ARE YOU MY TYPE?
Thursday, June 2, 2022
All my life, I’ve had a blood type, it’s never changed, but I’ve never asked what it was.
But now I know, and I’m oh so negative. Yes, Type: O negative.
How did this happen?
Not easily, but it wasn’t so tough.
Like so many people, my answer would have always been – “I’ve always thought giving blood is a good idea, but I never have,” and other than my aversion to needles, there was nothing I feared, but my actions speak louder than my words.
I saw my great new doctor a few months ago – she expressed concern about my iron levels in the bloodwork, so I asked, “How do we get the iron level down?” Her reply was not a list of foods to eat/not eat or an exercise regimen, but rather, “Give blood.”
I set to work making an appointment, but my first-time experience was for naught – I hadn’t taken a list of medications I take, and without that, they could not take my donation that day. My re-booking attempt didn’t work because the computer thought I’d given blood that day, so the earliest I could book was 57 days later, so I did. I gave a pint of blood in May and have booked my next appointment in July. Once you get the hang of it, it’s pretty simple to book and track on their site. The Q&A is rigorous, as it should be because they need to ensure the safety of the blood supply. Of many things I learned, there are many nuances in the process of how blood is taken and then to put to various uses.
O negative can be given to anyone, so it is always in demand. And now, among other things, I know my blood type.
I’m booked to give again on July 18th.
Whether or not your doctor says, “Give blood,” we should – if we can/if we are eligible – give blood.
It makes bloody good sense, does it not?
Check out: https://www.blood.ca/en - if you go to that main page, scroll down until you see the page National blood inventory. Look for your blood type, and you’ll quickly see how much ‘in demand’ your type is. And you’ll also see how much your blood is needed. So, as my doctor says, “Give blood!”
Reader feedback:
When I read your column this morning, my first instinct was to respond using as many idioms as I could remember, but then I realized you had used them all. Overuse of these phrases gets my goat, but we need to keep them. Let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water; some are charming reminders of the past, and others are just plain silly. They will soon be replaced by emojis anyway, which makes me feel a little 🤮 and 😢 for the future of the English language, HM, Calgary, AB
Funny circles or not, that was a delightful read! Some of my mom’s favourites in there Mark…deader than a door nail was one, I loved (so irreverent) I wonder where that one came from. Colourful language like those are a thing of the past I think. Sadly. How are you?, SF, Lethbridge, AB
You’re dead for a long time, SB, Calgary, AB