Basically I've been thinking about giving blood recently (and my freind has been nagging me to) but I hate hate needles and tbh I don't really want any inside me unneccesarily you know? I haven't had the balls to do it yet... The needle in this is bloody HUGE though! Are they actually that big? How does your arm not fall off? *Freaks out*
http://i51.tinypic.com/s3hro5.jpg
No, the needles aren't that big. One is about 1 1/4 inches long, and the needle comes out once it's in. It doesn't stay in, just a little plastic catheter stays in. The tiny needle pops back into itself and you can barely feel anything. (BTW, I'm a nurse.)
"I'm so fed up with the club scene."
"So are the baby seals"-Farce of the Penguins
Yes, it pretty much looks like that, I've donated blood before. But don't be afraid! It surprisingly doesn't hurt as much as you'd expect. Besides, the people are very well trained and do it so much, that they develop a "soft hand" and you can barely feel any discomfort.
Don't let that stop you from donating blood. It's very important :)
I have no idea what the first replier to your post is talking about. I've donated blood 3 times, and yes, the needle was effing huge all 3 times.
Well that sucks
Ah well. Got to suck it up, right?
Lord knows I'd be more than happy to take a doner's blood if something *beep* happened to me so I'd better do the same...
thanks for your replies!
Have you done it yet?
That's a good attitude - wanting to do it because you know you'd use the blood if you needed! :-)
Most needles are able to be very thin because they are only dealing with small amounts of fluid transfer, measured in milliliters or less.
Blood donation needles are quite a lot larger diameter so as to be able to handle a full point of fluid in a reasonable time period.
It really is not that bad. I am a member of the three gallon "club" from all the donating I have done.
I like to joke with the phlobotomist about "do I get to chose my own leech?" and "do you have any hand grips to squeeze with red and white streamers on the end, like my old tricycle?"
It doesn't feel that bad--it's not a hole punch. And the bright side is after having that done a number of times, you won't even notice the tiny needles.
And it is a great service, as not only does blood get used up by emergency rooms at quite a pace, they also can't store it for extended periods, so any left after a couple of months has to get tossed anyway. They can't stockpile it like water or oil, for instance.
Yep, I've donated a few times and they really are that big. But the needle doesn't stay in, they insert a plastic tube in. It's more uncomfortable than painful.
"It's a Fez. I wear a Fez now. Fez's are cool"
God bless you people who donate...I didn't realise they take out that much blood. Even losing a tiny bit of blood gets me dizzy...imagine if you have darker skin and they miss the vein with that huge needle...sorry I if I hindered donating...
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