Giving Blood

I did something today that I haven't done in a long long time. I gave blood.

I was once a regular giver, those were the days before I started my overseas travel. After that, well, I kept visiting countries that put me on the Banned List (can't give for 3 years). There never seemed or actually, there wasn't ever, a stretch of 3 years between the banned countries and... - that's my excuse for not giving for a long time.

I went today because Sangart (I learned today it's Shankar - oh well, let's stick with what we know) needed 2 units of blood.

Here's how it works. If someone you know is in the hospital in need of blood, you go to the blood bank, give your blood and then they give you a pint of someone else's blood that matches the type of the person in need. It's an exchange.

I'm O Positive.

Here's the kicker. You actually have to PAY to give your own blood. Yes, you read that correctly. It cost us $12 bucks today for 2 of us to give our own blood.

However, you walk out of the bank with 2 packets of blood of your loved one's type, that you then ferry yourself over to the hospital. So, all in all, I got my 1st short visit to Sangart. We prayed and left, he needed his blood.

He'll start dialysis tomorrow and be home next week, - we hope!