Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Bloody Koyaked

While breakfast yesterday turned out well, it wasn't really breakfast after all. It became brunch instead.

Because we had to run down to the National Blood Centre, we decided to leave for lunch late instead of heading out during normal lunch hours. And being the natural procrastinator that we are, when we started our way we had scarcely enough time for a sit-down lunch before needing to be at the NBC.

So we decided to drop by Just Heavenly's lovely little shop to pick up something to munch instead because it was on the way. We could make use of the cafeteria area at the NBC to eat, see. We had an inkling for their butterscotch but that gave way to other treats. Instead we found these:

This was lunch.

Just Heavenly's Chocolate Durian (with an almond on top)!

So tea at the NBC turned out to be Just Heavenly's Triple Espresso Brownie With Walnuts along with sardine sandwichs and Milo courtesy of the NBC. Why so generous of the NBC? Because while we be at the NBC we took the opportunity to donate blood too. And after donating blood donors are supposed to eat and drink something.

It's in our generous selves (hah blow our own horn pulak, we're actually quite the skinflint) to donate since we're an universal donor. But honestly we have no motive for donating really. It's not because we feel it's a noble cause. It's not because we know anyone who suffering from thalassaemia or haemophilia or is anaemic. It's not because we had a blood infusion before and wanted to repay the favour. It's not because we're setting ourselves up for some good karma or for free government treatment.

But just because we can. And there's always the need for donated blood, because you never know who will need it. And just because we happen to be there. :D

Nurse told us to squeeze and pump on the tube.

While blood donation drives have been going on everywhere, we have a certain approach to these things. When it's held in public places like in shopping malls and the likes, we won't approach to donate because it's so frickin' out in the open that people can see what you're up to. And when we were younger we worried about sterility and contamination (we didn't know that the bags and such all came in sealed bags mah then) not to mention being in view of the public eye.

The only time we knew there was a blood donation drive in Taylor's during our college years, so happen we haven't eaten anything and weren't allowed to donate.

The time 1U had a blood donation drive going on sometime last year and we were finally brave enough to donate (probably because it was hidden in the old wing where Marks and Sparks were), we so happen to have popped an antihistamine the night before and weren't allowed to donate.

Only when we were in uni did we start donating blood when the blood drive came around. It did get good response as there were many students who donated. Only during one particular time did the donation drive seemed like a farce, because it was during the IMU Cup and there was points awarded for blood donating. All for the wrong reasons we feel, although it did benefit the blood drive because loads did donate.

The needle's a size 16G. With a filter to filter out WBC! A LA was given prior to jabbing our arm with that!

Anyways, if there's one thing we ought to learn about donating blood - it's that we should either do it earlier in the day or else not on a day when we're due for gym. It was bad enough for us to need to skip out of class between some tracks during BodyJam already, and we could only survive 3 tracks in BodyCombat, we were that koyaked.

Have to make up for Combat today...hopefully we've recovered!

-Requiescat in Pace-

First, Pavarotti. Then on Sunday, Colin McRae and Robert Jordan. And there's that airplane crash in Thailand.

17 comments:

Jason said...

Omigawd, Durian Chocolate!
Omigawd, you donate blood during office hour?

Aaron said...

Eh I donate platelet every 2 weeks woh! I still Okay!!! and plus plus platelet donation using 18G needle...(so is that bigger or smaller? haha)
plus plus FYI it isn't actually a LA that they jab on your arm...they 'called' it a LA. it actually expand your veins so that easier for them to see it...in the even people's vein cannot find/see larr

J.L said...

so big needle!! Faint already. Donate before during my NS.

FeR said...

18G smaller la! the bigger the number, the smaller the needle.

anyway, when we had a blood drive in klia, i wanted to try...so i went to kepoh. i saw the needle - cheh! so little only ah..can lah!!! but then i saw the 16G needle - i nearly fainted. geli la! even when looking at your picture!!! *shudders*

turned out the smaller needle was for injecting the LA - d'oh! *haha*

hrugaar said...

Didn't they warn you not to do stuff like gym too soon afterward? Our guys tell you that.

And hey, if you need some practice with squeezing and pumping ... ;oP

Ganymede said...

OMG are you trying to kill readers with that needle pic!

OMG you didn't get me durian chocolate!

OMG!!!

Aaron said...

it isn't LA lah
next time they jab it watch how big your veins expand...
they call it LA to comfort you!

Magus Young said...

Donate blood and holding that package of warm blood in my arms was the closing thing to a baby that'll I ever hold. The nurse told me. heheh, theres a thing i have for being jabbedb and watching my warm bllood pump and feeling that bag...just gives me a warm tingle heheh :P. BTW isnt there a small print that if ura high risk group you cant donate blood? *winks*

Henry Yeo said...

go study cadavers

3-Seconder said...

Turned stone cold when I saw the needle pic!! *shrieks* Sorry lar, I'm one with needle-phobia. 16G sounds BIG!!! haven't seen one actually, but i have seen 27G and my knees are already feeling weak. SALUTE!!!

Medie007 said...

i had my first blood donation just about 2 weeks ago too... hohoho... haven't really posted anything on the hot encounter there yet tho...

adrien said...

it's so weird how your blog entries are always the things we talked about on msn. i remember u saying u gotta hit the clinic for it.

apparently my brother has needle phobia. if he sees tht picture he'll unconsciously, fall unconscious. he doesn't feel scared or anything. he just..faints. hehe

savante said...

Pooh. That vein is big enough for a 14G!

Janvier said...

Jason: We had stuff to do at the NBC mah. And you always get treats from Nigel. :P

Aaron: Hello - erthrocyte circulation is 120 days, while platelets life expectancy is what, 5-9 days?

And yes say educate people but really just scaring them lah telling them it's not LA...

Chester: Donated before so why surprised at the needle?

Fer: You never noticed the blood drive back in uni? Although don't remember if it was a 16G needle they used back then...

Hrugaar: Oh yes, there're signs everywhere stating that we should avoid heavy exercise. We chose not to bother. Ru wants to help get our blood pumping, aye? :D

QR: No, not kill. Maybe just pengsan. Get Jason to help you get treats!

Magus Young: The blood bag was kept on a machine, so we left it as it is. We so happen not to belong in the fine print group mah. :D

Henry: Why?

3-Seconder: Thanks. We've been jabbed by needles all our life mah, what's another one? 27G quite the small already leh...

Ah-Bong: Hot encounter?

Adrien: So happens that we may blog about what we talked about mah. :D So your bro pengsan, easier to jab needles into him right?

Savante: You mean in general, right? We don't recall showing you our arms and vein's not visible in that pic!

hrugaar said...

Oh yes, pumping in all the right places. ;oP

Janvier said...

Hrugaar: Feeling all flushed with a rush of blood to the head... :S

hrugaar said...

Hee. I was thinking of blood rushing to the other head. ;oP (Bad bad Ru!)