FML : Today, I donated blood. Afterwards, I regained consciousness on the floor with a half-eaten cookie in my mouth. FML

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Today, I donated blood. Afterwards, I regained consciousness on the floor with a half-eaten cookie in my mouth. FML

Wow. This was my FML. It was my first time giving blood. I'd tried once before but my hemoglobin was too low. So I made sure to eat lots of iron rich foods the weeks before and was fine this time. Everything went really well. But when I got settled at the table with the snacks where they make you wait for 15 minutes I started to feel a bit dizzy. I fainted then. I'd been in the middle of eating my cookie, so it wasn't that odd. The wonderful people there caught me and lowered me to the floor, and I was only out for about 20 seconds. When I woke I was just really confused, and all I could really coherently think was "I have a half chewed cookie in my mouth," and I couldn't figure out how to swallow. They gave me juice and ice and I went back to my dorm to lay down until class. I think it actually went really well, and I'm excited to give blood in the future. I'll just have a larger breakfast and stay laying down for longer.

By Haberdashing / Wednesday 13 November 2013 20:10 / United States - Rochester

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By Haberdashing | 13

#5754189 - Thursday 14 November 2013 8:04

By emirie | 21

#5754201 - Thursday 14 November 2013 8:18

I totally pictured you walking with a cookie in your mouth, minding your business and suddenly fainting.

Comments

By Mdhughey | 7

#5753737 - Wednesday 13 November 2013 23:43

That's how I was. It'll get better

BeccaHugs | 17

#5753782 - Wednesday 13 November 2013 23:53

This is hardly an FML. This happens to a lot of people hence the complementary cookie and wait time between donating and leaving. Sucks that it happened to you, but you must have known that it was possible if you were donating blood.

CallMeMcFeelii | 13

#5753810 - Thursday 14 November 2013 0:13

I'll never give blood again after what the nurse did the last time. She stabbed me 10 fucking times and each time she was digging through my arm! My veins aren't even hidden. She was going after that big one inside the elbow but apparently she kept stabbing through it. I looked like a god damn junkie by the time I was out. Each time I see a blood drive sign I recall that moment. Never again, I tell ya, that's for damn sure.

IndieParadise | 4

#5753833 - Thursday 14 November 2013 0:34

#31 Wow, that must've been harsh.

TheCanucklehead | 22

#5753836 - Thursday 14 November 2013 0:36

Why does it have to be harsh? Maybe he enjoyed the pain

BMTHsuperfan | 18

#5753860 - Thursday 14 November 2013 0:58

given his statement, does it seem as if though he enjoyed the pain? no.

Adree | 15

#5753878 - Thursday 14 November 2013 1:11

When I donated a few months ago I went with my bf and his mom, they were first time donors but I had done it several times before, so after spending the mandatory 15-20 minutes on site and the car ride home worrying him, I vomited all over his grandfathers lawn while they were perfectly fine. FML

skyttlz | 32

#5754044 - Thursday 14 November 2013 4:32

I've only donated once and I don't see myself doing it again. My veins are quite small so they had to use my dominant arm even though I wanted it done from my left. They basically had to swim the needle around inside. I was still having dizzy spells a week later. I found out half a year later they changed the minimum weight and I had been underweight by the new standards.

TheDrifter | 23

#5754058 - Thursday 14 November 2013 4:43

You guys gotta stop donating in the nice neighborhoods. I've gone to the same one in the lousy neighborhood I call home a dozen times and the shaky handed ex heroin junkie has yet to miss a vein on me. It seems all the true professionals volunteer close to home.

cheyeahh6 | 16

#5754102 - Thursday 14 November 2013 5:19

Not sure how it is where you are, but in Australia, no phlebotomist is allowed to try more than twice per patient, unless the patient insists. Not even for donations! Maybe they should enforce that kind of rule everywhere if it hasn't been already.

PIGaming | 21

#5754118 - Thursday 14 November 2013 5:55

agree with #1. bad things happen to good people :)!

DropTheDaggerxx | 31

#5754146 - Thursday 14 November 2013 6:48

Having a shitty phlebotomist is tough (especially when they have to fish in your arm for the vein- ugh!) but I hope some of you reconsider giving blood even though you had a bad experience! It's such a great help to so many people. OP and everyone else- make sure you're well hydrated, your veins will be easier to get then. As for every other side effect... it sucks, there's no getting around that. But you'll feel good about yourself later! (Much later. After you stop feeling like you just gave ____ units of blood. But still!)

