Where Have I Been???

I've been busy!! That's where I've been! I've been tired, I've been busy, I've been tired, need I go on??

I can tell you that this past week I've had to bake 11 pans of Brookies for the restaurant. They've certainly been keeping my busy! I'm taking the night off from baking tonight, except I'm going to bake something for our snack day at work tomorrow. I think I might create something new. I'll let you know if I do. Oh, I do have a yummy and healthy apple cake recipe I want to share. I'll take pics tonight and post tomorrow (hopefully).

Well, let me tell you about my exciting day yesterday! I haven't tried to give blood for over 10 years now. I say "tried" because I've never been able to give a pint before. Every time my veins would collapse. We had a blood drive at work yesterday and I thought I'd give it another go. E warned me not to. He said I have low blood pressure and I shouldn't do it. I told him I would be fine and it's a good cause. He told me not to complain to him if I wasn't feeling good afterwards. Whatever! I would be fine! Plus I'd get a $5 giftcard to Qdoba!

I get to the lobby and have to fill out my info. The guy gives me my giftcard and tells me to go on out to the bus where they'll take my vitals and what not. On the bus they take my blood pressure and it was fine. It was 121/73. Pretty high for me! I'm usually around 95/60 these days. I thought that was a good sign. The tech then pricks my finger to check my iron level. She had a hard time getting much blood out and the iron level read low (First Warning!) She said I could stop now or she could get her supervisor to try on my other hand. I told her to go ahead and try. Why not??? The supervisor comes in and pricks another finger on my other hand and my iron levels were fine. Great! Good sign, right??

I go on out and they ask me which arm. I told them either one so they decide to take it from my right arm. A male tech comes to me and preps my arm. He told be to squeeze this stress thingy and hold tight. He searches my arm and then decides to look at my left arm. I repeat the steps and he searches again. He calls over the supervisor and she looks at both of my arms. She points to a spot on my right arm and told him he could try this or he could try another spot on my left arm. He decides to go with my left arm. I now have to get up and move to the other side of the bus. (Second Warning!)

He preps my left arm and sticks the needle in. Nothing comes out. (Third Warning!) The supervisor comes back and she tries to find the vein. Jackpot! We have blood! I sit there and after a couple of minutes we realize the blood has stopped. (Fourth Warning!) They take everything out and say I could stop now or they can try the other arm. I know what you are thinking. I already have the giftcard so why not stop while I'm ahead, right? Well, I really did want to try to give blood. I told them to try my right arm. I have to get back up and go back to the other side of the bus.

The supervisor takes over from here and she preps my arm again. At this time I realize E is on the bus. He comes around and watches what they do. The supervisor finally gets blood! Yay! E just shakes his head and says he'll see me later. After a few minutes, the male tech comes over and looks at my bag. The blood is flowing, but it's really, really slow (Fifth and Final Warning!!) Finally, after a tiny can of orange juice and several songs on the radio I'm finished! I have finally given a pint, a pound of my blood! Yay! Did you know that you lose a pound when you give blood??? Apparently Weight Watchers' people do!

Anyway, they ask me if I'm doing okay and I said "yeah". What are you supposed to feel like after you give blood??? Can anybody explain this to me?? After all, I've never donated before. They tell me to get up and go ahead and go back inside. No problem. I have to wait a few seconds for somebody to move out of my way and I felt a little weird, maybe lightheaded, but didn't think much of it. I went on out the bus and headed back inside the building. As soon as I got inside I felt it coming! The overwhelming feeling of passing out came over me and I rushed to have a seat in one of the chairs. I heard Annette ask if I was okay and the next thing I new Vicky was calling my name and several people were around me. Yep, I passed out. How embarrassing is that?!?!?!? I apparently went stiff just as I passed out and scared Vicky half to death. I was out for less than a minute, I believe. The supervisor nurse came in and gave me ice packs (I was sweating profusely!) and a coke. She went back out and got me several bags of cookies and pretzels. She told me to eat the pretzels right away and to keep drinking because that would bring my blood pressure and sugar back up.

After a few minutes I felt I was able to get up and go back to my office. They kept asking me if I felt okay because I didn't look okay. I was apparently completely white, but color slowly started to return to my face. I told them I felt much better and went back to my office to eat some cookies and finish of the pretzels. I called E and, well, you can guess what he had to say! He wasn't too happy with me, I told you so, yadda, yadda, yadda. I tried to explain to him that my blood pressure was up today, but he didn't want to hear it.After a few minutes I went to the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. I was yellow!! I got a cup of water and went back to my office. I had to finishing printing payroll checks so I wasn't able to go to lunch right away. The supervisor nurse came back to check on my after a little bit and I told her that I felt sick and lightheaded. She said that I would probably feel better if I threw up. I had to explain to her that I cannot throw up at my own will. I have to take something to make me throw up, like ipecac. She told me to just get some lunch and drink plenty of fluids.

After the checks were done. I still wasn't feeling good. E called and said he didn't want me to drive in my condition so him mom came and got me. After I finally got something to eat I started to feel a little better, just really, really tired. I stayed on the couch for the rest of the afternoon. By the time E go home, I was feeling well to go with him to take the Brookies in and to pick up my truck.

I have to tell you. I will never, ever give blood again. All the signs were there and I chose to ignore them. I even recognized the first sign but figured I'd at least try one more time. I should've realized after the second sign, however, that I would be in for it if I continued. Oh well, lessons learned.

I hope this doesn't discourage anyone else from donating blood. I was just a little dehydrated and tired. Plus the fact that I usually have low blood pressure may have contributed to my troubles. I guess I should probably listen to E a little more often, huh? Oh, and he was extremely happy to be able to say "I told you so!"