I do want to share, but I don't want to scare people about giving blood. I think that it is just something that I am sensitive to, so I doubt that my experience is representative.


I was fine while I gave the blood, and I was fine afterwards while I ate the snack and drank the juice for about 15 minutes.


A BIT GRAPHIC:


Then, I drove to my school. I was going to read there. The drive took about 15 minutes, and just when I was about to get out of my car, I got very, very dizzy to the point where I thought I would pass out. Along with the dizziness was the severe nausea. I had to lean over and hold my head in my hands, and I couldn't move at all. This lasted at least about 5 minutes, and I was the closest I've been to vomiting in about 29 years.


When the severe dizziness and nausea passed, then I was still too weak to get out of my car and walk, so I had to lie there in the car for another5-10 minutes. Then, I had to call people on the phone to come and help me make it to the building in the department where I go to school. I had to lie on the couch there for a while, and I was basically weak all day.


My sister says she gets dizzy from donating too. Maybe I just don't tolerate it well. It was a pretty rough experience though.