DONATING MY BLOOD

Yesterday evening I ventured out into the freezing December air with a friend to go and do my good deed of the day.

I have been signed up to the blood donor register for a while now and the time had finally arrived. I had done my research into donating and knew that I had to prepare in advance. I made sure I had a good night's sleep, drank lots of water throughout the day and had 3 good-sized meals. This enable the blood that would then be taken out of me to have the right balance of everything it needs but also to prevent me from fainting. When we arrived we signed in, filled out some paperwork and was then given 500ml of water to drink before we donated. This is because when the blood is taken, it leaves you dehydrated so you have to have a drink before and after so you don't feel unwell.

We then waited for the nurses to call our names. When it was my turn I sat down, had my arm sterilised, the chair went back and then the needle was put in. We were given little exercises and muscle contractions to do so that the blood circulated well whilst we were in the chair. It wasn't painful or uncomfortable and only took about 7 minutes for the blood they needed to be taken. All of the staff were very friendly and thanked us both for donating our blood and said well done which really made me proud of us both, and everyone else who has donated or is planning on doing the same.

Once it was over, we both sat down at the table and were given drinks and biscuits to get our sugar and water levels back up. It was such a lovely atmosphere and all the staff were really nice and welcoming.

I wanted to give blood as I know people need it and it may only take me half an hour but it could be the difference between life and death for someone who needs it. Over 6,000 blood donations are needed every day to treat patients across England alone, many of those being needed from younger donors. There is always a need for it and it felt amazing to be able to go and give up a little bit of time and a pint of blood for a good cause that I knew would help people.

If you are interested in donating blood too, take a look at the website below and it will tell you everything you need to know. It's quick and easy to sign up and there are hundreds of locations that you can donate at. It can make a huge difference and is so simple so I urge you all to take a look.

Blood.co.uk

And don't forget to smile! x

#lifestyle #blood #donation #needle