Can't believe that I am actually done with my first year in vet school. I am a quarter finished! Looking back, this year is trully a very tough one for me. I lost some, and gained some. I lost my ability to speak English (because all I am doing is sitting in the classroom and take notes), but I gained a tramendous amount of knowledge (now, let's not talk about how much of that is retained...)
Anyway~ I am just glad that my first year is finished! and I can introduced myself as a 2VM now~ you don't understand how proud I am when I say that name. I decide to do something memoriable every semester while I am in vet school to celebrate each semester, something unique. First semester, I went to U-paint-It here in town to paint my own "dragonfly" fridge magnet, this semester, I decide to go with something bold--donating blood!
To most Americans, donating blood may be something ordinary. I have never done it and I have heard horror stories about how difficult to find a vein, and how much bruise did it cause when you end up with a newbi nurse, oh, not mentioning how HUGE the needle can be. I have tried to donate blood once during undergrad, but the nurse sent me home because they couldn't find my veins when I lay down, and they want to make sure I have a pleasant first experience. So this time, I started to drink gallons of water the night before until I have to run to the bathroom every hour...
Brooke went to the Red Cross center with me, I was worried 1) pass out while donating...2)unable to locate the vein and end up poking me more than once...Let's just say, Brooke commented at the end that I was a trooper. I was actually surprised that 1) I felt just fine after donating, 2) the nurse actually find my vein on the first try (even though she didn't look so promising before poking) 3) I finish bleeding within 10 minutes. I think I kind of freaked people out when I keep asking to touch the bag of blood. It is warm...I never thought my blood can be that warm...thinking about those 600ml of blood being transfused to someone who are in dying need, thinking about this one bag of blood may just save somebody's life...It's an amazing feeling, and ... undescribable.
I am very fascinated by my blood temperature...since I am a someone considered as a medical personnel, those really don't freak me out, the only thing somewhat surprised me is the dark color of my blood, I was expecting some what bright red...but I guess if that's the case, they will be poking my artery, and that would be bad bull....
So...what I summarized for this memoriable experience
1) I felt just fine after donating 600ml of blood--took a nap in the afternoon, and went on to watch Final review with my buddies
2) My arm does feel sour for the next 24 hours, more like weak
3) My blood is warm
4) I have a vein, and American nurse can actually find it on first try
5) the needle is indeed...huge.
6) I want to continue donating (even though my mom is somewhat every against it...and she said there's a inverse correlation between the amt of blood you donate and your intellengence level--which she even know it's not true...I think she just made that one up to prevent me from going in the future) , but may be at the end of the semester
7) drink a lots of water does speed the process up, and I am a trooper in doing that~
8) I did not pass out :p
