This is a "bump" up because there's only seven days left in the poll. (in the right-hand column)
An article today in the local news feed in the right-hand column is about the Coffee Memorial Blood center and how it has helped over half a million people since it opened in 1948.
I used to "give" blood quite often; when I was in college, we used to sell it for ten bucks a pint. (and that always embarrassed my momma to no end for some reason, guess it was something she thought only winos did. We didn't spend the money on wine but instead spent it on gasoline, admission to Palo Duro Canyon, movies, beer and pot. Young and dumb, what can I say?
We used to race each other to see who could finish first.
I remember one guy in our unit, Floyd from Dalhart. He found out we were going to give blood one day and wanted to come along and make ten dollars, too. The first-time donors have to fill out a questionnaire which asked what sort of diseases one might have had such as syphillis, gonorrhea... the usual STDs, along with TB and any other communicable diseases.
Floyd sat there filling out the form, scratching his head, when all of a sudden he put down his pencil and said "I'll just wait on you guys out in the car." I asked him what was wrong and he told me:
"Hell, I've had ALL of them things!"
They did away with paying for blood (although I think there's still a program that pays for serum) but I still gave. Instead of money, they gave you "insurance" for you and your immediate family in case you ever needed blood. (and I'm not sure if that particular program is still in place) The last time I donated was when I went back to school and it affected me as it never had before and I got very sick and nearly passed out.
I'm not sure they'd want my diabetic blood now, but if they would, I'd be willing to donate. I would have to pass on the OJ they hand out afterwards, though. It'd probably send me into a coma.
On the other hand, back in college, when we'd replace that pint of blood with a couple pints of beer, it'd almost put me into a coma then, too.
Last summer I wrote about and published some photos of the Coffee Center's Blood Bus.
You can read about the various blood types at Wiki.
This got me to thinking this might be a good topic for a new poll. Please, if you would, vote over in the right-hand column and tell us what is your blood type. I've already voted; I'm AB+, a fairly rare blood type.
I started to add "Alien" to the options, but I'm sure my ex-girlfriend doesn't visit this blog.
3 comments:
I've been an off again on again blood donor since college days too. Type O- here. I always try to give a few pints a year, health allowing.
I can't ever remember there being places that would pay for blood around here, although there certainly might have been in the bigger cities like Boston.
The local Red Cross chapters run all the blood drives in New England. They are always held at local churches, school, Elks or Moose halls, lol.
Last time I gave I got a free redsoxs t-shirt, how cool is that?
I've given blood a few times (never sold it), but I absolutely hate needles with a passion. (Strange for a nurse?) I admire people who do give blood on a regular basis. I'm B+ and that's usually in demand. The last time I tried to give blood, they said I was anemic. I'm not sure what caused that to happen, but anyway I haven't given blood in a long time. My older son and both his daughters are also B+ so I have my own built in blood bank. Dad told me once that he and Mother were both O+. I told him that one of them had some explaining to do then since I was B+. I think we found out later that Dad was the one who was B+ and Mother was O+. (I've seen soap operas with that plot!)Interesting thread, Mike.
Yep, I remember Dad saying that, and that's when I thought I was adopted.
I used to think that, if someone got a pint of my college-era blood, they'd probably wake up from their surgery with a bad case of munchies and wanting to listen to the Moody Blues.
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