no problem!

there's so much catching-up-on to do so i guess i'll jump right in.

i gave blood today. it's something that i think adults should do if they can -- my dad did it for years. i wasn't supposed to after i had cancer, but that was 16 years ago and it's okay for me to do it now. i tried it several years ago, when the community put out a call, but i almost passed out when they started taking it and hated the experience.

so i decided to try again at the beginning of the summer. i went and was doing just fine until the end, when they were taking everything off, and my body decided to slip away. 'body, wait -- it's all over' i said, but it kept on closing up shop. so i told them and they had me move my feet and they slapped an ice pack under my neck and lowered the lounger i was in. i finally got some pink in my face again and they let me leave.

i mean, really. how disgusting that i can't even do something that simple. but i finally figured out that i should give blood on a full stomach. no one has ever said that. so much of my blood draws have been 12-hour fast or however long, that i just assumed i shouldn't eat anything first. but no -- i ate eggs and cheese for breakfast, jumped in the shower, got clean, got dressed, and showed up. it was fine! no queasies, no stars, no pale face.

so that's the secret. eat well before you give. and i had made sure i drank a lot of water the last few days so the needle stick didn't even hurt. i wonder why they don't give out that advice as a matter of course?! last time when i said i might get light-headed, the nurse said if i did it was the nurse's fault. this time the guy said it was psychological. but ha! to them both. for me it's biological.

eat hearty!!!