Friday, November 26, 2004
I get to leave camp early today, to go to SGH to donate blood.
The mother of one of the First Sergeants in our unit - whom we have never seen before because he is on course - is suffering from some cancer or illness whereby her body cannot make platelets on its own, and has to rely on platelets in the bloods of donors. Hence O+ blood donors are being sought, and I, having that particular blood group, decide to contribute.
We troop down to SGH's Haematology Centre. We have to be given a screening before we can be qualified as donors. By right, we are supposed to be long term donors, coming to the centre to donate blood when the patient is required to have platelets pumped into her system. Platelets can only survive for five days, and within this duration has to be given to the patient. It can mean donating blood two times a month. It is not a one-off thing as we have thought. However, we are unable to commit in such a way, due to our (unpredictable) training schedule. Donating blood means two hours on the machine, and thereafter, three days of light duties as we will be quite weak. To the big shots this probably means a decrease in productivity - is that the Law of Diminishing Returns? - as we are unable to contribute fully.
I am only worried about what my parents will say: I have no qualms about giving blood. Last year, there was an appeal for blood at our college. I brought the form home to get my parents' consent, and theirs was a straight no. They are worried about me not being able to handle the after-effects of blood giving, as back then I was very thin and my health not very well. Also, they were afraid of what the needle might give to me - i.e. I may get HIV or something.
Strangely, when I get home and tell them about my decision, they were quite approving. I especially emphasised the word "SGH", at least to assure them that a group of professionals are taking care of me. My family has been quite involved with the SGH, since the elderly in our have been warded there time and again. And if you can't trust the General Hospital, who else can you trust?
¶ 11/26/2004 01:08:00 pm The mother of one of the First Sergeants in our unit - whom we have never seen before because he is on course - is suffering from some cancer or illness whereby her body cannot make platelets on its own, and has to rely on platelets in the bloods of donors. Hence O+ blood donors are being sought, and I, having that particular blood group, decide to contribute.
We troop down to SGH's Haematology Centre. We have to be given a screening before we can be qualified as donors. By right, we are supposed to be long term donors, coming to the centre to donate blood when the patient is required to have platelets pumped into her system. Platelets can only survive for five days, and within this duration has to be given to the patient. It can mean donating blood two times a month. It is not a one-off thing as we have thought. However, we are unable to commit in such a way, due to our (unpredictable) training schedule. Donating blood means two hours on the machine, and thereafter, three days of light duties as we will be quite weak. To the big shots this probably means a decrease in productivity - is that the Law of Diminishing Returns? - as we are unable to contribute fully.
I am only worried about what my parents will say: I have no qualms about giving blood. Last year, there was an appeal for blood at our college. I brought the form home to get my parents' consent, and theirs was a straight no. They are worried about me not being able to handle the after-effects of blood giving, as back then I was very thin and my health not very well. Also, they were afraid of what the needle might give to me - i.e. I may get HIV or something.
Strangely, when I get home and tell them about my decision, they were quite approving. I especially emphasised the word "SGH", at least to assure them that a group of professionals are taking care of me. My family has been quite involved with the SGH, since the elderly in our have been warded there time and again. And if you can't trust the General Hospital, who else can you trust?
