It’s been eight weeks since the last time we asked you to donate. That means you are eligible to donate again. Right now O Negative blood is in high demand. Please consider finding some time to donate this week, especially if you are O Negative. Donating is pretty quick (about 30 minutes if you make an appointment), very low-risk, and doesn’t really hurt that much. If you’re squeamish around blood don’t worry, you can get through the whole process without looking at it if you want (at least you could where we donated).
The Alabu staff (except for Dean, he was fighting a cold) donated  this past Saturday. If you haven’t donated in a while, or it’s your first time, here are a couple of tips:
- Drink lots of water before you go (not a bad idea to skip the morning coffee, too).
- Try not to donate on an empty stomach.
- Drink lots of water after you donate.
- Eat or drink something sweet after you donate (orange juice, a brownie, etc).
You can go to http://www.redcrossblood.org/ to find out where to donate near you, and you can even schedule an appointment online.
Every day lots of people depend on blood donations to survive. Get to it!
If you’ve donated recently or have anything to add, let us know in the comments section below!
H.M.
Even if you hate needles give donating a try, it’s less painful than getting a shot and gets easier every time.