fenchurch | Robert Heinlein's Birthday

I actually planned ahead this year and went out to the Puget Sound Blood Center website last week and scheduled an appointment to give blood today... Blood donation was a bit of a pet cause for Heinlein, and it's something I try to do every year on his birthday when I can.

As it is, it's been at least a year since I last went in... I had some problems with dehydration that made it difficult the last time, and I decided I would wait until I knew I was healthy enough to donate blood safely before I went back. Heinlein's birthday happened to come at a great time to start up again. Now I can look forward to phone calls and emails, right around the 50 day mark, reminding me that I'll be eligible to donate in a week and would I like to make an appointment? I've got O-Positive blood, which can be shared around a bit with other types, but even more than that, I'm CMV-negative... I found this out a few years ago after a rather disturbing chat with one of the lab-techs at the donation center, in which he described my blood (in all seriousness) as "highly desirable." Basically, it means my blood is well-suited for infants and for people with compromised immune systems, and the blood bank is always desperate for more.

Apparently, waiting was the right choice. I'm healthier now than I've been in a very long time, and for the first time ever, I didn't get light-headed and dizzy... I didn't have to sit there for nearly an hour until my head cleared enough for me to drive, I didn't call

rackham to tell him I'd locked my keys in the car when they were actually in my pants pocket, and I didn't nearly pass out (while thinking that it was perfectly normal to feel that way because, after all, I'd just had surgery and was sitting in my hospital room... I kid you not, the brain can sure get loopy when it doesn't get enough oxygen). I felt great, had some tomato juice and a cookie (they're provided by a local bakery and are healthier than the crackers they had on hand), waited fifteen minutes just to be sure and then headed home.

And I'll tell you, the worst part about donating blood? It's the stupid pinprick they do to your finger at the very beginning to test your hematocrit level. Fingerpricking aside, blood donation is a highly fulfilling endeavor, and you can get that wonderful sense of accomplishment and societal contribution by simply sitting there.

So, happy Heinlein's birthday... and consider giving blood, if you don't already. It's a great way to build up good karma!