Blood

Warning: Don't let this cute picture fool you about the long, almost gory story you're about read. They have nothing to do with each other.

I hope you enjoy embarrassing stories. I actually prefer to put mine out in the public than keep it secret because knowing my luck it'll all come out eventually. However, I need to start this story with a flashback of when I was 15. I was tired all the time (thank you early morning seminary) and my doctor thought I had mono. It was my first time getting a blood test. Did I mention they only needed one drop of blood? So a finger prick it was. I had never had this kind of experience before and so this is what happened:

Nurse: "You don't look good. Are you going to pass out or throw up?"

Me: "I don't know. Both????"

Nurse: Rolls one of those huge cafeteria trashcans over to me to throw up into.

Me: pass out into trashcan.

And that's the end of that story.

So fast forward to the present. I have had two pregnancies. And a bunch of y'all probably remember all of the horror stories with my second one about all of my blood problems with possible infertility blah de blah de blah.... to sum it up I had blood work done on a weekly basis it seemed like. I am over the needle/blood thing. We all grow up eventually right?

So our stake was having blood drive at the stake center. Sweet! Time to prove myself. Besides I'm O-, people need me!!!! I knew it would be best to ask someone to go with me. Ben came along just in case I had a trashcan experience again (just to take pictures... just kidding....). So we're waiting in line and I'm called to be next. I'm doing well so far. They have me sit in a seat, take forever to find a vein (because that's how I roll) and finally SUCCESS! I am giving blood. I'm seriously smiling to myself because I am soooo incredibly awesome and saving lives at the same time. Just give me my superhero cape as I walk out the door. Then they say, "awesome! You're done! Go get something to eat and sit down for 10ish minutes." Sweet. Free cookies, too.

So I get to Ben (because he gave his blood in like 2.5 seconds and was waiting) and I'm heading over to get my cookies when I got a little lightheaded. Nothing new, I'm like that all the time. Then I realized I needed to sit down. The next thing I know my head's between my knees and two nurses are pulling me up and taking me back to a chair to lie down. So I waited 20 more minutes. Finally felt good again. They let me go. Same thing happened again! So back to the chair I go (dang it why can I never make it to the cookies?!?!?!) 20 minutes later I feel normal again. At this point I tell Ben that no matter what happens I absolutely HAVE to go to the bathroom because I had been drinking all day long to be an awesome blood donor. So we walk slowly to the bathroom and I'm doing great. Hope this doesn't make y'all too uncomfortable but you guessed it. I'm doing my thing and start losing my sight and hearing. So I finished really quick and managed to make it out of the stall and land on the floor. "BEN! BEN!! BBBBEEEEENNN!!!!" After about 2 minutes he finally came to the rescue because he was in the men's restroom and couldn't hear me. But he came just in time to pick me up off the bathroom floor and out into the hallway where he could get help. Which is where everyone in the world (aka 5ish people) saw me passing out on the floor (with my shirt still not tucked in.... umm.... gag). They wheeled me back in to a special chair this time and had fans on me which was pure torture. They even took Ben aside and told him that if I didn't get better quickly they'd have to call an ambulance. Of course I do everything with a flair of drama. Anyway, I was eventually able to get to the car because at that point almost everyone was gone (oh did I mention we were there for 5 hours???) Anyway I ended up having to be in bed for the rest of the day... But at least I can say that I've done it and I did great until it came time to walk away. Sorry, Red Cross. I don't think I'll be visiting you again for another decade or so. I'll just make myself feel better in knowing that my dad gives enough to count for our entire family. Way to take one for the team, Daddy!

P.S. I never got my cape. That's OK, though. I wouldn't have had room for it in my closet anyway with all of my "fainting with (or without) style capes."