I Gave Blood Today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today at my school we had a blood drive. And the last semester when we had one I wasn't old enough. Anyway I had to get my iron tested and my finger was pricked. Last time my finger was pricked it hurt alot more. And then I had to fill out this little questionare and read and sign this little paper. Also they took my blood preasure, pulse, and temperature. Then they gave me this paper and I had to wait in line for my number to come up. Then when it ws my turn I had to sit in the chair. They took forever to find a big enough vein and they had to check both arms. They found a tiny little vein in my right arm, but it wasn't big enough. They found two in my left arm and then they used one of them. My friend told me that I shouldn't look at the needle, but curiosity got the better of me. Oh my goodness!!!!! That needle was ginormous! And they put iodine on your arm because everybody has bacteria that grows on your skin and the iodine kills the bacteria. The needle doesn't hurt once it gets in but the iodine stings. It usually takes 10 minutes to fill the little bag with blood but it took me 6 minutes and 56 seconds. I was in the auditorium from like 11 until 1:15. When I got back to class a bunch of my friends asked me if I was 17 and I was like duh you have to be to give blood. My arm was really tired cause I had to clench my hand a bunch of times so the nurse could feel my vein. She said that you can feel the vein cause it bounces. They had a little tool connected to the tube to fill 4 test tubes up for testing. They have to find what my blood type is and they test for other illness. I will get a blood donor card in the mail. I also got a lunch box and a t-shirt. In the little bag the blood goes in the have a liquid called an anti-coagulant so the blood will not stick together. Then I got to eat some food that the school buys for the students and teachers. My friend Dunamis when he finished was dizzy and kind of wobbally and the nurse told him to sit down and eat some food. I felt a little dizzy when I was in the chair so this boy in the SGA which is the student government association brought me a little can of sprite. The SGA helps with the blood drive. When they found the vein they were going to use the said that it curved, like it was at an angle which apparently common in left handed people. The nurse drew a line on my arm so she would know were the vein is. Once she got the needle in she said that she couldn't find it and I thought she was going to have to take it out again and stick it in again. She just moved it around and got in the vein. My friend Rachel who donated blood before said not to think about it and it would help me not be so nervous so I pulled out my Ipod and was listening to music. The nurse told me not to lift anything heavy and to use my left arm as little arm as possible. I was thinking have you seen my bookbag. Since I am left handed I usually use my left hand and arm more. so its kind of hard to use my right hand. And my bookbag is really really big so it was kind of hard to lift my bookbag up. Anyway I got out of my third block class and half of my fourth block class. Anyway about the rest of my day was boring. We had a early out so we didn't not do much in class. I missed my lunch period so I ate some food at the blood drive and ate when I got home. I think everyone should donate blood, cause that means your helping others which God told us to do.