now it can be told

last week, i gave blood for the first time. yes, i'm a virgin blood donor. was, rather. i had a couple of attempts, but all of them fell through. i have no qualms about it. it's just blood, anyway. well, except for making sure that the needles are new and clean of course. i do watch "house", after all. anyway, so last week, i saw that red cross had a 1-day blood letting activity, and so i went. i had to fill up a form, have a medical exam done, and go through a short interview. i was running a very slight fever (just over 37.5), but it was fien. then, they asked me to lie down on this military-type folding bed (gotta get me 1 of those comfy things), and proceeded to draw blood. i had to squeeze on this stress ball to hasten the flow of blood. they kept asking me if i felt dizzy, or if i was ok. and i was fine. after a few minutes, i was done. then they asked me not to stand up right away. i knew this from "while you were sleeping"--remember that scene where sandra and bill were in the hospital and gave blood, and bill stood up right away, then collapsed? anyway...so i stayed on the bed about 5 mins., they gave me juice and a cupcake (wow, free snacks! who knew?), then i was on my way.
i went out for lunch at porta vaga (a building just a short distance from school), then started to feel dizzy. i slouched at the table for a while, then decided to cut short my lakwatsa and head back. but after walking 2 feet, my vision blurred and i sort of fainted (half-fainted) beside 1 of the stores. i was still conscious though, could still see people stop and look at me. i managed to stand up, and 2 persons helped me to a nearby bench. then, from everywhere, 1 person was fanning me, 1 giving me water, and another, massaging my back. i had cold sweat and they were looking at me like, well, like they thought i was going to die, actually. i almost laughed when 1 girl asked me: "are you filipino?" i get that a lot here. they apparently think i look korean. which isn't saying much.
after about 20 minutes, where they kept talking to me, asking me to smell some chinese herbal ointment, giving me more water, and asking me who they could call to fetch me, or maybe 1 of them could accompany me home...i felt and looked better (yes, even according to them). i thanked them, of course, profusely, and said a prayer for each of them: 1 bldg maintenance person and 2 sales persons from different stores. i'm so thankful that i live in a place that, though i'm alone, people still care. that was the greatest lesson for me: that people still care, and i thank God for that.
and no, no such episodes since. i chalk it up to delayed blood-letting effects. and yes, i will still give blood in future. they tell me i can do it again in 3 months!