Sunday, April 10, 2011

back from la-la land

my mind is now clear enough to write about my little ordeal the other day. thursday started off as any other day. i went to work, had a couple of cups of coffee, and aside from feeling quite tired, there was nothing to set this day apart from any other. went to the blood donor clinic in the morning. they asked all the usual questions; no i haven't used intravenous drugs, had sex for money, or handled any monkeys. they pricked my finger, iron levels good, it's a go.

"nice juicy vein" i'm told by one of the staff, as my blood fills the bag. i stare at the white board working on the anagrams they put up to keep us entertained. beep! the machine lets them know they've got their pint. wow, 7 minutes on the button, that's got to be my record. i head over to get my juice and doughnut, and the lady asks how i'm feeling. fine, just fine. then i casually mention that i got a little head rush - just like when you stand up too fast - but no big deal. at least so i thought. she rushes out from behind the counter, tells me to sit down, put my head on the table. i'm saying no no, i'm fine, really, but she's shouting out for ice and before i know it two nurses have wheeled a gurney over and are insisting i lay down as they place cold clothes on my neck and forehead. of course everyone in the clinic is watching as the nurses wheel me into the corner and feed me my juicebox. so embarrassing.

back at work, i notice i'm feeling not quite with it. it seems hard to focus my thoughts, i feel somewhat distant, and when i type an email it is riddled with typos (pretty much every word gives me trouble). i tell myself that if i don't feel any better by lunchtime, i'll head home. but i have my lunch and feel fine. about 2 hours later, i suddenly feel dizzy again. and then a bit queasy. and then instantly nauseous. i run to the bathroom and throw up. the rest of the afternoon is a bit of a blur. i remember sitting in my supervisor's office as people brought me water and called the health line. it was like i was watching it all from afar. i could hear myself talking but wasn't quite in control. "i feel like i'm drunk.... only without the fun" i hear myself say. everything is somewhat dreamlike. i wouldn't have been surprised to see psychedelic colours spiralling about or cartoon birdies singing to me. i throw up a bunch more. a friend drives me home and i spend most of the night laying vapidly on the couch.

the next morning, after a long night's sleep, i feel ok and go to work. but after lunch, that same dopiness has taken hold and i can't concentrate. it's a freaky feeling, this disconnected, trippy, waking dream state i'm in. i feel i only have a tenuous hold on reality, i am more asleep than awake, and i am quickly slipping further away. i go home, crawl into bed, and fall into a deep, deep sleep. four hours go by and i'm only awoken by the phone ringing. with difficulty i pull myself into consciousness and force myself out of bed.

i had another early night and now i am feeling myself again. i don't think the blood giving was the cause though, it was probably just a bad combination of several factors. clearly exhaustion being one of them. thinking back to the events of those two days, it seems surreal. who needs drugs? just lose a bit of sleep and a bit of blood and off you go to la-la land. side effects may include disorientation, talking nonsense, and vomiting.

 it really wasn't fun, despite what my dorky photo implies, and i don't recommend it

6 comments:

brent said...

Hi Amanda, hilarious post...i hope you're feeling better, seriously...i might be concerned that you have some tropical disease...are your immunizations up to date? Good for you for donating blood, very altruistic...but if you're interested in really having some fun the next time you donate, here's what we used to do in university (because we were starving students, not just experimental thrill-seekers!!) The morning you are going to donate, don't eat breakfast!!! Blah Blah Blah--most important meal of the day blah blah blah....besides, the added benefit of having nothing in your stomach to throw up is a good incentive, right? Just get hopped up on a few quad-long, cinnamon dolce, americano mistos...that'll give you the energy you need to fly through the day. Skip lunch. Or go eat some random jelly candies from 7-11 like coke bottles, gummy worms, or sour patch kids...these are sugar, and will break down easily in your stomach (no solids here, remember?). OK...in the late-afternoon, go donate and get your donut and juice. Keep it for the next day...and don't be afraid to ask for extras, your a starving student right? Free food anyone? Now, remember that king can of molson ice or labatt XXX you and your fellow blood donating good samaritans each brought with you? What's that you say? You had the foresight to bury it in the snowbank outside to get it nice and cold? What an awesome idea! Now go retrieve it before that streetperson who saw you put it there finds it!!! Added points awarded for strategically placing it in a snowbank that can easily be observable from atop your perch in the donating chair....now go shot-gun that tall can like the college kid you are/wanna be, and run (don't drive silly) to your previously arranged reservation at the squash court of the recreation centre...that will really get your heart pumping an speed up your, um, metabolism....one more thing, if you really want to combine this fun with a hollywood-esque weight loss routine, you can really drop some weight by suiting up in a garbage bag (just cut holes for arms and head)throw on a sweatsuit (or two) and see who can make it to 21 points in the squash game before the spiraling psychadelic colours show up along with the cartoon birdies singing to you!!!
;)

Sultan said...

Ugh. I wonder if you are anemic?

Seeking Serenity said...

wow, sounds like when I have a migraine...no pain, just spaced out and rarely barf suddenly.

Logical Libby said...

I used to have a friend who would give blood and then go to the bar. He called it "cheap drunk night."

I used to have really dumb friends.

Feel better.

Chelle said...

Yikes!! I've never given blood. I was either always pregnant or anemic.

IWASNTBLOGGEDYESTERDAY said...

Trippy!

the nurses were trippy too,lol, they must miss "real" nursing lol

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