Rakta Charitra

My hatred towards blood goes a long way back. I like to tell people that I hate the sight of blood after my unfortunate visit to the hopsital in Mumbai when I suffered a bout of phalsifaram Malaria, but I know in my heart that this enmity has being running within me right from childhood. 

I still remember that unfortunate day in Saraswat Colony, when I had fallen of my cycle and hurt my knee. A little blood had started to ooze out and it was not the pain, but the sight of that red liquid that had made me feel nauseatic and not cycle again for a few days atleast!

That was a long time ago and last week, when I got an email saying there was a blood donation drive in office, I willingly volunteered cause Prachi has been after me to do it for quite some time. She had convinced me saying that it was not only for a good cause, but also to ensure that some good blood needed to be re-generated within me!

So, on Tuesday I went to the Gym room (where the drive was being conducted) around 11am and started to fill out the form that was handed to me. The personal and contact details was easy, but then came the tricky part:

When did you last donate blood? - No Idea!
What is your blood group> - B-ve...I think!
Are you suffering from any of the diseases? - No, No, No....

I even ended up answering 'No' to questions like - Have you had breakfast this morning? and Are you feeling well today?

Those typos were corrected by the doctor who went through my form. He then asked me to show him my middle finger (no offense intended) which he pricked with a needle to collect a blood sample. After that was done, he offered me a swab of cotton and held a weird looking instrument near my head to take my body temperature. I was then asked to wait on one of those chairs, for my turn, and I did start to feel a few butterflies in my stomach as I tried not to look at others joking and laughing away with a needle in their hands!

When my turn eventually came, I cautioned the other doctor to hold my hand incase it shakes a lot, but, luckily for him, that wasn't necessary. I held my breath and looked away as the needle entered the vein of my right arm and blood started to flow in the pouch below which was swinging away to some tune of it's own. I put the pressure ball, given to me, to good use and some 10 minutes later the needle was out and I was told to head back to the chair for some biscuits and juices.  That's when I first realized that I was feeling kinda dizzy!!

I drank some water and had a juice and somebody said 'say cheese' cause he was taking a snap, but my mind was roaming around elsewhere. A doctor noticed, came to me asked me if I was ok. My negative response prompted him to take me back to a chair, he brought a little stool for me and asked me to lay there with my foot extended at an incline. I gulped down a couple of biscuits and another juice as the rest of the guys, and even a few ladies, went past looking suspiciously at me. Some 5 minutes later, I was feeling much better.

I felt awkward for the rest of the day and even as I write this blog, I have retained that little round band-aid on my right hand fearing the worst. But all that apart, I really feel great that I finally did donate blood for a good cause. No donation for me for atleast another 6 - 8 months, but I do have one unanswered question still - 

Will somebody please confirm if my blood type is B -ve!!

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