Small Accomplishments

[ladysprite]

I didn't do much this weekend. Mostly, I spent it lying on my back recovering from the various slings and arrows of outrageous job-related exertion. Admittedly, I was lucky enough to spend said down-time with friends, entertaining movies, and a good book, but it wasn't the Wacky Exciting Fun Weekend that I had wished for.

On the other hand, there was one thing I did manage to accomplish - I donated blood on Saturday.

This may not sound like a big deal from the outside, but for me it's a heck of an accomplishment. For the longest time, I've been turned away every time I try to donate, because my red blood cell count has been chronically low. And the few times that I've managed to bleed for the Red Cross, I've found up sick and swoony afterwards, and debilitated to the point of illness for at least 24 hours. But this time I planned and timed it right, and took my multivitamins, and ate my iron-rich food, and it worked. I met all the requirements, I bled like a pro, and, much to my amazement, I bounced back afterwards with only a few minutes of dizzy-wobbliness afterwards.

Maybe, if the universe is smiling on me, this is a sign that my overall health is improving, and that I'll continue to be this lucky.

Meanwhile, in the interests of being as nice to myself as I promised I'd be, I have chosen to celebrate National Cheap Chocolate day today and binge-shopped for Reeses Eggs, Cadbury Creme Eggs, and a wide variety of chocolate-covered fluff from Russel Stover. Knowing my tendency to nibble as slowly as humanly possible, this stash will last until Halloween, but I feel better for having a pile of foil-wrapped candy in my living room. As soon as my spine stops trying to rebel, the world will be pretty darn marvelous....

Comments

[hermitgeecko.livejournal.com]

I have never managed to bleed for the Red Cross, so I am impressed and proud of you.

[johnprester.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah. I used to bleed for the Red Cross every eight weeks, religiously, but then I started on a medication that lowered blood pressure and I thought I wasn't allowed. Recently I found out that it isn't one of the proscribed ones, and I started going to bleed again. And let me tell you, when you're the type of person who thinks like "I can, so how could I not?" it's a wonderful feeling (the needle sticks and so on aren't fun, but who cares?).

And the few times I've gotten dizzy and lightheaded afterward, those were fun too. "It's like a ride," as Buffy Summers said about the flu.

[unclebooboo.livejournal.com]

I got deferred for low hematocrit (36%) last fall. This prompted six months of blood tests, iron supplements (didn't do the trick), etc. After consulting with a hematologist and eliminating all of the possibly serious causes my doctor finally gave up and said, "there's nothing seriously wrong with you."

[ladysprite.livejournal.com]

*nod* That's usually where I fall - it seems that normal for me just tends to be slightly below what the Red Cross is willing to accept. Hopefully, though, I'll stay at the level I'm at now, and can avoid the deferrment dance in the future....

[arachne8x.livejournal.com]

I had a good time even though neither of us was feeling all that hot. I practice our dances in the elevator :)

[flowing-dancer.livejournal.com]

Yay for improving health!

[jducoeur]

Congrats, and thank you for the reminder: I really need to find a good opportunity to donate myself...