I've always wished I could donate, but I can't. But good on you for donating, OP! Hope you're feeling better.

Dawnstempest | 17

#5754202 - Thursday 14 November 2013 8:19

@ 31 Wow, the quality of training sure has gone down for those responsible for drawing blood. Unfortunately, it seems to be the case more and more as the years go by. It really isn't that hard to draw blood, if you have average eyesight and average hand eye coordination you can do it as long as you have average training.

HappynessSA | 6

#5754292 - Thursday 14 November 2013 12:13

31- it is up to you to tell them if they are hurting you and to stop. I had the same experience but after the third try I said please stop. I have donated blood countless of times since. She may have been new. It's no excuse to never donate again if you are in a position to help save lives.

strawberrywine22 | 27

#5754312 - Thursday 14 November 2013 12:36

My work hosted a blood drive and an elderly woman donated. She mumbled something about being in a hurry, slipped out of the bloodmobile, and ended up driving INTO the dollar store across the street!

jennyjune0303 | 7

#5754388 - Thursday 14 November 2013 14:26

Although I don't doubt you had a bad experience, there are a lot if bad plebotomists out there, but if you donated blood in the US they did not stick you 10 times. Every blood bank is regulated by the FDA because blood is considered a drug when used for transfusions. Therefore there are regulations we all have to follow ( I work for Red Cross) and one of those is you can only stick someone twice, once in each arm.

strawberrywine22 | 27

#5754774 - Thursday 14 November 2013 22:35

BS...it may be a law but they don't hold to that at all.

TattooInvasion | 14

#5754904 - Friday 15 November 2013 1:48

#201 If they dont follow the law, you have the right to say stop and ask for someone else. It's the same in Canada.

ndomer | 6

#5754977 - Friday 15 November 2013 3:13

I've hosted seven or so blood drives and have donated myself many times. In my experience they usually ask if you're okay if it takes more than one try. They don't always obey the laws, but they're almost all polite. They'll keep asking you if you're okay, and if you say you're not they stop. I've seen that happen quite a few times, but it's very unfortunate if they treated you poorly.

By beaglegal | 42

#5753738 - Wednesday 13 November 2013 23:43

Maybe you're the Cookie Monster? Or a vampire? Or both...?

Welshite | 39

#5753762 - Wednesday 13 November 2013 23:48

I didn't know vampires were addicted to cookies...

emirie | 21

#5753779 - Wednesday 13 November 2013 23:52

They're addicted to blood cookies.

MichellinMan | 20

#5753781 - Wednesday 13 November 2013 23:53

Welshite, #2 is implying that OP is a vampire because he/she fainted after donating blood, even though that makes no sense. Same goes for the Cookie Monster joke.

Ambient25 | 24

#5753893 - Thursday 14 November 2013 1:28

Needless to say #2 failed. Still, just be glad you can donate OP. Apparently being born in Romania disqualifies you from ever doing it... -_-

Ambient25 | 24

#5753907 - Thursday 14 November 2013 1:44

Then again being born in Romania technically makes me a vampire myself....

the plot thickens

mattrd_fml | 31

#5753960 - Thursday 14 November 2013 2:33

I can't donate either. guess gay blood isn't good enough to save people's lives.

TheDrifter | 23

#5754065 - Thursday 14 November 2013 4:45

They have the same rule here 73. With an aids infection rate above 50% in the gay community they require blood tests before donations for "at risk lifestyles".

AngelSpit | 18

#5754222 - Thursday 14 November 2013 8:55

yeah I have to have my blood tested whenever I donate (I'm AB-) because I'm into BDSM even though I get tested yearly (I'm married not. promiscuous but there is a possibility of blood transfer in some of the "rougher" "play". better safe than sorry and I wont "play" with anyone who doesn't get regularly tested either)

Ambient25 | 24

#5754257 - Thursday 14 November 2013 10:12

Yeah I don't remember BDSM being in one of the questions they asked when I tried to donate but whatev..

AngelSpit | 18

#5754651 - Thursday 14 November 2013 19:43

it's not but I tell them anyway because it's considered a risk as well as the fact I get tested yearly. it's more common courtesy than anything

mattrd_fml | 31

#5754660 - Thursday 14 November 2013 19:51

In the US they test all the blood after its donated anyways. but still won't let gay men donate even if they test themselves beforehand. i know a lot of gay guys who just lie on the form.

