Bruise on My Arm

I went to give platelets on Monday. I like that better than giving whole blood. Anyway, Canadian Blood Services has a new place. I thought I got off on the wrong exit. Luckily, it was right at the corner, or I'd have gotten back on the highway to go further down and backtrack, which is what I thought I had to do, since the road I wanted doesn't have an exit. Well, turns out it does, but the road is called something else. Who cares? Point is, that was big omen #1 that I should have just slept in.

All was well - I had my book and was wearing appropriate red clothing *grin*.

I sat in the chair and my RN put the needle in my arm and some blood spurted across the pillow under my arm. Good thing it didn't hit the library book. This was omen #2.

Shortly after the RN started adjusting things, I discovered that my arm felt weird, like I could feel every heartbeat. I said so, and she pulled the needle out a bit, since it was in too deep. Omen # 3.

A variety of tests are performed on your blood at the beginning. My white blood cell count was off by 1 (Omen #4). They had to call for permission from their doctor to use my blood. The doctor wasn't in and they had to leave a message. We waited for so long, they nearly had to take the needle out, because I was getting saline and they couldn't leave me there all day. (Omen #5)

Finally, permission came. I sat in the chair for an hour. Then I felt I needed to adjust my position. I did. 5 minutes later, I felt like someone had stabbed my arm with another needle. I said so. The RN removed the piece of gauze that hides the needle in the arm for the squeamish (like me) and discovered a large bump on my arm where blood was pooling from the nick the needle likely made when I moved.

They took the needle out and didn't put a fresh one in the other arm, because obviously, the gods were dead set against me donating platelets that day. I even have to wait the full 56 days before I can donate again, because they couldn't give me back the blood they'd already taken. At least the bag was 3/4 full, so they got something out of me. I'd have hated to have gone through all that for nothing.

The bruise is pretty ugly - very dark purple with big fat purple arms streaming out of it. It's getting better finally, after almost a week. It never hurt, though, except for that initial stabby pain.