There was another way that yesterday was ALS-centric, and it deserves its own post.

I gave blood yesterday. The Red Cross comes to my work every two months or so, so I really have no excuse to not go down there and bleed in the parking lot for an hour. I’ve been deferred a few times for low iron count, but since I take the supplements daily now, it’s not been a problem. I made it past that screen, and picked a bed.

I had to wait awhile, because another coworker donor was having a bad time. Like, “could not stand up without nearly passing out” bad time with an emesis basin and everything. He was insisting he had to go to the bathroom, they were insisting he lie the fuck down until his color improved because they couldn’t have him passing out in the parking lot. While listening to this, I was thinking about how it’s strange that some people have that reaction. And wouldn’t it be weird if he was actually having a reaction to chemical fumes or something in the bus and not wobbly reaction to losing blood at all.

Cue a panic attack for NO reason at all.

I laid there for five minutes, dizzy and nauseous and not breathing very well, willing myself to CALM. THE FUCK. DOWN. It wasn’t really because I thought there were fumes on the bus, but I told myself IF THAT WERE TRUE THE NURSES WOULD ALL BE SICK, THEY’VE BEEN ON THIS BUS ALL MORNING anyway. Maybe because I was mortified at the thought of having a problem at work that might require ERT? I’m not sure. None of my thought trails led to further freaking out, except the FACT that I was freaking out very quietly. I CAN’T BREATHE. Of course you can, idiot, calm yo shit. I AM GONNA PASS OUT. No, you’re not, you’re fine, and even if you did, there’s nurses here, so so what. I AM GONNA THROW UP. No, you’re fine. Cheesy Christmas, woman, chill. I’M FREAKING OUT. Well, yeah, but you KNOW that, so what’s the actual problem? UH..NOTHING I GUess okay I think I’m okay.

The phlebotomist finally came back around to me, got the needle started, and as I usually do, I let my mind go wherever it wanted. And then a quiet voice spoke in my head.

Idiot, you have a terminal disease. Should you REALLY be donating blood?

Um.

While I bled into a bag, I looked things up on my phone. There are a couple of hospitals which have a policy against people with ALS donating blood. There’s a forum with someone asking about donating organs or blood, and some jackass going off on them about how they’re APPALLED YOU WOULD EVEN THINK THAT WAS OKAY FOR FUCK’S SAKE YOU HAVE A TERMINAL DISEASE AND NO IDEA WHY IT HAPPENS YOU ARE LITERALLY POISONING PEOPLE IF YOU DONATE YOUR DISEASED PARTS YOU EVIL SON OF A BITCH. Which is why I don’t go to forums usually. There was NOT, however, anything on the Red Cross site or anywhere on the web that said no. Blood donated to the Red Cross doesn’t always get transfused, it gets used for research and medicines, too, and I don’t know if that means even if my blood can’t go in to a person, could it be used for medicine?

I finished bleeding, they gave me the standard spiel, call this number if you experience any flu-like symptoms in the next 7 days, or think of anything that might mean your blood shouldn’t be used, go eat some cookies and have some apple juice.

I finished up in there, and called that number later. The nurse on the phone didn’t know if it was against the rules for ALS people to donate, she couldn’t find out anything that said no. She would do some more research, though, and call me back or send a letter.

We don’t know what causes ALS. It’s not contagious, as far as anyone knows. But we don’t know a lot about it, and I’m not sure it’s a good idea. The Red Cross will be the final authority, of course. I’m sad about not being able to help out this way anymore, it’s a simple, easy thing to do and it can be tremendously helpful and they ALWAYS need people and I’m O+ so 85% of the population can be given my blood.

Unless it’s tainted.