By STOspartan | 12

#5753739 - Wednesday 13 November 2013 23:43

Hey, id love to wake up with a cookie...

ComoEsJuan | 24

#5753785 - Wednesday 13 November 2013 23:55

Am I the only one wondering if it was truly OP that ate half of the cookie? I mean, half a cookie is a lot better than no cookie, but still! Questions need answers!

_ashole | 10

#5753852 - Thursday 14 November 2013 0:51

I couldn't help but wonder as well. The big question here is if OP was the one that ate the half of the cookie or if someone happened to place it there...

amDes | 11

#5753869 - Thursday 14 November 2013 1:05

#23 they usually have the fainter eat the cookie to get them to wake up, so I think he ate and swallowed the half and then fully woke up. At least that's the story I'm going with.

falon142012 | 22

#5754107 - Thursday 14 November 2013 5:27

Yes or I know sometimes they have you eat something with sugar in it so you DON'T pass out so maybe they were in the middle of eating it.

jkmartinjk | 16

#5754163 - Thursday 14 November 2013 7:24

At our donation sites they have cookies and juice waiting for you after you donate because you are supposed to stay for another 20 minutes. OP was probably just eating a cookie afterwards while waiting, and passed out.

mannykiddo | 3

#5754487 - Thursday 14 November 2013 17:00

Um, you gonna eat that?

beaglegal | 42

#5754921 - Friday 15 November 2013 2:52

The real question is: What kind of cookie was it?

By Cazz91 | 21

#5753741 - Wednesday 13 November 2013 23:44

The first time can be bloody terrifying.

MichellinMan | 20

#5753788 - Wednesday 13 November 2013 23:55

Oh boy, here come the thumbs! *hides behind rock*

Zimmington | 21

#5753813 - Thursday 14 November 2013 0:17

I don't think her comment was that crumby

\ | 28

#5753965 - Thursday 14 November 2013 2:39

I admire how people from Europe seem to use "bloody" in place of "fucking." Makes them sound more civilized :)

ConsiderMeKatiee | 2

#5753967 - Thursday 14 November 2013 2:42

How do you know it's not part of a joke #74

\ | 28

#5753970 - Thursday 14 November 2013 2:44

I did know, it was just a casual observation...

Shrike | 22

#5753976 - Thursday 14 November 2013 2:52

Since when is Canada in Europe? And since when does every country in Europe speak (British) English?

CallMeMcFeelii | 13

#5753985 - Thursday 14 November 2013 3:17

Since when did you start asking so many god damn questions!?

Ahh, I'm just kidding..

By CaiDog | 20

#5753742 - Wednesday 13 November 2013 23:44

That's pretty bad that no one came to help you.. do you know how long you were unconcious?

BeccaHugs | 17

#5753787 - Wednesday 13 November 2013 23:55

How do you know no one helped? OP was most likely in a donating clinic - hence the cookie. They make donors wait after they've donated and give them a cookie to keep blood sugar levels up. There was probably a dozen nurses around OP who helped.

ImAFaker | 29

#5753792 - Thursday 14 November 2013 0:00

Then why was he on the floor?

bandeek | 30

#5753949 - Thursday 14 November 2013 2:24

When i was at a blood drive (didn't donate, i was pregnant) they had everyone sitting on the floor afterwards. So if they did pass out they were less likely to fall and injure themselves.

Haberdashing | 13

#5754191 - Thursday 14 November 2013 8:05

There were tons of people helping me! They lowered me safely to the floor. I was only out for a bit. Not even a minute.

Haberdashing | 13

#5754194 - Thursday 14 November 2013 8:09

Oh. Should have mentioned: I'm the OP, I'm actually female, and the people there were great and knew how to handle fainters. It unfortunately a bit common.

MischievousV | 8

#5755164 - Friday 15 November 2013 5:19

I am one of the CNAs who help out during these events. We try and make sure everyone has plenty of water/snacks and is well hydrated before drawing blood to reduce that possibility.
However this process is done in an area of nurses, doctors, CNAs, or phlebotomists. There's always supervision and an area for recuperation like beds, reclining chairs, so forth for situations like this. Please donate blood if you can. Just be hydrated beforehand.