Fortunately I don't have too many issues with my health . . . unless I'm thinking about it. If I try to remain healthy for a particular day I end up concentrating too much on it and the stress it causes makes me ill. So it is with blood donations. I make an appointment in advance while I'm feeling good but as the day approaches every sniffle makes me wonder if I'm feeling well enough to donate.
With blood donations not only do you have to feel well the day of but also for three days after - not always easy considering you now have one pint less liquid to fight infection with. I did feel well enough to donate at the St. William drive Monday though. It was the first time the BloodCenter had offered us the opportunity to give a double-red donation at St. William and I was the only one to take advantage of it there. My donation may have taken twice as long as a pint of whole blood, but the donation interval is also twice as long; every 16 weeks versus 8 weeks. And the needle is smaller. And they treated me so well.
Now that the donation is over with, I just have to remain healthy enough to watch the parade sponsored by the BloodCenter Sunday at 4:00 in Downtown Waukesha, (where it's still OK to call a Christmas parade a Christmas parade.) If I manage to remain healthy for the parade, high temps for the day - 41 degrees, I could be tempted up to UWW for hot chocolate and fireworks just after the parade. We watched the fireworks from the hill south of the campus last year and really enjoyed it.
