What Type are YOU?

When I was little, our pediatrician was Dr. Margaret Armstrong. She had a thick German accent, a ruddy complexion, very flat-soled shoes, and she always carried her medical bag when she came to the house. Yup. She came to the house. To give us our inoculations. I. hid. under. the. bed.

The dust bunnies weren't such a bad alternative to a shot in the arm. Man. I hated shots.

Mom would bribe me with ice cream. Candy. And anything else she could think of to get me out from under the bed.

But here I am...50 years later. And I donate blood. Regularly. I don't really remember when I had the big transition to pulling up my big-girl-panties and hefting myself up onto the donor table. But I did it. Dr. Armstrong would be proud.

There is such a great feeling when you donate blood. And in the last few years, I've been donating platelets. It takes a bit longer, but it's a painless process and I get to watch a DVD and just lay there for about 90 minutes. It's pretty darned nice. The nurses bring you heated blankets if you get chilled. Pretty niiiiice. And there's often warm chocolate chip cookies waiting for me in the canteen.

I recently joined the Board of Directors for the American Red Cross Blood Services for Northern New England. I'm quite excited! In Maine, we need to collect 300 units of blood EVERY weekday to meet 95% of the need for blood in the 39 hospitals across our state. And those needs are similar across the country. Day in. Day out.

Our son-in-law is alive today---ALIVE---because of the generosity of blood donors. And more and more often, I learn from a friend that they are also alive because of a tranfusion (or 2 or 3 or more) that they've had. Pretty powerful.

Are you a regular blood donor? Could you be? Even if you think you're not eligible because of your travel history, or because you're a cancer survivor, or because you take a certain medication, you might STILL be able to donate blood. A number of regulations have changed in recent years and months. It's important to check. Go to the American Red Cross website and look for information about eligibility. (Go ahead. Now. I'll wait.)

In 2009, I hope that each of you who can possibly donate blood WILL donate blood. You can help to save a life! Find a blood drive near you. Soon. You'll be so glad you did!