Important Things

I remember being an underclassman in high school and seeing the Red Cross van coming and taking blood donations from anyone old enough. I didn't turn eighteen until I was in college so I was not able to donate in high school but I remember seeing that van and promising as soon as I was old enough I would donate. I was able to donate for the first time with parental consent when I was 17 at a church blood drive. I read at the 11:30am mass and my mom met me at church afterwards to sign the consent form. The woman running the drive said I was the youngest donor they'd had since starting the blood drives at church. I donated every single blood drive, with mom's signature, until I turned 18 and left for college.

In college I habitually donated blood. I know as an A+ my blood isn't that rare but I still always try and give whenever I can. I donated whenever the Red Cross came to campus or when I was home and my church did more blood drives. Needles don't bother me and I love that I can help someone just by sitting in a chair for half an hour at most. I proudly rock my oversized I Donated tshirt (or umbrella... or free mini first aid kit... or sticker!). 

I have deep veins so it's not always easy for the phlebotomist to find a good place to start. More than once I've had people look at both arms, pause, then go grab someone who obviously has done it longer or has a trick or two to get me started. 

The only times I haven't donated since I turned 17 were the years following each of my tattoos. Otherwise anytime I see a notice or the Red Cross calls me, I go. 

Yesterday at work I got an email saying they'd be doing a blood drive at the exchange with the Armed Services Blood Program. I didn't have work today and I'd be going to the commissary anyway so I decided to stop by. 

My biggest worry is always passing my iron test to donate. At least on two occasions I was unable to donate because my iron count was too low, once even by one point. Today I was nervous about that but I passed my iron test. Unfortunately I was so nervous about that my heart rate was too high and they made me sit for ten minutes until it lowered. Oops. 

Today was an extra deep vein day for my arms and I sadly had to be stuck in the same arm twice... a first. I've had to switch arms before but never twice in one arm! Oy. 

Regardless I donated and enjoyed my Rice Krispy treat and powerade after. And a free tshirt. 

It's the little things that are sometimes the most important. It may not seem like much but I am proud to be someone who habitually donates blood. I hope to one day donate platelets too. I'm also signed up for the national bone marrow registry. 

Important Facts: (aka why to donate!)

• Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood.
• More than 44,000 blood donations are needed every day.
• A total of 30 million blood components are transfused each year in the U.S. (2006).
• The average red blood cell transfusion is approximately 3 pints.
• The blood type most often requested by hospitals is Type O.
• The blood used in an emergency is already on the shelves before the event occurs.
• Sickle cell disease affects more than 80,000 people in the U.S., 98 percent of whom are African American. Sickle cell patients can require frequent blood transfusions throughout their lives.
• More than 1 million new people are diagnosed with cancer each year. Many of them will need blood, sometimes daily, during their chemotherapy treatment.
• A single car accident victim can require as many as 100 pints of blood.

From http://redcrossblood.org

To find a donation center in your area check the Red Cross website or just keep your ears open. They're everywhere! A small thing to save a life... or three!

15th Annual Polish Fesitval

A few weeks ago in our church bulletin I saw a notice about the 15th Annual Polish Festival at St. Stan's, a Catholic Church maybe an hour or so away. For those of you who don't know me too well, I am very Polish. My Babci (Polish for grandmother) is 100% and is fluent in the language, as are her sisters. We always knew they were talking about something good when we were growing up because they switched to Polish so us grandkids couldn't understand. Every birthday on my mom's side of the family we sing in English and then in Polish (Sto Lat) and all of us know a few phrases at least. My Babci makes the most amazing Polish food that I miss dearly so I knew we had to go to the festival.

Saturday we slept in and made our way down to Castle Hayne NC. The festival went from 11-5 and we arrived around 2:30 or so. It was perfect! Free parking and free admission. There was a ton of Polish food, crafts, beer and music... a live Polka Band! We naturally started off with the food.

Clockwise from the top we have potato pierogies (dough like dumplings with potato inside) with buttered onions, glumpke (meat, rice and spices wrapped in a cabbage leaf with tomato sauce) and kielbasa (a sausage) with sauerkraut and a roll. Ryan and I split the plate and were perfectly content. After we ate we walked around for a bit.

We did miss out on the potato pancakes (by the time we were hungry they sold out) and only managed to get some small cookies from the bake tent. Still delicious. We also browsed the crafts (I got a Coca Cola airplane made from a can to put in my bathroom) and it made me really miss my Babci. The afghans and blankets were like the ones she knits. We skipped out on the silent auction and made our way to the music and dancing.

