I’ll leave out the parts about going to more shows and taking more pictures. Or accidentally getting wasted with my Dad, sister, entire waitstaff of a restaurant and Dink (even if all of it was really fun).

This weekend I donated platelets. As you know, my poor Dinkanator has had a rough year medically including a recent 3 day stay in the hospital where she received not one, not two, but THREE platelet transfusions. She is doing well and is a total trooper about it all. And since she is such a trooper, me and Sarah decided to be troopers too and go replenish the platelet supply that Dink sucked up. (Kidding D!).

There is a constant need for platelet donation – 1.) because they are used in so many treatments and 2.) because they only last 3-5 days outside the human body! There is plenty of information about the process and where to do it here.

But I’ll tell you my version – the REAL version of how it goes down.

First of all you answer A LOT (and I mean a lot) of questions. Then they get you comfortable in these insane BarkaLoungers complete with a giant heating pad and warm blankets. When you donate platelets they take your blood, separate the platelets out and put the rest back into you. What they put back in is room temperature not body temperature, so you get a little cold.

Once you get all hooked up to the machine, the comforts keep coming: they pass around a snack basket, they order movies for you on Pay Per View (Sarah and I chose Sex & The City). It’s great. And for most people that’s it, you just sit there for anywhere from 1-2 hours (I was 68 minutes, Sarah was 90) until you’re done.

I said most people. You know what else MOST people are smart enough to do? Have enough sugar in their system before they donate.

Can you guess who didn’t?

But even that wasn’t that bad. Basically I got SUPER HOT all of a sudden, so I shut off my heating pad. But then I got lightheaded. And my vision got all spotty. The nurse noticed in 0.2 seconds and covered me in ice packs, elevated my feet and force fed me sugary ginger ale and within 2 minutes tops, I was fine. And returned to taking silly muppet pictures:

God I’m hot (literally – I’m covered in ice packs in that photo.)

Even that issue would not keep me from donating again. Pass out vs. Save a Life? No contest. But that’s why I wanted to give you the whole truth of what happened to me – yeah things happen, but it really wasn’t bad at all! And there are nurses there monitoring your every move.

All in all, it was an awesome experience – and me and Sarah both said the same thing: we actually felt BETTER after we donated. Not in a “OH AREN’T WE SAVING THE WORLD” better, but like physically better. I didn’t expect that – especially seeing as I am a needy, high maintenance donor who nearly passed out.

So if you’ve got your health – please go help someone who doesn’t by donating! (You can donate platelets every three days up to 24 times in a calendar year!)

The other important thing I did this weekend? Carved my Barack O’ Lantern of course!

I put it right in my window and burned it loud and proud. You all best be voting on November 4th. I don’t care if you don’t vote for Barack (just don’t tell me about it!) as long as you do your part and vote!