Anyone want to face their fears and do something good for people, donate platelets. It is the equivalent of donating 15 whole pints of blood and helps cancer patients. In the winter, there are shortages of donors due to weather but the need is the same if not greater. The first time I heard of donating platelets, I pretty much ran out of the blood center when they said they would take the blood out, spin it to remove platelets, and then put it back in my arm while I watched the whole process.
After skipping through some of the sessions, I decided to try this one again. The process can take up to 1- 1.5 hrs so there is plenty of time to get in a panic attack or two. You can't run away because you are hooked up to a machine. The machine tells you when the pressure is too high or too low so you can practice breathing to see how it helps calm you down after a few minutes. I could go through every scary thought from vein collapsing to stroke or any other thing associated with bleeding but it didn't matter, the donation kept going regardless of what I was thinking.
As I approached the 1 hr mark, I was starting to get the hang of this thing and realized that it was no big deal. The guy next to me wasnt even concerned and had done the whole process without the slightest worry. I thought that next time I am going to be that guy because there really is nothing to fear but what we tell ourselves. As I approached the end of my donation, I realized I had to pee. Now my focus was on not wetting my pants and I forgot about the whole bleeding thing. They unhooked me without incident, I made it to the restroom, and hopefully helped a few patients in the process. I now have something tangible that helps me realize that the panic comes from within, it will pass, and you will be stronger for facing your fears instead of running. This was one of the least of my fears but I had to start somewhere on this pile of anxiety and fear to get some momentum. I felt great the rest of the day for doing something that almost everyone is afraid of but most people can do. We can't manufacture blood so please think about giving next time you want to tackle a fear or two! Have a nice day everyone!
Donate Platelets
Somtimes it helps just to laugh.
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