After waiting for an hour through all the lines and questionings, I finally made it to the table. I was excited and willing to do my part in donating blood and bone marrow. I was ready to face the needle and watch every micro second as they poked the needle inside my skinny bicep.
The female phleb, wrapped the pressure gauge on my left bicep and made me squeeze my hand. She felt for a vein and couldn't find one. She switched to the opposite arm, nada. She called for another phlebotomist to assist her, who by the way tied what felt like a tourniquet on my arm, still nothing. I was told that my veins were too narrow and would cause bruising if they continued. Actually she said it was going to blow up and cause hemotama. Don't panic, nothing deadly just severe bruising. Since her shift was almost over, she decided to let me go. I was very disappointed. It would have been an experience worth seeing just to watch my skin turn purple . . .
I was told I need to drink more water if I want to give blood again. Apparently, I wasn't hydrated enough.
The manager must have seen my disappointment that she asked me to volunteer. I did it grudgingly at first but after a few hours of offering O.J., apple juice, and soda to those in waiting, I forgot all about my own grudge. I ran to each metal bed like a professional nurse offering aid to those that fainted. I got so good at bringing drinks and helping them drink with a straw that I could have helped 4 people at one time without looking!
I drove a guy back to his dorms to make sure he didn't faint on his way back, and mopped the floors after everyone had left. There were three of us that stayed longer than we needed to.
We trudged back to our dorms, our feet dragging our wearied bodies. As I changed to my civilian clothes, someone came knocking at my door. I thought the door was going to break! A guy from my class wanted to know where I had been. He wanted an accountability of my whereabouts since I was gone for at least 5 hours and missed all of class. I calmly told him what I did and mentioned that no one came to replace us in our shift (it was only supposed to be for an hour). He left with an "oh" then walked away. Puzzled by the sudden change of mood and very abrupt departure, I closed the door and prepared my laundry.
It was later that evening, talking to another friend, when I found out that my concerned flightmate was supposed to take my spot! I had a good laugh at that one.
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Cable's out in my room. I hope that they get it fixed by tomorrow so I can watch ALIAS! I won't be able to see it in Japan so I'm getting all the shows I can get.
Also, I have been able to get reacquainted again with friends from the past and its good to see each other at this stage of our lives. Being here in Maxwell, meeting all these new officers and hearing what encompasses the military, makes me think "I can make a career out of this". We'll see. I am taking it one day at a time. Due to my background and experiences with non-profit organizations, I'd like to eventually be involve with that.
Right now, I am working on earning a masters degree in Management: Human Resources. Also, learning Japanese and eventually work on Mandarin Chinese and obtain another degree. It has been my desire since my younger days to learn languages and what better time than now! One can never stop learning. . . whether one obtains a degree or not doesn't really matter. I would have never thought of seeing myself work towards another degree. Passing high school was a miracle, receiving a bachelors degree was just another anomaly, but now I am on the right path. It won't be easy but I'm certain it will be worth it and worthwhile. I am finding that the more I learn, the more I really don't know. But it sure is good to learn.
