Anybody here ever donate blood at a blood drive before? We have a blood drive at our high school two or three times a year. I turned 16 in November so I ended up donating today. It feels really good to know that you could potentially be saving someone's life.

The procedure basically goes this way, if you don't know. You go down to the representatives and fill out some sheets of info. It's just simple health questions like, "have you ever done drugs not prescribed by your doctor?" questions like that. Before hand you should always drink at least one bottle of water if not more. Orange juice is also pretty good. So I had a rich, grain filled breakfast with orange juice, and drank three bottles of water during the school day before I gave blood. They have tons of juice and sandwiches and water there for you if you haven't. Then they give you a test where they just ask your weight, measure your blood pressure, and then poke you with a needle to get blood from the tip of your finger. Honestly, that's the worst part of the experience, and it feels like a little pinch. Seriously, it doesn't hurt. Then they prop you up on a chair, give you a stress ball, and start pumping your blood. Basically you do the work because even though it flows naturally from the tube, when you squeeze the stress ball it comes out at a better rate. I just squeezed every five seconds or so.

It's a fun experience. I got to miss class and hang out with my friends whilst helping save lives. Then when your done they have you rest and eat a little bit to get your blood going again. People say it makes you feel light headed, or that you'll be tired the rest of the day, but I didn't find that to be true. As long as you stay active, avoid heavy lifting, and exercise your arms a bit during the day you'll be back to normal in about an hour or two.

So, have any of you guys ever donated blood before?

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