a few weeks ago i tried to donate blood for the first time. i know, it's pretty weak that i have never done this before. i just don't like needles. i know the pain is brief and basically like a strong pinch, but something about the anticipation, knowing that you are going to feel this momentary pain, brings out the coward in me.i went to the blood drive and was all ready to go. i filled out their questionaire and had some blood taken so they could check some basic things. i discovered that my iron levels are good, which was nice to hear since i don't eat meat. also my blood pressure is normal, which was also nice to hear. what was not nice to hear? i wouldn't be able to donate blood that day because i went to the dominican republic in june. the d.r. is apparently a high malaria risk country and i would have to wait until july of next year before i could donate. so that kind of sucked, but it did get me out of the office and i also received some positive health information...well expcept that i could possibly have malaria.
anyways, i left without a free t-shirt or cookie and just assumed i would be back next year. yesterday i got a voicemail from someone at the american red cross telling me that they were sorry i was unable to donate, but that they are doing a study and need participants who have recently visited a high-malaria risk country. that and they also pay. part of me thinks this is karma for attempting to do something good and as a result i'm about to get my cheddah on. how much will they compensate me for my participation? i'm thinking somewhere in the thousands of dollars is realistic. hopefully they just don't take too much of my blood and hopefully this is not some new vampire scam.
