Log in
By Haberdashing - 13/11/2013 20:10 - United States - Rochester
Today, I donated blood. Afterwards, I regained consciousness on the floor with a half-eaten cookie in my mouth. FML
I agree, your life sucks
44913
You deserved it
4038
Haberdashing Say more :
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.
Health
   Previous FML Next FML  

A beautiful truck decoration

The unexpected

No balls activity

Add a comment
You must be logged in to be able to post comments!
Create my account Sign in
Top comments
By  Haberdashing  |  13

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.

Send a private message 241 2 Reply
Comments
Reply
  BeccaHugs  |  17

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.

Send a private message 0 0 Reply
Reply
  CallMeMcFeelii  |  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.

Send a private message 50 5 Reply
Reply
  Adree  |  15

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

Send a private message 27 0 Reply
Reply
  skyttlz  |  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.

Send a private message 13 0 Reply
Reply
  TheDrifter  |  23

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.

Send a private message 23 0 Reply
Reply
  cheyeahh6  |  16

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.

Send a private message 14 1 Reply
Reply
  DropTheDaggerxx  |  31

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.

Send a private message 6 1 Reply
Reply
  Dawnstempest  |  17

@ 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.

Send a private message 0 0 Reply
Reply
  HappynessSA  |  6

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.

Send a private message 1 1 Reply
Reply
  strawberrywine22  |  27

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!

Send a private message 5 1 Reply
Reply
  jennyjune0303  |  7

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.

Send a private message 3 2 Reply
Reply
  ndomer  |  6

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.

Send a private message 1 0 Reply
Reply
  MichellinMan  |  20

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.

Send a private message 13 3 Reply
Reply
  TheDrifter  |  23

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".

Send a private message 5 4 Reply
Reply
  AngelSpit  |  18

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)

Send a private message 1 2 Reply
Reply
  mattrd_fml  |  31

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.

Send a private message 0 0 Reply
Reply
  ComoEsJuan  |  24

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!

Send a private message 18 1 Reply
Reply
  _ashole  |  10

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...

Send a private message 6 1 Reply
Reply
  amDes  |  11

#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.

Send a private message 2 2 Reply
Reply
  jkmartinjk  |  16

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.

Send a private message 2 0 Reply
Reply
  \  |  28

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

5 22 Reply
Reply
  \  |  28

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

4 15 Reply
Reply
  BeccaHugs  |  17

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.

Send a private message 11 7 Reply
Reply
  bandeek  |  30

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.

Send a private message 8 0 Reply
Reply
  MischievousV  |  8

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.

Send a private message 1 0 Reply
Next
  Spicy
See all the Spicy FMLs
© Beta&cie, All rights reserved