Wednesday, November 11, 2009

For the first time in 23 years...

I flunked the iron test and couldn't give blood. Two different nurses each did a finger-stick on me and both times my iron was at 11.5 instead of 12 or over. There was a period of time between 2003 when I was diagnosed with MS and told I couldn't donate and 2008 when the American Red Cross said MS'ers could donate blood, but that is the only time I didn't donate. Getting deferred this morning made me sad, and really made me feel guilty when they gave me a t-shirt. On the front was the Cleveland Clinic logo, and on the back in big blue type were the words "I Saved A Life."

Not today, I didn't. :(

2 comments:

Mike S said...

Maybe it's just me but the first thing i would have done had that happened to me was find out what it possibly means. I mean its wonderful that you care so much about others that this has been a regular part of your life for that long (i didn't know that about you but reading it doesn't surprise me at all) but the last thing you need @ this point is something going wrong with your health.

Jammies said...

If it happens a second time, I'll worry, but the nurse explained that a cold or anything like that can drop your iron like a rock, and since I've been fighting an ear infection for a week, it's probably that.

Thank you for worrying about me. *hugs*