is fine now. I am not. Guilt…is a bad thing. It sticks for a long time.
me too, man. I can’t ever muster enough courage to actually go and donate blood..I’ve always thought, there’d be someone else, why take the pain (and the risk – I never have faith on people who stick needles in my body). But it’s ok. One should do something only if he feels comfortable doing it. I guess not everyone is the same. and we should start accepting the flaws that we have. Not everyone can go and donate blood and be happy about it. One should not do it just because a “good person” is supposed to do it. Unless you get a feeling from inside, you shouldn’t do it.
I donated blood once here.. it was in a run down lab in the city. I had to ask a few times to confirm if everything was sterilized.. the fear exists and more so since this is Kanpur but I’m glad I helped them anyway. It is never the case that “there is somebody else”. These people were so poor but they were so glad that I came forward to help them that they offered to take me out and buy me bananas! (That’s all they could afford..)
@Vishnu : Sweet
I have never donated blood. My problem is that I need a new needle, not even sterilized one.
@RohitJ: You’d better not. You faint at every opportunity you get >.>
I’ve never donated blood either. In fact, I remember fainting during a blood test during my +2. Thankfully, my father was with me ;v
@Grungy Weirdo
Anyway I think yes, if one doesn’t feel like it one should let it pass. But then at times like the one Vishnu described might be a reason to shed the inhibition.
I thought there were people who stuck needle like objects in you at times. And now you have no faith in them! That’s sick mean
@Impromptu Pianist
Respect…Man! But your saying this adds more to my feeling bad.
@RohitJ
But I thought you would accept Open Source Needles
@Naresh
Yeah, blood test is another time when people feel a bit off. But I guess it’s more of the stigma attached to needles and transmittable diseases. Although some people also dislike the sight of blood.
@Grungy Weirdo
Anyway I think yes, if one doesn’t feel like it one should let it pass. But then at times like the one Vishnu described might be a reason to shed the inhibition.
I thought there were people who stuck needle like objects in you at times. And now you have no faith in them! That’s sick mean
@Impromptu Pianist
Respect…Man! But your saying this adds more to my feeling bad.
@RohitJ
But I thought you would accept Open Source Needles
@Naresh
Yeah, blood test is another time when people feel a bit off. But I guess it’s more of the stigma attached to needles and transmittable diseases. Although some people also dislike the sight of blood.
I donated blood once
I was anxious to donate as soon as I came to IITK, so umm.. yeah in my first semester itself I took the initiative, but sumthing went wrong, mostly my fault, I was awake the night before till 2 in the night, CC of course I hadn’t had my dinner, just woke up in the morning had an omlette in the breakfast and off I went to donate blood. Two other people went before me (quantity required 6 bottles) then a needle was stuck into my hand and I was told to close my fist tight, but suddenly I felt that I was feeling powerless to close it, then he remarked that blood was not flowing through properly (I thought i must be dehydrated), then after some time he stopped at 130 ml, 170 was to be taken out (numbers may not be accurate due to poor memory), then I was laid off and I sat down and was offered tea, suddenly I felt to vomit, in the way to the bathroom I puked out slipped and fell into it (yuck!!!). The ward boy came just held up my legs and I suddenly felt a lot better. I was alright then, had some juice came back.
I think that it was all my fault to get into such a position, most probably I was not hydrated enough and underslept, but the question remains will i go to donate blood again? I think yes but I do admit I have become a bit skeptical about it if not scared.
I was anxious to donate as soon as I came to IITK, so umm.. yeah in my first semester itself I took the initiative, but sumthing went wrong, mostly my fault, I was awake the night before till 2 in the night, CC of course I hadn’t had my dinner, just woke up in the morning had an omlette in the breakfast and off I went to donate blood. Two other people went before me (quantity required 6 bottles) then a needle was stuck into my hand and I was told to close my fist tight, but suddenly I felt that I was feeling powerless to close it, then he remarked that blood was not flowing through properly (I thought i must be dehydrated), then after some time he stopped at 130 ml, 170 was to be taken out (numbers may not be accurate due to poor memory), then I was laid off and I sat down and was offered tea, suddenly I felt to vomit, in the way to the bathroom I puked out slipped and fell into it (yuck!!!). The ward boy came just held up my legs and I suddenly felt a lot better. I was alright then, had some juice came back.
I think that it was all my fault to get into such a position, most probably I was not hydrated enough and underslept, but the question remains will i go to donate blood again? I think yes but I do admit I have become a bit skeptical about it if not scared.
The style of writing is quite familiar to me. Did you write guest posts for other bloggers?
@Samuel
I am no pro my friend. Just a common writer. I barely get time to write good stuff for my blog which I haven’t done in ages (sob). So no, I do not write guest posts. Thanks for passing by though.