Back in the blood donation seat

When I last went to donate blood in March, I had my first vasovagal episode during a donation - and this is after more than 60 donations since I started donating blood at 16. The needle wasn't put in right, it kept blocking and the jiggling around of the needle was the trigger. I felt the fainting coming on and said to the nurse I wasn't feeling great. I must have gone as white as a sheet and in seconds they had a fan in front of me, smelling solution under my nose and I heard someone say, "She's back".

 
Today, I was back in the seat with a like-clockwork donation, filling the bag in less time than it takes to make a cup of tea.

When I relayed the situation of my last donation to today's nurse, she said, "It is the jiggling that does it".

Although the blood donation marketing campaigns say that every donation saves three lives, this only holds true if you are a regular donor; when you donate 3 to 6 times a year. For your own safety and that of the blood recipient, if you do not go back again and again - three times every year, your donation is not used. Donating blood is an awesome thing to do but don't waste your time, their time and resources, and your blood if you do not intend to go back at least another two times in a 12-month period.

 
The donation process is on WCBS and SANBS websites, but not as direct as I'm telling you here. They're all about campaigns and getting new donors in who they hope will come back because of the good experience; I'm all about education and getting well-intentioned, once-a-year / blood drive-only donors to become committed, regular donors so that each donation really will save three lives.