My mother has always given blood at least every other month for as long as I can remember. I was so excited when my high school was sponsoring a blood drive and I was finally old enough (with parent permission slip in hand), to give blood. Plus... you got to miss class, but that was just an added bonus.That day was the first day in a series of tries to donate blood. I am evidentially always anemic. Always. I pump up my meals with iron rich foods for at least a week before giving blood, making sure to have both kinds of iron to help in the absorption, but alas, I have been turned down every time I have tried.
Today my company sponsored a blood drive, and they even made really cool t-shirts for those that donated. The Red Cross also gave out coupons for a pint of Haagen-Dazs ice cream (pint for a pint). The company had a big breakfast spread and Odwalla OJ to pump up on before and after giving.
I brought in oatmeal, fruit, and yogurt, and have been munching on raisins for days. Last night I even cooked up a fat NY strip that was perfectly marbled, and made garlicky sauteed spinach and mushrooms, all cooked up in a cast iron pan again, to up the iron intake.
But alas...they said the iron levels were still too low, and I needed it more then they did. Maybe next time.
6 comments:
Cherry, You are telling the story of my life, except that the person who gives blood in my family is my daughter. I have tried and tried. I always get turned down and my doctor always says, "Nonsense! You are not anemic." but, obviously the blood bank and my doctor have different standards.
And, I do have restless legs syndrome, which is a problem of low iron.
Sorry Cherry. Good that you tried, at least!
Hey Cherry! I give you BIG props for tryin'! And hey, at least you got to eat a yummy steak. I love reading about the meals you cook. Your joy of cooking totally comes through.
The Red Cross should give you something for trying! Pretty impressive that you would go to the lengths you did you give blood.
Hey Cherry! I'm with you on the anemic thing. Everytime they come out to my work (every six weeks) I try to give blood. Sometimes I pass their iron test, sometimes I don't. It's been 3 months since I've given blood, cuz I failed the little droplet test the last two times.
:-(
Believe it or not, if I remember to eat steak the night before, I always pass the iron test. Gotta have more than a bunch of red-blood cells I guess.
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The few time I gave blood I always came down with some bug that was going around. Most the time my hemoglobin was just on the border of the norm range.
The Red cross is a wonderful organization. If you can't give blood they have other ways to give.
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