One fine day,  an office mail about blood donation camp popped with a ting! This happens twice a year, but I am a first timer recipient. Within few moments of skimming through that mail, a Chubby, happy and smiling dude came up to my cubicle and fiercely said “Come On! Let’s hit the camp and shell out few RBCs (RedBloodCouriers đ ) and some WBCs( WhiteBloodCops đ )”. Trust me, the mail laid out details with all motivation and clarity a newbie needs to become a Blood Hero(donor), no sorts of Biological major required. A transformation far from top-level R&D discussions, the conference room was now filled with lots of recliner cots, soft mattress laid underneath a white blanket ,a puffed up pillow and a side arm to rest. Few unfamiliar people with white overcoats wandering like ants established their identities as Phlebotomist by carrying blood pints instead of cheese. Initially you are gauged on a weighing machine to hit a mark above 45Kg, glad I was eligible. I had breakfast less than 4 hours ago ,it reiterates my eligibility. I was requested to fill a long questionnaire addressing my personal details while I was awaiting my turn. To give an euphemistic gist, it is necessary that your body was exposed to proper hydration(pure drinking water) and void of Smoke Pollution in the past 24 hours. Certain norms that spanned over few months of look back on personal hygiene. A sharp prick on my forefinger, a representative of millions peaked out and she was dropped off immediately in a solution which looked like a vertical section of the pacific ocean, her scuba dive down to the bottom of the beaker asserted that I was not anemic. I walk to the next counter embracing her valor and guts for that dive. Few gulps of water anticipating the void in the near future. A technician comes close and taps on my shoulder, I look back and walk in the direction he points me. He goes to the table at the far end of the room and picks up a pouch with a lot of cables attached to it, like the wires that hang out of an old Pickup’s radio. One end of the cable had a rectangular plastic hanging aloof and waving in air as the technician strides towards me with my Bean Bag (thatâs how I call it).A few barcodes and labels transcribing my personal details were attached to it. I lay silently on the cot with both my arms extended, not knowing which arm the technician would prefer. He signed at me asking arm preference, I hovered my sight sinistrally, contemplating it’s benefits being dextral by nature. Armband of Sphygmomanometer was pressured up against my tiny bicep’s to catch hold of the heroic vein and also to ensure my vitals are sane based on the mercuric freefall observations. The removal of the plastic cap exposed the iron hand in charge of collecting the blood cells, the opening was slant, symmetrical curvature (an invasive attribution). Needle’s walls are few mm apart(usually gauge 17) to prevent damage of blood cells at the visage of iron hand. A cotton dipped in deep yellow solution is grazed against the forearm on the inner side of elbow to kill the bacteria , prospective Villain. After the abrasion you witness an invasion, the translucent cables now become opaque with all the redness that you emanate, slowly the cradling Bean bag gets filled leaving a sense of constant turbulence in your arm. The invasion is lopsided so as to prevent the breech on the opposite wall of the vein. As I was appreciating the tech’s precision, a beep begins and the cradling stops. The technician leaves the other donor whom he was initiating and pulls out the needle delicately, I felt the pore clotting. I turn and look at the chubby dude with a huge smile “). We were pampered with a lots of confectionaries and juices, given ample time to rest we fed our stomachs full and it was then I saw a badge on my technician “I am silent by nature.”, later realized all his signs during the blood donation procedure. Ever since my first blood donation a couple of years back , I voluntarily donate blood every 3 months . A Funny analogy which I use to motivate people around me is “Even Petrol engines need change of Oil every maintenance, think about your Heart :D” and My dramatic friend’s quote “It gives me immense pride and happiness to give away the river of life to othersđđźđ” .
My recent Blood donation was informative and bit of fun , every hospital has huge blood bank facility attending only 3-4 donations weekly which is ridiculously less when compared to the needs. Blood is not synthesized,marking the limitations in Scientific advancements. Blood donation benefits you and the recipient in a very short span. Blood donated has max shelf life of 35-42 days, caters to 3 persons and enables the process of saving the needy. On my way back home by a crowded Volvo bus, I had my phlebotomized hand being ants :D,then I raised my other hand to find balance. I loved this realization đ
“Donate Blood when you are alive, Donate Organs to project afterlife meaningful since both helps the living mankind to be healthy.”
Our Body regenerates Plasma within 48 hours to fill the void, rest of the blood components are regenerated within 8 weeks.
#, Variables & infinites 