I'm O+

I'm positive, I'm O+

I missed writing a blog post as much as I missed drinking a cup of coffee while doing this. It's been a week or so after that attempt of mine to donate blood. Donating blood here is like every elsewhere (legitimate, of course), you need to pass different screening steps before you're given the clearance to donate blood. I passed the first three-fourths of this process only to find out that I can't donate, at least that time.


Reminiscing, I was busy that time preparing the medications that I needed to give to the patients that I handle. On the way to make the usual requisition before getting the RIGHT drug at the pharmacy, my attention was caught by a certain doctor, "doktora" to be exact. She asked me if I can donate blood for one of the patients who needed several packs of platelet concentrate. It was then that I realized that she is actually referring to one of the patients that I handle whose platelet levels are much lower than the normal range.


At one moment, I thought she was just kidding. I mean, how can you ask for a person to donate blood without asking his/ her blood type first? It's like borrowing a gun without even  exerting an effort to know if it has bullets. Good thing that this question bubble that I've had in my mind was popped by the coincidence that the patient (they should actually be referred to as "clients" according to one of my past mentors) was actually blood type O and Rh-positive too (Rhesus factor). There's one big problem though, I'm not really sure about my blood type since my first and last time to be tested was like 2 years before that time. Remembering that it was only done by an MT student made it even harder for me to decide. 


I don't want to add any additional burden, financial to be exact, to the patient. I know that if I consent to be screened, the patient will have to pay for the procedures to be done to me and the blood itself that I will donate, like what's usually happening here in cases when certain blood components aren't available in nearby blood banks. The outcome, which is the possibility that I can help save the life of the patient, outweighed the aformentioned burden though. With 3 of my colleauges going with me through the process, I said "yes." Then, blood sample for CBC (Complete Blood Count) and blood typing was collected, vital signs were assessed and many questions were asked. Blood type, compatible! Rh type, compatible! Things are going satisfactorily, until... 

My CBC results were above the minimum requirement. My vital signs we're all in the normal range and my answers to the screening questions were desired but I failed in the doctor's clearance. She didn't believe that my normal blood pressure was 120-130/80 mmHg so she rechecked it and by the second time she got a higher reading. I can easily say that the perpetrator behind it are my nerves getting the best of me because of two things. One, it's my first time to donate blood and second, my health status was questioned. I'm a nurse so I should be healthy, I shouldn't be afraid of long needles and I can't afford to have a high blood pressure. I'm psyched and it's the reason why she wasn't convinced that I'm qualified for a blood extraction for that moment. It ended the supposedly "first time." Wearing the mask of being happy that all of my blood's still in my body, I am not glad and it just made me anxious.


Together with other nurses-on-duty, I laughed at myself. "Naturingang nurse ka, takot kang magdonate ng dugo," I repeatedly told myself. At one point, I became a bit paranoid about my health status and started thinking that I should change my lifestyle. I need to embrace the reality that I don't have the ideal body weight now and like what doktora echoed, I should exercise and modify my diet. That time, I got a dose of my own medicine and I cooked with my own oils.


To wrap out this post, I am contented that at least I've confirmed that I'm O+ and that I don't have any problem with my CBC. My other 3 colleagues who qualified were not paid for their heroic act and at least one of them wasn't able to taste the pizza given and hear the "thank you" they said. I know it matters for a person who became less or unenergetic after blood extraction but perhaps the feeling of helping others without asking for anything in return is way better.

NOTES:

How much caffeine is in one cup of coffee?

A cup of coffee usually contains of 135-150mg of caffeine in average. Caffeine is known to increase blood pressure.

What's the right drug for the patient?

Right drug is one of the Rights of Drug Administration.

How important is a platelet count?

Platelet (count)- A.K.A. thrombocytes, this blood element is vital in coagulation (clot formation), prevention of excessive hemorrhage. The normal range is 140-400 x 10^9/L.

Are we compatible?

Blood typing (compatibility)- Donor and recepient blood typing prevents fatal incompatibility reactions. The different blood types are A (compatible with A and O donors), B (may have B and O donors), AB (A, B, AB, and O donors), and O (O donors only).

Rh negative or positive?

Rh (Rhesus Factor)- It is a system used to classify blood by correlating it  to the presence or absence of Rh antigen on RBCs' surfaces. The known classifications are Rh-positive, Rh-negative and Rh(Du)-positive.

For non-Filipinos, this means "You're a nuse but you're afraid to donate blood."