Today, I got my blood drawn for a donation and they didn't warn me that I was borderline anemic. I passed out in the middle of Walgreens and woke up to people just standing there, staring. FML
Collection
Wild Nights Out
Last call, bad decisions and 3 a.m. texts you'll regret until noon. Cheers.
Today, I tried donating blood for the first time because my company was hosting a blood drive. Right after telling everyone I wasn't afraid of needles, I fainted before they could even use one. I woke up surrounded by phlebotomists offering me juice while my coworkers whooped like I'd just scored a goal. FML
Today, I gave blood for the first time, since I'm a universal donor. After it was done, I passed out, woke up, puked, and passed out again. The kind nurses told me I was the worst case they had seen all week. So much for doing something to help others. FML
Today, as a veteran blood donor, I made a friend who was donating for the first time- I told her not to be scared and that I've been doing it for six years and that it was a great way to help people. While at the snack area afterwards, I passed out, started convulsing and went into shock. FML
Today, I went to donate blood for the first time. When they stuck the needle in my arm, I had a panic attack and begged that they take it out. The woman helping me told me she'd take it out in a moment and left. It was then that the Red Cross stole a pint of my blood while I had a panic attack. FML
Today, I went to a blood drive. The nurse taking my blood mentioned that she'd been called in on her day off, and she swore she wasn't drunk. I didn't know what to do, so I just smiled and blinked back tears as she savaged the vein in my arm. FML
Today, when I tried to give blood, I was turned down before I even made it through the information packet. Why? Because I had thought I was supposed to fast for 24 hours beforehand. FML
Today, I had to get bloodwork done. I'm deathly afraid of needles. The whole lobby heard me scream as soon as the nurse said 'hello'. FML
Today, I donated blood for the first time. It wasn't until I passed out on the ice during hockey practice that I remembered the nurse warning me not to do any type of exercise. FML
Today, I went to the blood bank to donate plasma. All went well until the machine went to return my red blood cells. It turns out the nurse sliced my vein and the blood built up in my tissues. I now have a massive swollen arm and bruising, and look like a junkie. FML
Today, I went for bloodwork. It's routine for me, so I was ready for the nurse to put in the needle and take my blood. It went in fine, but right after, she slowly pulled the needle out, then wondered why the blood stopped. She then moved it back and forth in my arm while I panicked silently. FML
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Top comments
C8H18 33
The people who draw blood when you're giving a donation are not your doctor. They had no way of knowing what conditions you have before hand unless you tell them. They are not at fault here.
ImminentDisaster 12
Would they know that before taking the blood and sending it to be analysed?
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Comments (23)
Misoranomegami 16
If you're in the US, they did an anemia check before the donation and your iron level was high enough to safely donate. I'm anemic and struggle to get into the safe range but I've never passed out in all my years of donating even when I barely passed. More likely the cause of you passing out was a sudden drop in blood pressure. My sister has low blood pressure normally and another friend is a very petite woman and they've both fainted on occasion after donating. They still donate though, they just rest afterwards before moving and have someone else drive them home. source: 5 gallon blood donor and 3 year blood bank volunteer.
chessu 21
So, I've donated blood twice. The first time I passed out, but being nerveous and not eating probably didn't help. The second time I went, I didn't pass out, but I did go pale and they kept checking my stats for a long while. First of all, you are NOT meant to feel dizzy AT ALL, maybe a tad weakish, but not actually dizzy. I said the same thing to the doctors how I thought it was normal and they said that that's a myth. Secondly, they measure your hemoglobin when donating. Mine has always been normal, if anything maybe a tad over hence I was cleared for donating. A few months later, I'd been feeling really tired, so I got some blood tests done, including ferritin which is what they actually use to diagnose aenemia (normal is between 10-150, mine was like 7). Basically, ferritin is the grapes and hemoglobin is the wine and usually these should correspond, but not always = aenemia. So basically you had enough iron to pump up your hemoglobin for now, but not enough to do it again. And that's a special test you need to order and is not done at the donation centre, cause in most cases, it's not necessary.
piinksock 17
I got 4 on my ferritin about a year ago now. I thought I was dying. I couldn't remember anything, kept stumbling round, walking into walls. I couldn't even remember how to talk (what word i wanted or how to actually pronounce it) It was like being very drunk at all times. I have ferritin injections now and am fine although the injection site bruises for months. So you are correct, anaemia and low iron are not the same thing. My basic Iron wasn't worryingly low either, it takes a full iron study to reveal anaemia.
species4872 20
Did you at least get Orange juice?
Brian Green 8
THEY DIDN'T WARN ME THAT I WAS ANEMIC You deserve it
lucasjames22 8
How were they supposed to know you were anemic? that's ridiculous.
Meganetic7 10
At blood drives, the nurses typically take a sample of blood before the donation to check for things like anemia. If this is the case and they neglected to tell you (and it's possible they figured you'd be okay if you were just borderline) then that's a fault on their part. Passing out might be quite embarrassing, but at least you're okay! And if the anemia starts bothering you in daily life, you may want to consider taking iron supplements. Get better, OP!
Alise Rhines 9
They should have done a finger poke and tested your blood beforehand to see what your hemoglobin levels where, that's just a shoddy donation process in my opinion. Every time I've given blood they've checked my hemoglobin, otherwise it's just a waste of both parties time since they can't use that blood and could have spent the time drawing a more appropriate candidate.
piinksock 17
Just so everyone knows, a basic finger prick can miss anaemia. Anaemia and low iron are not necessarily the same thing. Although I get the feeling OP probably has neither and simply passed out because s/he (sorry, I didn't take note) didn't go have a meal and rest, they went shopping. Passing out rarely takes you by surprise either. You generally at least have time to safely sit straight down on the floor and arrange your arms so you don't hit your head if you go on to lose consciousness. Although sitting tends to fix it. At one point you're in the shop thinking "wow, I feel like garbage, I just had blood taken and I'm very light headed. I'm not going to go home and rest. I'm not even going to stop shopping and seek out a chair. I'm going to keep right on until I keel over". I can't feel sorry for you.
Savannah Nicole Lee 4
You sure "borderline anemia" made you pass out? I get VERY anemic (like iron transfusion anemic...) and I've never even gotten dizzy when they draw blood... be careful dude
marthamydear23 9
what do you mean, they didn't warn you? how the he'll are they supposed to know you were anemic??