A Sense of Identity and Donating Blood

Well — June is my month to write a blog post, and there is a singular topic I have wanted to write about, and it’s bloody propaganda (kind of a joke). However, before I get into the straight propaganda about why you should donate blood (if you’re able), I want to start about how donating blood has become a weird, but cherished, part of my identity.

Something I struggled with a lot during the pandemic was a loss of identity. All the things that made me feel like me — my job, grad school, volunteering, being part of my friendship circles, working out — shifted online or disappeared altogether. Like a lot of people, it wasn’t a great time for me.

But I also learned a lot through the process of feeling like a worthless slug — there is one part of my identity that I get a lot of validation out of, and that’s being a blood donor. It’s a bit strange, if we’re being honest, but I get a strong sense of pride from it because you are giving a physical part of yourself to help another. But I’m not just saving adults, I am saving babies.

Through nothing I’ve ever done to be this awesome, I fall into a special category they call a Hero for Babies. It turns out, most adults have a harmless virus in their blood, which isn’t so harmless when given to babies. I do not have that virus, which means my blood can be given to premature babies.

That’s right — I’m not saving some adult when I donate, I’m saving a little baby.

Obviously, that knowledge puts a lot of pressure on me to actually donate, but since I also go as often as I can fit into my schedule, it also makes me a louder advocate for blood donation in general. I also learn a bunch of random blood facts, which I also like to disseminate. For example, do you know why they say “up to three lives?” It’s not because they squirt the bag into three separate people, but but because some patients only need the platelets or plasma, so they can split it up that way depending on the need.

Here are a few more fun blood facts

• Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood

• 45 percent of the U.S. population has type O blood

Courtesy of the American Red Cross Blood Donor App

Especially during the pandemic, I found myself fascinated by blood. It’s interesting on the face of it that there isn’t just one kind, but then compound that with different types are more or less likely to get certain diseases. During the beginning of the pandemic, there was a lot of speculation about which blood types get it most severe, and that’s news I basically shared with anyone who would let me talk to about blood.

So yeah, not only do I like to donate, but I like to bring up blood in regular conversations. But while I’m here, the number one way people begin donating is by being asked by a friend, so please take this as your official invite to donate blood! The benefits are:

• Saving lives!

• Free snacks!

• Occasional free t-shirts!

• Free blood pressure reading!

• You’ll feel like you made a difference!

• And did I mention, saving lives! Even if it’s not babies, saving adult lives isn’t too shabby either.

So now that I’ve convinced you to sign up for a blood donation near you, here are some suggestions I have for making it pleasant (these are my tips and not official Red Cross tips):

• Drink as much water as you can that day — I’m sure there’s a level of water you shouldn’t exceed, but I have yet to meet that limit.

• Schedule with friends — I have two friends I typically go with (plus two more in a different state who also goes regularly). That accountability is so helpful in actually following through!

• Eat a big dinner the night before — I like to go a bit heavy on the protein too.

• Definitely also eat a big breakfast and then some snacks — Basically the day I donate blood, I’m eating whatever tickles my fancy.

• Take your time — I mean this very specifically once the needle comes out of your arm (don’t sit right up, and even once you sit up, don’t immediately get off the bed. Give yourself a chance to see how you’re feeling before you dismount), but I suppose I mean this advice in a general sense too.

• RELAX — Nothing like yelling at someone to relax to get them to chill out, but really, do what you can to stay calm. I know a lot of people that don’t donate because they had a bad experience. Do what you can to be comfortable. Wear a comfortable outfit, get there early, ask questions. I like to leave my cell phone and not at the needle in my art to keep calm. I’ll be honest, when I overthink that there’s a needle in the crevice of my arm, I start to panic. So the less you can focus on that, the better off you are.

• Cancel if it doesn’t feel right — There is always a need for blood, but don’t go on the days you don’t feel up to it. For example, at the beginning of COVID, I cancelled because I was too anxious to go in a mask (I thought it would make me too hot). It turned out, that donation was really hot (according to my friend who went). Had I gone, my anxiety and the temperature likely would have freaked me out and I would have had a bad experience. Going when you’re feeling physically and mentally good is critical to having a good experience and then actually going back. While your blood is needed, make sure you’re in a good headspace to go so you don’t pass out and never go again.

Thank you for indulging me on this topic, and I hope to see you out there giving blood in your community! I promise it feels really validating and it’s a great way to give back.