 Have you ever seen andyone Polka before? My grandparents did it at our wedding (and many times growing up) and let me tell you, there is no such thing as a fat Polka dancer! It is fast and fun and those old people can totally cut a rug! They were spinning around us like it was as easy as walking.

 Obviously in a still picture you can't see the speed, but these people were flying around the floor!

 We joined in for one or two dances. I know some basic steps and Ryan and I basically just hopped around a lot! Luckily I was able to bribe him with Polish beer so he was much more cooperative about dancing than usual.

The band was fantastic too. I heard songs I remember hearing at Babci and Poppy's house on the radio growing up and they even made some modern songs into a polka (see Boot Scootin Boogie and You Are My Sunshine). Naturally I wanted to get a tshirt, and a Christmas ornament, and my husband only rolled his eyes a little at my cornieness.

 Regardless we had an amazing time and definitely plan on going back next year! I also heard Jacksonville does a Polish Day in January that we also may have to check out.

Normally you don't see a lot of chubby cheeked, blonde haired, blue eyed people in one place but you could tell at the Festival that I was among my people! I was a dime a dozen in Castle Hayne!

Sunday we donated blood to try and help with the shortage from the Hurricane. Ryan is O- (and naturally afraid of needles) but we both knew we had to try and help out. We also have made financial contributions to the Red Cross and Americares. Please donate if you are able; whether it be time, money, blood, clothes or prayers all are appreciated in New Jersey and New York and all the areas hit by Sandy.

Post blood donation we made our way to the Olive Garden and had a nice dinner (and did that special deal where we took home dinner for another day, awesome concept) before coming home to watch the Giants lose. Sigh. Can't win them all! Overall we had a wonderful weekend and hopefully many more like them to come!

And if you didn't already, don't forget to vote today. I am off to the polls.... hopefully the lines aren't too long.

My give away is almost done! Have you entered yet?? Another awesome give away will be up later this week!

Don't Pass Out!

Yesterday I went to the mall since they were having a blood drive. I have always donated steadily since I turned seventeen, every church blood drive, all the ones at college except the year after I got my tattoos, so I always go. Eastern North Carolina is critically low at the moment so it is very important to donate if you are able to!

I got to the mall around 2pm or so and I unfortunately was there almost two hours. I had some computer trouble with my maiden name and my married name and then the woman taking my blood kind of messed up. She told me the vein was bruising and not working and asked to try my other arm. Translation: you missed the vein and now it is bruising under the skin... I've donated enough to know that! But I had already been there a long time at this point so I told her to do the other arm. The left arm worked fine but for the first time ever it was painful to donate for me. Normally I feel the needle go in and then that is it, nothing else. This time it hurt the entire time they were drawing the blood... I didn't say anything but I was not a happy camper.

After I collected my tshirt and free cookies I drove home to spend time with Ryan before rehearsal. I had big band aids on both elbows so naturally he made fun of me a bit! I wasn't hungry, I had already chugged a water bottle, but he insisted I eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich before I go. I got to rehearsal and someone actually brought in pizza for all of us! Score. I had a slice and we rehearsed for an hour or so then took a ten minute break.

Like I am known to do I went outside to smoke and then came back in to chat more with the nonsmokers. I had another slice of pizza, some more water, and then we jumped back into the scene. All I have to say is thank God the guy playing my husband had his arm around me. We got maybe ten minutes into the scene and suddenly I felt horribly sick to my stomach. I started sweating and I felt incredibly overheated and then my vision started to go dark. Bless his heart my fake husband felt me sway and prevented me from hitting the floor as rehearsal ground to a halt.

How embarassing!

They got me into a chair and I had more water and tried to breathe. I had a mini Hershey bar in my bag left over from our readthrough Monday so I ate that and slowly started to feel better. I think my blood sugar just dropped like a rock... it was very strange. Like I said, I have donated many many times, but I have never almost passed out like that! I was mortified. At first the director was worried I was ill or something but then I mentioned I donated blood and everyone relaxed. That had to be it. I took it easy the rest of the rehearsal, I sat more than my character is blocked to do but I made it through the night and was able to drive home and go to bed early (after making sure the Gamecocks beat Vanderbilt!).

My husband (the real one) said I must just be getting older. In college I could donate and then run to class then work for a few hours then rehearse without an issue. This time it took me a lot longer to bounce back, even being hydrated and eating. Noted. Next time I will be sure to take it easier!

Motto of the story: Don't donate blood on the day you have rehearsal. Passing out does not leave the best impression!