The Blood Donors...

Here is the moment that you have all been waiting for. Kelli and I survived. We are alive. Here is the story we survived just to tell you.

It is a step by step process beginning with this as we first walked in to the Red Cross building in Orem. Yep. This is where it all began. Once I signed in there was no turning back. Well, unless I didn't pass step two.

No pictures of step two because it was a one on one interview with the nurse. The part where they prick your finger. It hurt sooo bad! But I passed the interview because I have not had any "contact" with people that have sold themselves for personal pleasure, nore have I been to any country in Europe or Africa. Taiwan, luckily, is on the "safe" list. Kelli and I made it past step two.

Step three begins here for me... Kelli had started the interview first and therefore was in the chair ready to give blood. I had to wait. Here is what I noticed.


Yes, I noticed them in this order. At this moment I began to realize what was happening. The box in the middle it says "human blood", then I saw the nurse handling the "already donated" blood. Packing it in the "human blood box". Wow... the wait was brutal.

Finally, my number was called. I was in the hot seat. It took a minute of prep work. luckily I have big vains. It went in quick. It hurt, but not as bad as the finger prick. Kelli took 10 minutes or so to fill the 1 Pint bag. The nurse had to keep wiggling the needle because the flow of blood was not coming. He kept telling her to squeeze the ball. She finally finished while I was getting stuck with the needle.

Here are some pictures of me giving blood. The nurse is messing with the bag o' blood.



Well, needless to say, I made it. The final pull hurt a little when she took the needle out. Before she did that, she took a few samples of blood and put them in these small viles. Apparently a pint is not enough, they kept taking more and more... and I watched...

Here is a fun part... We all got to munch on goodies and drink juice (the final step)!


Kim and Larry are on the left. Kelli and I on the right. We only felt lightheaded a few times on thursday after donating blood. And this concludes the Ellertson party to donate blood.