The Ferrous Let-down!

Yesterday, I was very excited. Today I said, I was finally going to do my bit for society and give blood.

I had been told I could give blood here, since the blood bank in the hospitals here are always short on blood because not enough people are willing to or able to donate. So I made a decision, I was going to give blood before I leave Salone… on the conditions that someone give blood with me and they also test for my blood group…

-----------------------2008 – Trying to give blood…

Blood letting has been something that I had been extremely anxious about, since my second year in UCL, where some friends an I went excitedly to a mobile NHS blood drive. My friend Funke sat down and the nurse began to poke around for her vein. All of a sudden, the nurse poked at one of her rhythmically fast pumping veins and blood spurted on poor Funke’s jeans and to our horror, on the nurse’s face.

Now, I’m not squeamish or scared of needles, but you can see why all four friends backed away through the exit, handing back the half-filled forms in quick succession. Since that day, I was a little – shall we say – mistrustful of unknown docs and nurses who wanted to stick a needle in my arm.  

--------------------------------------------2010 – Trying to give blood…

So when I got this placement in Sierra Leone, I had to receive about 9 prophylactic injections which should keep me healthy in Salone (So far so good. I’m still well!). One thing that was missing however was my blood group. I didn’t know what it was, so I was advised by Interhealth to give blood. Good idea, I thought, then I conjured up the image of blood flying at the nurses face and I thought, ‘erm… maybe not!’ But I swallowed my insecurities and completed the red and white form. I held on to it and decided to give blood before I travelled…

But then I got the flu and had to wait a month. Then after that month, I excitedly filled in the form again and decided to definitely do it this time…. But then I got ill… again… And since it was 6 days before I was travelling to Salone, I knew I would not be able to give blood in the UK again for another year after I returned. Slightly upset and put out without my blood group, I travelled to Salone.

-----------------------------------------------------------------2011- Trying to give blood….

So this week, my friend Fred nicely agreed to come with me and since he gives blood at the Ola During Children’s Hospital regularly anyway, I felt reasonably safe. We arrived at the blood services department and after a slightly painful prick of my finger, it was dabbed on a dish with 3 circular grooves with A, B, O inscribed on it. My finger was then squeezed, ejecting some of my blood into a clear object, which was then placed into a Hb count checking machine (obviously there is a more accurate and scientific name for this!). After a few minutes, I was told my blood group was A+, but sadly, ‘the lower limit for a woman is 12.3, you are 10.7, so sorry you can’t give blood today!’ 

So, turns out I am slightly too anaemic to give blood. Another let-down! At least I know my blood group now!

No one can say that I haven’t tried!