Published Tuesday, March 04, 2008 8:34 AM
Updated Tuesday, March 04, 2008 8:36 AM

 

Priest's Confessions 3/5/08

The Gift of Life


I am a terrible patient. I have no tolerance for being sick because in my world, I simply do not have time for such nonsense.

This approach has not always served me well. It has caused me to hemorrhage after a biopsy, sending me to the emergency room for stitches.  It has caused me to muddle through a case of mononucleosis at the ripe age of 35 – way past the age of contracting such a thing – without missing a day of work, when others would be out with a headache or a sore throat. It has also caused me to hemorrhage again after a major operation, spilling two pints of my precious blood supply before the doctor plopped my stubborn self in a hospital bed for three days.

I also feel that if a little bit of pain on my part can save another’s life, it is well worth the pain. I am not an ideal blood donor. I have to eat the equivalent of three hearty meals to pass the minimum weight requirements to give blood. More than that, I tend to do things that the blood mobile nurses frown on in their donors, such as passing out after giving.

This reaction has made my husband frown on my propensity for giving blood. But it doesn’t stop me from giving. In fact, I sneak around to give blood. I try to go to the blood center when he will be occupied for a few hours and not know I’ve gone. And I was pretty darn pleased with myself when I received my gallon pin a while back, which I also had to hide from him.

I signed up for the national bone marrow donation program years ago and I’m afraid that although I’ve not received that call yet, when I do, I’ll have to pretend to be out of the country for a business trip to get away from letting him know what I’m doing.

I’m not a martyr. I don’t like needles or pain anymore than the next guy but what better gift can one give to another than the gift of life?

I had two close relatives diagnosed with leukemia last year. My mom was in an accident years ago that required her to receive four pints of blood.

Without the selfless donors that gave their time and donated their blood, they would not have survived.

So I’ll keep trekking to make blood donations when I can sneak away from my husband. The local Red Cross is always in need of healthy (or in my case, pathetic but well-meaning) donors. Visit the local American Red Cross at www.lowcountryredcross.org to learn more or log into www.givelife.org to locate a blood drive in our area. If you are able, spend an hour of your time to fulfill this need. The recipients will never know your name or see your face but believe me, they will be grateful every day that you gave.