RONNIEISMS

A few times a year the Lenexa Chamber has a blood drive and I usually donate my share of blood. I'll probably still donate after yesterday's debacle but the event was not the usual. What usually takes an hour including after donation lunch and little recoup time turned into about 2 hours. The first attendant asked which arm I would like to use and I suggested the left. After receiving the usual instructions about pressure on the ball put into my hand and lying still, she proceeded to find the spot of insertion. Let me explain something first. This was my sixth time with The Community Blood bank but I'm used to giving blood during my visits to the VA and my twice a year lab appointments and hardly ever experienced any pain or discomfort, in fact I normally congratulate the poker on the ease of their insertion. Yesterday however, was the exception. After marking the spot and inserting the needle I experienced a pain that created a loud discharge of OUCH or something a bit harsher. I guess I scared the attendant for a moment since her eyes almost popped out of her head. Nothing was coming out so she tried moving the needle around while still under the skin which produced too much additional pain. I tried to stifle my cries of pain but it got to the point where I told her to stop. She, however, became irritated and walked away to get her supervisor. They brought over another and she too could not find the vein which I was told had floated, which means it moved and this needle also had to be removed. In the meantime, everything had to be discarded because it had been in me. So after two puncture wounds with no success we decided to try the other arm. They reset the table and started the procedure again but with a different attendant. This girl found the vein, with no pain and started the procedure all over. All seemed to be going well until she returned to the table and started retaping the needle to my arm so it wouldn't move. She called a male attendant over and I heard her say, there's nothing coming out. I had only deposited 2.33 pounds, ounces, liters or whatever measurement they use into the receiving bag. "What's going on?" I asked. There answer in concert was " I don't know, it just stopped, we'll have to start all over." "Not on me" I replied, "I'm done for today." After many apologies from the supervisor and nasty looks from the three attendants I went over to the table for lunch. Since I only gave a portion, which I was told would be discarded, I thought I only deserved half a sandwich which is all that I ate. While sitting at the table, a gentleman that was a first and said his last time for donating had the same problem and he too had to switch arms. He too was bandaged on both arms. I'm not writing this to keep anyone from donating blood and I'm sure I'll do it again but after leaving with two large adhesive bandages around both arms with pretty hearts I might check out the experience of the people before the poking begins.