New Things Week 3

So this is week 3 of my new things to do each week as part of my new years resolutions. To read the previous to click here for week 2 and here for week 1.
This week started on Saturday the 21st as I started all my previous weeks on a Saturday. So technically I kind of skipped the week from the 1st to the 7th. But I will do all 52 weeks. This week I was having difficulty in coming up with something to do and then on Monday I got a text about a blood drive that was happening in the College on Tuesday. I had never given blood before and it was the perfect opportunity to do something to help someone else and do something new this week :) I did attempt to give blood once before last year, but I don't like needles so I freaked myself out while I was queueing and left. I never really forgot about that day and since then I have always kept my open for blood drives in my area since, but always missed them somehow. I went out to the clinic which was in the sports hall in GMIT with a few friends who were also donating. Them being there and us chatting together while we waited really kept my nerves down and I actually forgot about the needle until I was lying on the table and saw it.  The people from the Irish Blood Transfusion Service were lovely people and took great care of me and everyone else on the day.

The queue was a 2 hour wait, but that didn't matter because each person in front of you was also donating blood which could be used to save someone's life. There is a possibility that after they take your blood you will experience dizziness so they ask you to sit down and wait in the clinic for 10 minutes and give you some food and a drink. Not everyone experiences this though. There are a lot of factors to consider when they are taking blood from a person so you have to fill out a form with a lost of personal questions about you which will allow you to donate or not. There are very few risks to the donor after you get passed the screening process so it is all perfectly safe and painless. If you have a fear of needles, just don't look at it and you wont even notice it and you will be done in 15 minutes or less. I strongly urge anyone who reads this to donate blood if they are eligible as you will be saving a life and they need people to donate blood everyday. Visit The Irish Blood Transfusion Service website and take the quiz to find out if you are eligible to donate or not and a lot of other information you may not know. It also has a calendar to show where donation clinics will be during the year. 

Thank you to everyone who reads this and please if you can do donate and save a life :)

Stardansheill o7