Donating blood

This blog entry is one that I have wanted to do for a long time but I just have never had the time or energy to really sit down and think of what I really want to say. I know this topic is going to be one that not a lot of you think about or really even care about. But it is something that weighs heavy on my heart.

You could have asked me 8 years and 5 months ago about giving blood and my response would have been something like, "I don't give blood, I don't know why...I'm not scared of needles, I just have never done it." Well that all changed 8 years and 2 months ago.

On June 13, 2001 Kaylee was born two weeks early but was a very healthy 8 pounds and 3 ounces, like most new moms, I was on top of the world and held her for the longest time until the nursery worker came and took her to be bathed, weighed and all of that stuff. My nurse and Dr. kept checking my blood pressure and shaking their heads. After finally asking what was going on and why I had not been moved on down to recovery and then passing out with Kris catching me around the neck thinking that I had just died and all kinds of codes being shouted {which I don't remember that part but Kris later told me all about} the Dr. told us that I had hemorrhaged and lost A LOT of blood. My blood pressure would not stabilize and the Dr's thought I might start to seize at any time. That night they gave me some kind of oral medication and just kept me comfortable for the night. The next morning I woke up to my Dr.'s voice telling me that we needed to talk. She described to me what had happened and what hemorrhaging meant and what was going to happen next. They monitored my BP the rest of the day and continue to check blood levels. That was fine with me as long as I could hold my new baby since I had not hardly got to hold her at all the night prior because I was so weak and all of the medication. That day as Kris, my mom and myself sat in that hospital room you could see my heart beating so fast and hard through my gown it was almost unreal. I had never seen anything like it before. I knew something was terribly wrong when my mom had a terrified look on her face. A couple of hours later my Dr. came back in and said, " Holli you need a blood transfusion." I said, "Ok, tell me about that. Can we test my mom or Kris to see if they are a match?" I knew nothing about what she was talking about, I was 21 years old and was clueless! The Dr. looked me dead in the eye, held my hand and said, "We DO NOT have time! Your blood will need to come from the bank." The bank, I thought...that is where I work and we have no blood there!! "The blood bank", the Dr. said. Of course I went into freak out mode { you know how I am about germs} and to think SOME ONE'S blood was going into my body!!!??!!! "What, when, how, are you sure we HAVE to do this", I asked her again. "Very sure, if we don't then your heart will not be able to pump as many times as it would need to, to keep blood flowing through your body properly, in turn, a heart attack." OK...enough said! She went on to say, "The nurse will be here in a moment to retype your blood and then we will get started." With a big hug and a huge smile my sweet Dr. left the room. I begin to cry uncontrollably and thought why in the world is this happening to me, I don't want to get a blood transfusion, I don't want some one's blood in my body, I just want to hold my baby and go home in one more day. Thankfully I was not in control, God was. Just as promised the transfusion was started and I slept while I took the blood, not so bad, didn't hurt thank goodness. After the first bag was finished that was not enough. I ended up having three transfusions. After five days in the hospital, blood pressure medicine and a beautiful baby girl I finally got to go home! Which brings me where I am today and the reason for this post. I can not tell you how grateful I am that somebody or somebodies gave their blood to me. I don't know who it was but it was an unselfish, caring and a heart of gold person that knew they would save someones life one day. That life was mine on June 14, 2001. If there had not been enough blood in the "bank" for me what would have happened??? I really don't want to know the answer to that, I just thank God there was. I can never donate blood now because I am a recipient but I encourage every one of you to just at least think about it. Think about what if you had a car wreck and was seriously injured and needed blood. There are so many things that can happen that may require you, your parent, your child or a complete stranger to have blood transfusion. You never know......

.....you just might save someone's life one day!